How to use the AP exam score checker
An AP score arrives as a single number from 1 to 5, and the question that follows is whether it earns college credit. Pick your score and the minimum your college requires, and this tool reports the official qualification wording, whether the minimum is met, and the credits a set of qualifying exams would bring.
The 1 to 5 scale and its wording are fixed: 5 is extremely well qualified, 4 is well qualified, 3 is qualified, 2 is possibly qualified and 1 carries no recommendation. What is not fixed is the credit threshold, which each institution and sometimes each department sets on its own, so it stays an input here.
A score equal to the minimum counts as meeting it. When it falls short, the gap is reported in points. Filling in the number of qualifying exams and the credits granted per exam multiplies the two into a total, which is handy when a policy page lists credits per exam but not a running total.
Many colleges also cap the total credits awarded by examination or use scores for placement rather than credit, so confirm the details with the registrar before counting on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Colleges publish a minimum score for credit, and a score equal to that minimum satisfies it. The check here uses the same at-or-above rule.
Some institutions grant credit from a 3, others require a 4 or a 5, and the rule can differ by subject within the same school. Because there is no single national figure, you enter the one that applies to you.
That is set by the receiving college, commonly three or four credits per qualifying exam, sometimes with a cap on the total. Enter the figure from your credit policy page and the tool multiplies it out.