Will I lose points if I answer a multiple-choice question incorrectly? – AP Students (2024)

FAQs

Will I lose points if I answer a multiple-choice question incorrectly? – AP Students? ›

Your total exam score on the multiple-choice section is based only on the number of questions answered correctly. You won't receive or lose points for incorrect answers or unanswered questions.

Total scores on the multiple-choice section are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers and no points are awarded for unanswered questions.

The multiple-choice section is scored by computer. Each answer sheet is scanned and the total number of correct responses equals the multiple-choice score.

What If I Think My AP Exam Score is Incorrect? While it is unlikely that your exam has been scored incorrectly, it's not impossible. There could be a very rare computer malfunction during scanning, or you could have used the wrong type of pencil when filling out your answer form.

You will choose 1 of 4–5 answer choices for each question. Your total exam score on the multiple-choice section is based only on the number of questions answered correctly. You won't receive or lose points for incorrect answers or unanswered questions.

Colleges will not look at your score

Instead of sending an official score report during the application process, you have the option to self-report your scores.

Usually, a 70 to 75 percent out of 100 translates to a 5. However, there are some exams that are exceptions to this rule of thumb. The AP Grades that are reported to students, high schools, colleges, and universities in July are on AP's five-point scale: 5: Extremely well qualified.

Credits are earned by scoring 5 on a minimum of four AP tests. Certain AP examinations test material covered in one semester only, and for each of these, Harvard confers only one half credit toward Advanced Standing. For more information, visit Harvard's website.

To answer your question directly, no, you can't score a literal zero on an AP test; the scores range from 1 to 5. Even if you were to leave the entire test blank, you'd still get a 1. Now, to earn that score of 1, it means the test taker demonstrates no understanding of the material.

You can request that the AP Program withhold one or more AP Exam scores from any college, university, or scholarship program that you chose as a score recipient. The score will be withheld from any future score reports sent to that college, university, or scholarship program.

Is a 3 a bad AP score? ›

A score of 3 on an AP exam is generally considered as passing and indicates that you have a moderate understanding of the subject matter. Regarding college admissions, AP scores tend to have a lesser impact than other factors such as your GPA, standardized test scores (if applicable), and extracurricular activities.

Since a 1 is the lowest score that you can get on an AP® exam, this is not desirable. Thankfully, not many students leave the exam with a 1 unless complications arise during the test and they need to leave, or they are just trying to take the exam without knowing any of the material.

For an AP exam, getting a score of 5 usually means you've scored around 70% to 80% on the test, but it can vary.

AP test scores are indeed "curved," but it's more accurate to call it a "scaling process." Instead of a traditional curve that compares your performance to other students' performance, the AP exam scaling process converts your raw score (the number of points you earned through multiple-choice questions and free- ...

If you do find yourself having to guess, remember that there's no penalty for wrong answers on AP exams, so it's better to guess than to leave a question blank. A good strategy is to eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, and then guess from the remaining options.

The previous version of the SAT had what's known as a “guessing penalty,” meaning points were deducted for any incorrect answer. However, on the tests you'll take today you do not lose any points for wrong answers, so you should bubble in a response to every question.

Violating these or any of the test security and administration policies and procedures could cause your score to be canceled. Under some circ*mstances you could even be banned from future testing.

If you fail an AP exam, you will not receive college credit for that course. The good news is that a failed exam does not affect your GPA. In addition, you can retake the AP exam the next year.