Ap World History Test Score Calculator

AP World History: Modern Exam Score Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate your potential AP score based on your raw performance in each section of the exam. Please note that the College Board adjusts the exam curve annually, so this calculation is an approximation based on historical data.

Estimated AP Score:

Estimated Composite Score: / ~120

function calculateAPScore() { // 1. Get input values and handle empty inputs as 0 var mcq = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mcqCorrect').value) || 0; var saq = parseFloat(document.getElementById('saqPoints').value) || 0; var dbq = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dbqPoints').value) || 0; var leq = parseFloat(document.getElementById('leqPoints').value) || 0; // 2. Validate and clamp inputs to their actual maximums if (mcq 55) mcq = 55; if (saq 9) saq = 9; if (dbq 7) dbq = 7; if (leq 6) leq = 6; // 3. Calculate weighted composite score. // Note: Multipliers are estimates based on historical weighting to achieve a composite scale of approx 120. // MCQ is typically ~40%, SAQ ~20%, DBQ ~25%, LEQ ~15%. var weightedMCQ = mcq * 1.0; // Max 55 var weightedSAQ = saq * 2.5; // Max 22.5 var weightedDBQ = dbq * 3.5714; // Max 25 (approx 25% weight) var weightedLEQ = leq * 3.0; // Max 18 (approx 15% weight) var compositeScore = weightedMCQ + weightedSAQ + weightedDBQ + weightedLEQ; // Max composite is roughly 120.5 // 4. Determine AP Score (1-5) based on estimated historical cutoffs. // These cutoffs are estimations and vary by year. var finalScore = 1; if (compositeScore >= 88) { finalScore = 5; } else if (compositeScore >= 73) { finalScore = 4; } else if (compositeScore >= 58) { finalScore = 3; } else if (compositeScore >= 40) { finalScore = 2; } // 5. Display Results document.getElementById('finalApScore').innerText = finalScore; document.getElementById('compositeScoreRaw').innerText = compositeScore.toFixed(1); document.getElementById('scoreResult').style.display = 'block'; }

Understanding the AP World History Exam Structure

The AP World History: Modern exam is a rigorous assessment split into two main sections, further divided into four distinct parts. Understanding how each part contributes to your final score is crucial for effective studying.

Section I: Multiple Choice and Short Answer (60% of Score)

• Part A: Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ): This consists of 55 questions to be completed in 55 minutes. It accounts for 40% of your total exam score. These questions usually appear in sets of 3-4 based on primary or secondary sources.
• Part B: Short-Answer Questions (SAQ): You have 40 minutes to answer 3 questions. This section accounts for 20% of total score. The first two questions are required, and you choose between Question 3 and Question 4. Each SAQ is worth 3 raw points (for a total of 9 raw points).

Section II: Free-Response Questions (40% of Score)

You have 1 hour and 40 minutes for this entire section, including a recommended 15-minute reading period.

• Part A: Document-Based Question (DBQ): This is the most heavily weighted written portion, accounting for 25% of your total score. You must analyze 7 documents to respond to a prompt. The essay is graded on a 7-point rubric covering thesis, context, evidence, sourcing, and complexity.
• Part B: Long Essay Question (LEQ): This accounts for 15% of your total score. You choose one of three prompts to write an essay testing historical reasoning skills (comparison, causation, or continuity and change over time). It is graded on a 6-point rubric.

How the Final Score is Calculated

The College Board does not simply average your percentages. Instead, they convert raw scores from each section into a "composite score." Different sections are weighted differently. For example, a raw point on the DBQ is "worth" more toward the composite score than a single correct multiple-choice answer.

Once the total composite score is calculated for every student, psychometricians determine the cut-off points for the final AP scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Because exam difficulty varies slightly from year to year, these cut-off points shift to ensure that a "4" earned in one year represents the same level of achievement as a "4" earned in another year. Generally, a score of 3 or higher is considered "passing" and may qualify you for college credit.