Understanding the AP Environmental Science Exam Scoring
The AP Environmental Science (APES) exam is divided into two distinct sections that test your knowledge of ecological principles, human impact, and sustainability. Our calculator uses the standard College Board weighting to estimate your final 1-5 score.
Section Breakdown:
Section I: Multiple Choice (60% of total score): Consists of 80 questions. This section tests your ability to identify concepts, interpret data, and analyze environmental scenarios.
Section II: Free Response (40% of total score): Consists of 3 questions, each worth 10 raw points. These include designing an experiment, analyzing a problem with solutions, and a calculation-heavy question.
How the Composite Score is Calculated
The total composite score is derived by combining the weighted scores from both sections. Because AP curves vary slightly each year based on the difficulty of the version, we use an average weighted scale based on previous years' data:
AP Score
Composite Range (%)
5
71% – 100%
4
59% – 70%
3
47% – 58%
2
35% – 46%
1
0% – 34%
Study Tips for a 5 in APES
To maximize your score, focus on the "Big Ideas": Energy Transfer, Interactions Between Earth Systems, and Sustainability. For the FRQ section, always include units in your calculations and be specific about ecological impacts—avoid "vague" terms like "pollution" and instead specify "nitrogen runoff leading to eutrophication."
function calculateAPES() {
var rawMC = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mcScore').value) || 0;
var frq1 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq1').value) || 0;
var frq2 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq2').value) || 0;
var frq3 = parseFloat(document.getElementById('frq3').value) || 0;
// Cap inputs
if (rawMC > 80) rawMC = 80;
if (frq1 > 10) frq1 = 10;
if (frq2 > 10) frq2 = 10;
if (frq3 > 10) frq3 = 10;
// Calculate Percentages
// MC is 60% weight, 80 total points
var mcWeighted = (rawMC / 80) * 60;
// FRQ is 40% weight, 30 total points
var totalFRQRaw = frq1 + frq2 + frq3;
var frqWeighted = (totalFRQRaw / 30) * 40;
var compositeScore = mcWeighted + frqWeighted;
var roundedScore = Math.round(compositeScore);
var apGrade = 1;
var resultColor = "#f44336";
if (roundedScore >= 71) {
apGrade = 5;
resultColor = "#2e7d32";
} else if (roundedScore >= 59) {
apGrade = 4;
resultColor = "#4caf50";
} else if (roundedScore >= 47) {
apGrade = 3;
resultColor = "#ffeb3b";
document.getElementById('finalScore').style.color = "#857c00"; // darker yellow for readability
} else if (roundedScore >= 35) {
apGrade = 2;
resultColor = "#ff9800";
} else {
apGrade = 1;
resultColor = "#f44336";
}
if (apGrade !== 3) {
document.getElementById('finalScore').style.color = resultColor;
}
document.getElementById('apesResult').style.display = "block";
document.getElementById('finalScore').innerText = apGrade;
document.getElementById('percentageText').innerText = "Composite Score: " + roundedScore + "/100 (" + (rawMC + totalFRQRaw) + " raw points)";
document.getElementById('progressBar').style.width = roundedScore + "%";
document.getElementById('progressBar').style.backgroundColor = resultColor;
window.scrollTo({
top: document.getElementById('apesResult').offsetTop – 100,
behavior: 'smooth'
});
}