The 2025 AP US History Exam scores:
5: 14%; 4: 36%; 3: 23%; 2: 19%; 1: 8%.
Congrats to this year’s cohort of AP US History teachers and students; common item equating shows that this year’s students developed stronger content knowledge and skills than last year’s, raising the percentage of 4s and 5s by 4%. In parallel, APUSH teachers provided 25,000 more students than in 2024 with this opportunity to learn at an advanced level, making AP US History the course with the largest increase in performance and participation of any subject so far this year.
Multiple-Choice Questions:
AP US History students, as is often the case, developed a strong understanding of Period 2, 1607-1754; 36% of students answered all questions about this historical period accurately.
The lowest mean score in the multiple-choice section was on Period 9 questions (1980 to present). 10% of students answered each such question correctly.
Short Answer Questions:
https://t.co/sODZgnQbzx
This commentary will focus on the Set 1 questions, since that was the version taken by most students.
The most challenging of all this year’s AP US History free-response questions was the first short answer question, the comparison of secondary sources about early American democracy. 15% of students earned all points possible on it.
Students scored highest on the third short answer question, about British North America and the Seven Years’ War. 33% of students earned all points possible here.
Document-Based Question:
The DBQ on the US economy from 1932 to 1980: 79% of students earned the thesis point; 62% earned the contextualization point; 39% earned 1 evidence point and 47% earned 2 evidence points; 47% earned the evidence-beyond-the-documents point; 39% earned the analysis and reasoning: sourcing point, and 15% earned the analysis and reasoning: complex understanding point.
Long Essay Questions:
Q2: Native American societies’ adaptations from 1500-1754. 10% of students earned all 6 points possible.
Q3: Reform movements’ responses to industrialization from 1820-1900. 12% of students earned all 6 points possible.
Q4: US foreign policy from 1890-1930. 22% of students earned all 6 points possible.
All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: https://t.co/xZ0bZPEbT7
It’s that time of year when AP Readers begin finishing the scoring of AP essays, portfolios, and free-response questions, so as the data roll in, I’ll post that info here. A few reminders follow.
I won’t know in advance the day when each subject will reach a critical mass of psychometrically confirmed scores, so I can’t provide a schedule of when I’ll post each subject. Because these score distributions include all students worldwide, individual classrooms will often have score distributions that are either higher or lower than this aggregation.
AP Exams aren’t scored on a curve. Rather, as many students as earn the points necessary for college credit receive a score of 3 or higher. Each AP Exam version (e.g. west coast vs east coast; digital vs paper) is separately equated so that regardless of which version you take, you receive a comparable score. More details on exam versions and equating: https://t.co/hHxkzezmOm
Student performance on equated questions from year to year enables psychometricians to determine whether this year’s students, overall, demonstrated stronger, weaker, or similar content/skill mastery in relation to prior years’ students.
These scores represent a critical mass of scored exams, but faculty will continue to score throughout June. So we don’t upload scores for educators and students to view until July when all subjects are complete. If you’re an AP student, here’s information about how to make sure you’re able to view your AP scores starting July 7. https://t.co/YiSc8q9IcY
Remember that you have until June 20 to indicate which college should receive your free score send. https://t.co/FXyxVHESJ0
If you’re an AP educator, here’s information about how to view your students’ AP scores starting July 7: https://t.co/uvid823lkh
After the remaining exams in each subject are scored between now and the end of June, the score distributions may slightly shift. We seek to serve a wide array of student interests by offering AP courses in 40 subjects. Students should resist pressure to take large numbers of AP classes.
Our research finds that taking just 1-2 APs per year optimizes a student’s readiness for college. Take more only if the subject matter truly interests. https://t.co/MMddTR4L9S
While we celebrate students who earn scores that qualify them to place out of a college course, AP scores, high or low, are not a verdict on academic potential, intellectual curiosity, or motivation to continue to learn and grow.
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Here it is - our FINAL Rankings for the 2024 regular season: @Baseball_Durant remains up top, with @JesuitBaseball and @SHSGryphonsBB close behind as we head into the post season.
Check out our full list here: https://t.co/dpjgTS15V1