Is AP Stat hard? I’ve heard a lot of different things, but what are your opinions? What exactly do you learn? All I’ve really heard is “data analysis, but like math.”
It’s not hard. Like at all. It’s a lot of calculator work; it takes some critical thinking but you don’t need top notch math skills.
I am taking AP stats this year as well as AP calc and honestly I think that Stats is way harder.
The first units are simple and straightforward, but after a while you’ll find yourself struggling with every single problem.
…If you can avoid it, don’t take it!
What kinds of things do you struggle with, if you don’t mind me asking. Is the difficulty in math, or logic oriented problems? @paovaci
The math is not hard since it’s all about formulas (and the calculator does basically everything for you). The problems and their logic is definitely the hardest part, since it is not something you are used to see in normal maths problems… they are “realistic” situations…
It’s a personal opinion but for example I have 4 friends in my class and we are all struggling to pass
Thanks @paovaci @anxiousenior1
I find myself to be more of a math-person. IMO AP Calc BC is easier than AP Stat.
The thing with AP Stat is that every problem is different; in AP Calc BC, the problems tend to require similar approaches.
I’ll also add that the concepts in AP Calc BC are more “concrete” than those in AP Stat; i.e., AP Stat is more abstract. I wouldn’t call AP Stat “conceptual” though… It’s just different.
AP Stats requires only Algebra 2 / Trig, so the actual computation isn’t that hard. However, it is very word problem oriented, so some people might find the concepts a bit tricky.
For me, AP Stats is MUCH easier than AP Calc AB. The most advanced calculations I have done so far in my class have involved square roots and exponents. That’s how rudimentary your math skills need to be. Also, it is very much formula-based, so not much critical thinking necessary. At least that’s how it’s been so far (I’m hoping it stays this way!).
Yes, problems are mainly word problems involving real life situations. For me, this was a GREAT thing after all those monotonous concept-driven problems in Calc.
I’ve always considered AP Stats a humanities course, and as such I found it more difficult than Calc. The thing is, you need to intuit the things which are obvious and spam a bunch of t/p/chi^2/blahblahblah tests and make sure you know how to do them with your calculator. So if you’re good at memorizing things, you’re fine.
AP Statistics, in my opinion, is not as much arithmetic as it is rhetoric and analysis haha. The actual math that goes on in a statistical equation (ie. Standard Deviation, Predicted intervals) are actually quite tedious, but thank the Lord that those problems are solved with preset functions on a graphing calculator. All you have to do is get the said answer (p-value= .05), and, in a somewhat subjective way, explain what the said percentage, data set, or value means. The tricky part is to use persuasion in explaining your standpoint while keeping true to the data and the concepts you learn in class. Overall, it’s a fun class, and if you knock out concepts in class and have a laid back teacher, no homework! 
I’ve only taken AP Stats so I can’t compare it to AP Calc. However, stats is a lot harder than people have told me. Imagine writing a 3-paragraph answer and the teacher circles a word, and then takes 50% off. Like others have said, it’s a very different type of math, but it can be fun.
I have 97 in both quarters of my first semester. This is my highest grade and as well as my only AP class so it is fairly easy to me but that could be because it is my favorite class and I’m considering monotone in it in college. I think it’s one of those classes where you either get it or don’t. I get a 97 by barely studying but I also have friend who is struggling to pass. If you are genuinely interested in it, like I am, it’ll be a breeze (depending on yor teacher) but if you can’t stand the idea of math in general and critical thinking, you will not enjoy it at all which will most likely lead to a grade that you’re not happy with.
TBH, I’m shocked that people are saying AP stats is harder than BC Calc. I haven’t taken calc yet but I can’t imagine calc being anywhere near as easy as AP stats.
Stats isn’t math. It is the application of math. I don’t see how it is meaningful for students unless it is studied in a context of a subject area.
It depends. If you aren’t an intense “math” type of person- more of a science or English kind of person it is very intense and there’s not much math to it. It is all calculator based. IF you like to solve problems, Calculus is better. Stats is the math for people who hate math. That does not mean it is easier but it is not unbearably hard either. If you pay attention to when to use Z-Tests, T-Tests, etc, you will be fine. If not, you will fail. It is that simple.
Like others have said it depends on what kind of person you are. Do you enjoy algebra, geometry, and outside of the box thinking? If so, AP Calc is more for you. AP Stats has real life scenarios, and for the majority of the class, you are crunching numbers. As for the difficulty, the first few units are relatively simple. Once you get into the inference section, you may have some trouble keeping all the tests and stuff organized.
AP Calc is a lot different than AP Stats in the sense that there is not one “totally right” answer in stats. There’s a lot more grey area in stats whereas in calc there is just one answer. AP Stats is a lot of explaining and problems and explanations tend to get very wordy. AP Stats starts off really easy but does get hard.
AP Statistics is a lot of fun. It’s only hard when you think, “Oh goss, yet again another thing to learn…”
The real meat of the test is at Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Testing. Any free response involving Hypothesis Testing or Confidence Intervals is always going to be the same. Find out what test to use; set up parameters and conditions; solve for your p-value or construct your confidence interval; and analyze your results. After doing a million of them, you start to realize that the problems are all really similar too each other and use the same set-up.
I literally thought I hated math, but Stats made me realize that I’m good at solving equations from Algebra or Calc; I do not have the patience for Stats. My first midterm, I got a C, but then with corrections I got it to an 85. The second midter, I studied for three hours and got a 93 (with a curve). The third midterm ended up being an 87, and we just got to t-tests, power, and Type I/II errors, and I’m in actual pain. I think Stats is good for people that don’t like actual math, and find writing about problems better than actually doing them. It’s honestly just a lot of critical thinking and concept-based math, because our teacher’s response to our questions is usually just: “Draw it out, and you’ll see the answer.” I suck at it, but most of it is just, as ObitoSigma said, systematic and routine set ups with some formulas. It’s the wording and structure that counts more than the actual math.
AP Stats is mainly just writing and explaining the math behind your calculations. When it comes to FRQ you just need to explain a lot and make sure to use specific terms. Its not hard per say you just need to pay an awful lot of attention and make sure you understand what you are talking about cause it builds pretty quick.