<p>People, especially in CC, say APs like Environmental Science, Psych, Human Geo are 'joke' APs. Why? The mean test scores for AP Bio and AP Human Geo are practically the same (2.72 and 2.67, respectively). Doesn't this show they're just as difficult as each other?</p>
<p>No. Look at these mean scores.</p>
<p>Calculus BC = 3.87
Physics C: E&M = 3.57
Computer Science A = 3.52</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone’s saying these are easier tests, but the people who are inclined to take these classes in the first place are more intelligent.</p>
<p>…how do the scores show that different type of people take them?
One of the smartest kids in my grade, stereotypical genius, is taking 5 sciences this year. One of them is AP Enviro.</p>
<p>Because tests known to be harder actually tend to have higher mean scores. The ones that a million average people take have lower mean scores.
I’m not saying “smart” kids won’t take Environmental. They generally will, along with other APs.
I’m saying “dumb” kids aren’t as likely to take the really hard ones when easier-looking ones are available. I mean, if you sucked at science but you needed another science credit, you’d be more likely to take AP Environmental than AP Bio or AP Chem.</p>
<p>(The tests are curved, though, and I think that has a lot to do with the high scores in “harder” sciences. You don’t have to answer as many questions correctly to do well.)</p>
<p>At my high school that I’m planning to attend. You have to take AP Human Geography if you want to do AP Scholars for High School.</p>
<p>When looking at these mean scores, you also have to consider the number of people taking the test.
Calc BC likely has FAR fewer people taking the exam compared to APES.</p>
<p>It also means the classes are generally easier, forget the actual exams for a minute. Really smart kids might opt to take them because that’s what they are interested in which is fine, but that doesn’t make them harder. The concepts learned just aren’t that difficult at most schools.</p>
<p>This is the first year that my school is offering APES. Let me tell you, that class is HARD. It might just be they way my teacher has the class organized, but even our valedictorian is struggling. I think it really depends on the school, the teacher, the students in the class, etc.</p>
<p>mean scores definitely mean something. the sat 2 math 2 is harder than math 1 and the scores are higher. the ap calc bc scores also tend to be higher than the ap calc ab ones.</p>
<p>in terms of the class, it mostly depends on the individual teachers. upperclassmen usually are able to give a good idea of what’s easy and what’s hard in the school.</p>
<p>
probably cause he was already taking a bunch of hard sciences lol.</p>
<p>Because they have reputations for being easier. That’s pretty much it. Those reputations may even be undeserved; AP Music Theory, for instance, has a local reputation as being easy, but even the most trained music students here rarely get above a 3.</p>
<p>Well we have a clear reason for looking down upon APES at my school … it’s two periods, so no one who wants a really hard schedule takes it.</p>
<p>Psych was a joke at my school. Environment was medium. Lots failed the latter bc they were expecting something easy. Lol</p>
<p>“When looking at these mean scores, you also have to consider the number of people taking the test.
Calc BC likely has FAR fewer people taking the exam compared to APES.”</p>
<p>Would this be because it’s harder or because it’s offered at fewer schools?</p>
<p>^
Both. Also, some schools foolishly make the progression to BC harder by forcing students to take AB first.</p>
<p>because the people who look down upon them are arrogant.</p>
<p>My school doesn’t even have BC.
How about calc AB? is it a joke too?</p>
<p>I would assume these APs are looked down on for the same reason some liberal arts degrees are looked down on.</p>
<p>At my school AP Macro is a complete joke, so is APES, the AP Foreign Languages (except for Latin) are also supposed to be easier, as is AP Psych</p>
<p>i don’t know much but at least in our school, AP psych (the only AP out of the 3 you’ve mentioned above that’s offered) is a very easy class where you can cheat and re-do tests in order to get a better grade. people in my regular US history class who doesn’t do anything for that regular class and fails every single test (which is beyond easy, probably 7th grade level, not to bash on the class but that’s how easy it is) but someone who fails that class gets a B in AP psych here, which means an A in AP psych in my school is undoubtedly easy. also, some people take AP classes without taking the actual exam.</p>