<p>Why does it take so long for the tests to be graded?</p>
<p>Because essays must be read by real people and hand-scored.</p>
<p>They do the SAT in 3.5 weeks.</p>
<p>but the SAT only has 1 essay</p>
<p>the average AP exam has at least 3 essays that have to be graded</p>
<p>its a big job but yeah i wish i could get my scores earlier too</p>
<p>It's not only quantity - it's quality. You can get a perfect 12 on the SAT essay, but the graders have no expertise in the examples you provide (College Board even says that you don't have to get the facts straight). They use a relatively simple rubric to grade the essays. For the APs, high school teachers and college professors in the particular field grade the exams. That means that you must get the facts right, use appropriate examples, and show a solid (or excellent!) grasp of the specific material.</p>
<p>Also, because the College Board releases AP scores in one batch (all your AP scores will appear on a single sheet), tests that are graded earlier have to wait for those that take more time. For example, the French AP exam is graded on MC (easy to grade), essays (ah! correct grammar as well as development and accuracy), AND speaking responses. The graders must listen to the speaking ability of EVERY test taker.</p>
<p>Graders are CB-trained HS and college teachers. CB flies them to a central location and they spend 3-4 days locked in conference rooms for training/review, and grading essays. Since many high schools finish in late May, the essay grading doesn't even start until early June so those teachers don't have to take time off from class.</p>