What is a 5?

blue_sky · 03-22-2008, 12:53 AM

I am really new to AP as my school (in Canada) only offers a few and my teachers don't know much about the AP exams. My question is, what is a 5 in terms of the percentage of questions you get right? For example, when I do a practice exam, how should I grade myself using the composite score and see if it is a 5?

I am taking the following AP exams:
Calculus BC
Biology
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Psychology

Thank you.

staciehere · 03-22-2008, 12:56 AM

I do not know exact percentages to translate the scores but the scores range from 1-5.
You get a 1 for taking it...but a 1 or 2 are not passing. a 3 to 5 are passing.
3,4,&5 are considered passing scores and are viewed (at least by those I've talked to) as good scores. 4;s & 5;s are more prestigious. 5's are like the gold of the 4 (silver) 3 (bronze) mindframe.

I;m not sure if that was rambling but I hope I clarified some things for you.

blue_sky · 03-22-2008, 01:01 AM

Right, but is there a set standard for 5? Like 80% correct or something?

Ilovesoftball44 · 03-22-2008, 01:03 AM

The numbers 1-5, are used to determine whether credit should be given. In general, a 5 = an A in a college course, 4 = B, 3 = C, 2= D and 1 = F. 5's are pretty difficult to get and usually only about 10-15% of the examtakers achieve a 5. In general, 4's and 5's are perceived as good scores, whereas 3's are mediocre. Also, it is easier to get a 5 on some exams, such as psych, and harder on some exams like Calc BC. Hope I helped!

amb3r · 03-22-2008, 01:06 AM

Blue_sky, it varies for each test. You might be able to find the data online. I don't remember if the practice books have scoring charts in the back.

The cutoff % for a five ranges from anywhere in the high 70%s to the low 50%s (for AP Physics C Electricity/Magnetism). My rough estimate is that if you get above a 75% on any AP you are pretty much guaranteed a 5 there, but for some of the really hard APs you can get much lower than 75% and still have a 5. These %s are determined by student performance on each AP, so we're graded on a curve.

DankStarbursts · 03-22-2008, 01:37 AM

Actually 45% of BC test takers get a 5... not very hard, dunno what ur talking about

farralicious · 03-22-2008, 03:40 AM

i'm pretty sure a 5 is generally about 2/3 of the total points (percentage wise), generally no higher than 70% (based on what i've seen on those charts we fill in after practice tests where you multiply all your raw scores by ridiculous numbers)

then again maybe i'm completely wrong so please don't take my word for it.

kyledavid80 · 03-22-2008, 03:50 AM

The overall grade is dependent on both your essays and MC, which are each weighted differently and are added together for a composite score which translates to the 1-5 scale. The cutoffs for the different scores also change slightly, as each exam is graded on a curve. I think you can find the expected/general ranges on AP Central.

Quote:

Actually 45% of BC test takers get a 5... not very hard, dunno what ur talking about

The reason that % is so high is that a) the students who go that far in math tend to be much more self-selective than, say, the students who take APUSH (which is the most popular exam), and b) a very large number of those students have taken AP calc AB before, which is essentially what the BC exam is, but with a few additional topics.

It's like the AP Chinese score distribution: the % 5's is so high because of the type of student taking it and his/her past experience with the subject.

TheMathProf · 03-23-2008, 02:32 PM

I'd be careful about saying that the tests are graded on a curve. The standard is uniform, but the questions that assess those standards vary in difficulty from test-to-test, so the score needed on each individual test in order to reach those standards will vary as well.

For instance, back in 1985, you used to need 84 points (out of 108) on the AP Calculus AB exam in order to earn a 5. As recently as 2003, you used to need 67 points on the same exam to earn that same 5. What that suggests is that the AP Calculus AB exam has gotten more difficult over time.

GamaPasa · 03-23-2008, 03:41 PM

^or that we've all gotten stupider!

blue_sky · 03-23-2008, 11:19 PM

Thanks everyone.

I find it very hard after doing the practice exams to figure out where I stand...Is there any links for translating raw composite scores to the 1-5 scale? Thanks again.

tinuviel · 03-24-2008, 12:48 PM

I've heard that for AP World a 5 is around 80% right, but World tends to be one of the easier APs anyway.

youpennpress · 03-24-2008, 05:23 PM

Yea, World History, if you know simple structure and whatnot for essays, you can get 7 points out of 9 in most cases and you're on your way to a 5. It's kind of easy to get a 5 which is why credit is rarely awarded to students who attain this score, in most top colleges that is.

theshonen8899 · 03-25-2008, 02:23 PM

Yes, the reason Calculus BC has such a high passing rate is because most schools will only allow student who do very well in Precalculus Honors to take the course.

lildude3077 · 03-25-2008, 11:36 PM

It varies per year, and especially per test:

Calculus BC 2003:
1- 0-25
2- 26-35
3- 36-52
4- 53-63
5- 64-108

There are only 45 Multiple choice questions on the test, and these values include the 6 free response questions, but you can see that there isn't much you needed in 2003 for even a 5. However, it varies per year, and my teacher told me that 2003 was a harder test year, so they compensated for that and made the curve nicer.