I think I failed my AP Exams..

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m currently a sophomore and took/am taking 3 APs this year:

AP Calculus AB
AP World History
AP Music Theory

I took the first two already, and I have music theory tomorrow. I think I failed and I’ve never been more depressed, as I studied really hard and worked really hard in my classes. I earned A’s in all my classes both semesters, and I would say my school’s teachers make the courses pretty difficult. I originally wanted all 5s and now I feel like even getting a 3 is a reach. I just don’t feel confident at all (especially on world history), and I’m wondering if anyone else thought the same but ended up being pleasantly surprised with their score? I need a little bit of hope :frowning:

2

Fret not…colleges are much more concerned about your grades in those classes as opposed to the AP tests.

Why is that?

  1. Doing well in a class shows you can learn over the year and work hard over a period of time. That is what they want in college.
  2. Not all HS have many APs.
  3. Many people take AP tests senior year which is too late for admissions

For example, Stanford says:
Students currently enrolled in AP courses are not required to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. AP scores that are reported are acknowledged but rarely play a significant role in the evaluation of an application. Grades earned over the course of a term, or a year, and evaluations from instructors who can comment on classroom engagement provide us with the most detailed insight into a student’s readiness for the academic rigors of Stanford.
http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html

Where does this leave you?

  1. It tells you that you cannot place out of those classes in college…you will need to take them in college like many many other people do.
  2. Do not self-report your scores
3

The AP exams have a bit of a curve to them. So you don’t need every single question correct in order to do well. The curve changes from year-to-year and exam-to-exam, so no one outside CollegeBoard can say how your individual score may have been impacted. Don’t let it ruin the rest of your school year or the start of your summer.

4

You can get around a 63% on the Calc AB exam and still get a 5. I’d rather be in your spot…I took Calc AB this year with B’s all year but I feel like I aced the exam.