Estimate your 1-5 score based on the latest weighting
Your Estimated AP Score:
5
How the AP Human Geography Exam is Graded
The AP Human Geography exam is split into two equal sections, each worth 50% of your total composite score:
Multiple Choice: 60 questions in 60 minutes. Every correct answer earns you 1 raw point. There is no penalty for guessing.
Free Response (FRQ): 3 questions in 75 minutes. Usually, each question is worth 7 raw points, for a total of 21 raw points.
The Calculation Math
To balance the sections, the College Board uses a weighted composite score. Since the MCQs are out of 60 and the FRQs are out of 21, but both count for 50%, we multiply the FRQ score by approximately 2.857 (60 / 21) to give them equal weight.
While the "curve" changes slightly every year based on student performance, the general ranges are:
Score 5: 85 – 120 points
Score 4: 70 – 84 points
Score 3: 50 – 69 points
Score 2: 35 – 49 points
Score 1: 0 – 34 points
Tips for Exam Day
Focus on the "Models" (Demographic Transition, Von Thünen, Weber, etc.) and ensure you can apply them to real-world examples. In the FRQ section, pay close attention to the verbs: "Identify" requires a brief answer, while "Explain" or "Discuss" requires detailed evidence and reasoning.
function calculateAPScore() {
// Get values
var mcq = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mcqCorrect').value);
var f1 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq1').value);
var f2 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq2').value);
var f3 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq3').value);
// Validation
if (isNaN(mcq) || mcq 60) {
alert("Please enter a valid Multiple Choice score between 0 and 60.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(f1) || f1 7 || isNaN(f2) || f2 7 || isNaN(f3) || f3 7) {
alert("Please enter valid FRQ scores between 0 and 7.");
return;
}
// Weighting Logic
// Section 1 (MCQ) is 50% of score. Max raw 60.
// Section 2 (FRQ) is 50% of score. Max raw 21.
// Multiplier for FRQ = 60 / 21 = 2.8571
var frqTotal = f1 + f2 + f3;
var weightedFRQ = frqTotal * 2.8571;
var composite = mcq + weightedFRQ;
composite = Math.round(composite);
var finalGrade = 1;
var message = "";
if (composite >= 85) {
finalGrade = 5;
message = "Excellent! You are on track for a 5.";
} else if (composite >= 70) {
finalGrade = 4;
message = "Great work! You are likely in the 4 range.";
} else if (composite >= 50) {
finalGrade = 3;
message = "Good. You are currently at a passing level (3).";
} else if (composite >= 35) {
finalGrade = 2;
message = "Keep studying! You are close to a passing score.";
} else {
finalGrade = 1;
message = "Needs more review. Focus on the key models and vocabulary.";
}
// Display Results
document.getElementById('resultArea').style.display = "block";
document.getElementById('finalScore').innerHTML = finalGrade;
document.getElementById('compositeScore').innerHTML = "Weighted Composite Score: " + composite + " / 120″;
document.getElementById('scoreMessage').innerHTML = message;
// Smooth scroll to result
document.getElementById('resultArea').scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}