<p>the least passed AP test? </p>
<p>My teacher was trying to convince several students to not take AP Lang and Comp, and that was his excuse.</p>
<p>Maybe, but it isn't too bad if you are good at analyzing literary techniques and reading passages. Don't base your decision to take the test on that statistic though, because you are a different case from the "average" student. Take some practice tests, and make your own decision. My teacher didn't really teach much this year and I received a 5 on the test.</p>
<p>Check the scoring distributions on the AP site on collegeboard. for each subject it says what percent get 5's,4's, 3's etc.</p>
<p>Actually here: <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lang/dist.html?englang%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/english_lang/dist.html?englang</a></p>
<p>Yeah it does look like the lowest. I thought history was pretty low with 9.8. Comp Sci AB is like 27.</p>
<p>I think you also have to compare the quality of students that take it. At my school, everyone and his half-sister is in AP English. It's really no big deal there, a trained monkey could take it, and sign up for the test (take the test, and you don't have to take the final) sit there for three hours, fill in some bubbles and have a nice day.</p>
<p>where as, say, AP Calculus, you have a smaller batch of more intensely prepared students. </p>
<p>That's my theory, at least. Same with US History, and a few other standard guys.</p>
<p>That is true. But at the same time, CB doesn't scale like they do for SAT distributions. If a year's test is harder they will adjust but they won't give a fixed 20% 5's or wutever because unless 20% know enough material to get an A in a decent intro-college course.. they cannot give a 5 to them.</p>
<p>confidential....how do you look at those statistics for all the various tests on the website?</p>
<p>wait nevermind I figured it out</p>
<p>Exam - Fail Rate</p>
<p>Alphabetically:
Art History - .29974
Biology - .392321
Calculus AB - .409728
Calculus BC - .205364
Chemistry - .435581
Computer Science A - .428489
Computer Science AB - .367292
Economics Macro - .450866
Economics Micro - .380941
English Lang & Composition - .417374
English Lit & Composition - .35088
Environmental Science - .496787
European History - .305445
French: Language - .428361
French: Literature - .310142
German: Language - .321951
Government Politics Comp. - .35862
Government Politics U.S. - .4732
Human Geography - .385235
Latin: Literature - .445085
Latin: Vergil - .379251
Music Theory - .307529
Physics B - .430456
Physics C: Elec. & Magnet. - .351328
Physics C: Mechanics - .303793
Psychology - .289538
Spanish Language - .217653
Spanish Literature - .385067
Statistics - .401903
Studio Art: 2-D Design - .358333
Studio Art: 3-D Design - .402285
Studio Art: Drawing - .353148
US History - .433047
World History - .45223</p>
<p>Ascending Order:
1. Calculus BC - .205364
2. Spanish Language - .217653
3. Psychology - .289538
4. Art History - .29974
5. Physics C: Mechanics - .303793
6. European History - .305445
7. Music Theory - .307529
8. French: Literature - .310142
9. German: Language - .321951
10. English Lit & Composition - .35088
11. Physics C: Elec. & Magnet. - .351328
12. Studio Art: Drawing - .353148
13. Studio Art: 2-D Design - .358333
14. Government Politics Comp. - .35862
15. Computer Science AB - .367292
16. Latin: Vergil - .379251
17. Economics Micro - .380941
18. Spanish Literature - .385067
19. Human Geography - .385235
20. Biology - .392321
21. Statistics - .401903
22. Studio Art: 3-D Design - .402285
23. Calculus AB - .409728
24. English Lang & Composition - .417374
25. French: Language - .428361
26. Computer Science A - .428489
27. Physics B - .430456
28. US History - .433047
29. Chemistry - .435581
30. Latin: Literature - .445085
31. Economics Macro - .450866
32. World History - .45223
33. Government Politics U.S. - .4732
34. Environmental Science - .496787</p>
<p>TOTAL - .38552</p>
<p>As you can see, Eng Lang. & Comp is only the 11th least passed test, with Environmental Science being the least passed and Calculus BC being the most passed.</p>
<p>Calculus BC is the most passed test? ... the hell?</p>
<p>Woah..I thought Environmental Science was easy stuff. I was even considering self studying it cuz so many kids here said it's so easy. And people said US Govt was easy too!</p>
<p>People who take Calc BC are generally very well prepared. This ranking does not measure difficulty accurately. What it does tell though, is that Latin: Literature is an extremely difficult exam. Not many take Latin Lit unless they think they're prepared (it's not your run of the mill "Easy AP"), and then 44.5% of the test takers STILL don't pass it!</p>
<p>Edit: Sarorah, same thing with Env Science. Many people coupld it with AP BIO and don't get it all done, and many think it will be really easy and don't really study enough for it.</p>
<p>Like ExRunner said, don't infer level of difficulty from the pass rates. Many factors other than difficulty of the exam play a significant role in influencing the pass rate.</p>
<p>yeah... world history was not a hard exam...</p>
<p>Actually the percentages represent the "quality of the AP students" (according to my math teacher) that take the class. For example, many people that do take the enviromental exam aren't the same people that are taking the Calculus BC exam. Generally the BC exam test takers are composed of the elite math students and/or seniors, thus making the pass rate higher than other tests. While the enviromental exam is rumored to be easy, it draws in all the less qualified AP students which yields the result of lower passing rates.</p>
<p>That's what I said?</p>
<p>Oops didn't see your post, oh well I guess it just strengthens what you previously stated.</p>
<p>What are you guys considering "passing" and "failing" grades on the AP test?</p>
<p>Anything that is a 3 or above is considered passing, failing would be the rest of the scores.</p>
<p>Screw that. I only want stats for 5's!</p>
<p>basically roughly 10 percent of the people that take each exam get 5's.</p>