<p>Look at the BC calc distribution:
5 43.5%
4 17.4%
3 19.4%
2 6.7%
1 13.0%</p>
<p>I think the real reason is that way more random people do APUSH. It’s the most widely taken AP.</p>
<p>AP exams are made so a grade of 5 is roughly an A in the corresponding college class, 4 is a B, and so on. Not that many people are expected to get a 5 because not that many people get A’s in college classes (relatively speaking, compared to the general populace).</p>
<p>US History is the most popular among the AP exams, because some states such as South Carolina require high school students to take the course and more students are being pushed to take AP courses. If you are one of the smarter students, this is a huge draw for you, because a bulk of the students who would not have taken it otherwise bring the curve down. Still, you have to score about 70% or higher to get a 5, which is a higher threshold compared to AP Physics B or AP Chem.</p>
<p>Well you gotta first go through the class, which I’m guessing only 60-70% acually do (if not less) … many people just walk in and take it for the heck of it</p>
<p>and it is difficult… 5s arent easy to get you gotta really know your stuff. and a lotttt of people just cant deal with tests (get nervous) and for some people time is a huge issue. Like I have a friend who knows more about compsci than me (he codes in his free time alot) but he just froze up and left a whole question blank and 10 multiple choices blank, which is definatley not gonna be a five. While I probably got a 4 or 5</p>
<p>^ Uhh I’m pretty sure nobody just walks in and takes it for the heck of it - at least not many people.</p>
<p>On average though, about 10-15% of AP Test takers get a 5 on a exam. Personally, I come from a school where 90% + of the class gets a 1 on their respective exams. The teaching quality is just poor, and as a result kids just give up and christmas tree it. In addition, our state (FL) and several other states pay for all AP exams if a student takes the course, so that’s just a bunch of 1’s coming in.</p>
<p>I think any student can pass an ap course through a prep book if they study enough. For those of us who really learn diligently on our own, the score is a 5. I go to a totally non-competitive school so I have to get my information from CC to do well. Other kids learn in class and just have to study a bit more to get their 5s. Several others learn half in class, and the rest on their own.</p>
<p>In the end, APs are a very individual effort type of exam. You could have an amazing teacher and pass, but you really need to review for a 5. I’m sure there are some brilliant students who can get a 5 without studying at all, most notably advanced math students taking ap cal, but even then, they have so much practice with calculus that studying formulas and all that is a waste of time since its inbuilt.</p>
<p>Anyone can take any AP exam</p>
<p>APUSH is probably one of the most common tests to take, due to the fact many kids have probably taken numerous AP History classes…and getting past the 1950s usually takes 3 days since the test is most likely 4 days away. :D</p>
<p>Truly bright and motivated students will prepare for, and perform well on, AP exams; regardless of whether they took a class at school or studied independently. Those who are truly qualified to take AP classes will have a direct correlation between effort and achievement.</p>
<p>As a parent, I have found that my public HS offers AP classes to anyone who wishes to enroll; regardless of their willingness and ability to understand and retain content, and commitment to taking and performing well on the eventual exam. These days, students seem to take as many AP exams as they can (with no accountability or tie to the final grade which appears on their transcript)…in an effort to pad their academic resume for consideration with college admissions. </p>
<p>Where the AP disconnect becomes blatantly transparent to me - and to college admissions boards, I am sure - is when students either avoid taking the resulting AP exam altogether; or they take it, and achieve sub-standard scores (3 or below). AdComs - especially at the most competitive colleges and universities, are not stupid.</p>
<p>Enrolling in as many AP classes as possible can be a counter-intuitive practice when the disparity between effort and achievement occurs, both for individual students and for the general credibility of a school’s rigor. I trust that AdComs… especially at the most selective schools… are all over this phenomenon.</p>
<p>In summary… I believe the privilege of taking AP courses should be extended to anyone:</p>
<p>1) Who is willing and able to accept the challenge of studying for and taking the resulting exam, </p>
<p>AND</p>
<p>2) Who also accepts responsibility for the direct correlation between the AP exam score, and the final grade which appears on his or her transcript (5=A, 4=B, 3=C, 2 or below…or no show = F)</p>
<p>If a student is not willing or able to be accountable for achievement…why should he or she be in an AP class to begin with?</p>
<p>I agree that most of people that are in AP don’t take it seriously.</p>
<p>and to the OP, if you do everything that you are asked for and you do it well (which involves in understanding the materials and keep it in your head). A 4 should be easy for you, and you can get a 5(with the method above) if you are a natural gifted student. Otherwise you have to work above and beyond everyone else in order to take that 5.</p>
<p>The truth is, that AP environment is like regular classes, there will be lazy people and there will be some people that work above and beyond what they are told to do. good work ethic separate you from those who doesn’t care, is a simple idea that is easy to say than do.</p>
<p>Well when you are on this site, it makes it seem as if EVERYONE gets 5’s -______-.</p>
<p>AP is available to anyone and only those who really take the time to study seriously get a 5.</p>