My AP score

This year, as a freshman, I took human geography. I finished the class with an A and I was one of the smarter people in my class so I was confident when I took the test. I got my score back and I got a 1. Should I try to get it re-scored? Or would that just bring my hopes up for no reason? Most of my friends got 3s, 4s, and 5s, I just don’t know what to do. Thanks for the help.

You can ask for your MC section to be rescored for $30.
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-multiple-choice-rescore-service.pdf

and you can ask for your FRQ booklet back for $10. However, your FRQ will have no notes from the readers and will not be regraded.
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-free-response-booklet-request.pdf

The only time I have heard of a successful rescore (and this is extremely rare) is when the CB lost the FRQ and, as a result, based the score upon the MC. If you want to spend the money, go ahead, but don’t expect much. My advice - move on.

I wouldn’t waste the money on a rescore. Colleges will see your grades in the class and I think they definitely take that into more consideration than the exam score. Plus, it’s your freshman year. You have 3 more years to prove your knowledge.

It’s actually super common for things like this to happen because the most capable students tend to be more nervous on the day of the test. I wouldn’t get it rescored. Grades in the class matter more. I’m also disappointed with my history AP Score, but just remember that the class matters more than the test. Good luck!

I’m not in the camp that the class matters more than the test. The class obviously didn’t prepare you for the test and that probably means there was some grade inflation going on. That being said, you don’t have to report AP scores on applications. They are just self-reported, you don’t send actual scores. And it’s perfectly fine to leave them off of your applications. I would not report a 1.

Agreeing overall with the other posters: rescoring probably won’t make a difference- and almost certainly not a 2-4 point difference, which is what you are looking for.

However, getting your FRQ back for $10 might be worthwhile, if you will then take the time to take the grading rubric “2018 AP Human Geography Scoring Guidelines” and figure out why your answers didn’t meet the expectations.

Fwiw, nearly 30% of students who took HG this year got a 1. According to the Score Distribution Report “students generally scored very well on questions re: agriculture/rural land use, but struggled with questions on industrialization, economic development, population, & nature of geography; stronger understanding of those topics will expand the % of 3,4,5s.” and “many students do not appear to have learned about gentrification (FRQ2): 25% earned 0/6 points on it, & are thus getting a 1.”

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