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How High Do I Need to Score on the AP Calculus AB Test?
USINFO | 2014-01-03 14:57
AP Calculus AB is one of two Advanced Placement examinations conducted by College Board that undergraduate institutions around the United States (and around the world, though with less frequency) will often accept as some form of credit if a high enough score is achieved. Nearly 250,000 students took the exam in 2010 ,with just over half receiving a passing score of 3, 4 or 5. Depending on the selectivity of the school, any passing score may receive credit in some schools, while in most others a score a 4 or 5 qualifies a student to receive credits.
Scoring the Exam
●The test is broken into two sections: a multiple choice and a free-response section. The multiple-choice is broken down into two parts (one without a calculator and one with) for a total of 45 questions. This section is graded by a computer. The free-response section also has two parts (again, both with and without a calculator) that require an "extended chain of reasoning." This section is scored at an annual meeting of qualified educators in June. The two scores from each section are combined to give one of the following scores meant to indicate level of qualification for college credit or advanced placement:
5 Extremely well qualified
4 Well qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly qualified
1 No recommendation
Credit or Advanced Placement
●Generally speaking, qualifying scores on the AP Calculus AB test can garner entering students a possible combination of credits and the chance for advanced placement. In the case that a school awards credits for high scores on the test, the credits might be used to fulfill general graduation requirements or for a math or science degree. Usually schools also allow students with certain scores on the test to skip certain math department prerequisites and begin taking higher-level math classes from the beginning of their college career. The exact combination of these two benefits varies from school to school, as does the required score to qualify for such rewards.
Public State Universities
●Though it is impossible to generalize every one of the AP credit policies for all the public state universities in America into one single policy, the majority of them will accept scores of 3 or above on the AP Calculus AB test and treat it as if you have already taken and completed a semester's worth of one introductory math class. For instance, some of the biggest schools in the country, including the University of California schools, the University of Central Florida, Arizona and Ohio State Universities all award students who have scored a 3 or above credits equivalent to one semester of an introductory math class.
On the other hand, at the University of Colorado in Boulder, a student with a score of only a 4 or above can be counted as having completed either the MATH 1300 or APPM (Applied Mathematics) 1350 course.
Private Liberal Arts Colleges
●Amongst smaller (generally with 5,000 or fewer students), private liberal arts schools, the AP credit policies are even less uniform, but the majority do tend to all accept 4's or 5's on the AP Calculus AB test in some form or another. Many liberal arts schools approach the AP credit like Washington and Lee University does, accepting a score of 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB test as if the student completed one semester of an introductory math course.
Similarly, some schools treat the scores like Vassar College does; this school accepts all AP scores of 4 or higher and gives credit equivalent to having taken one semester of any course, though credit is not for a specific class in any department. The school's department then recommends which math class a student should begin with based on how high the student scored.
On the other hand, Pacific Lutheran University awards credit for a 3 or above and treats it as if the student finished its introductory MATH 151 course.
Private Universities
●Like private liberal arts schools, larger private universities have dissimilar AP credit policies. Some, like Stanford University, accept a 4 or 5, awarding credits for a semester of an introductory Math class, though the class equivalent to a score of a 5 is at at higher level than the class for a 4. Some of the elite private universities, like Harvard University, only accept a 5 on the Calculus AB test for credit, awarding a semester's worth of credit.
Scoring the Exam
●The test is broken into two sections: a multiple choice and a free-response section. The multiple-choice is broken down into two parts (one without a calculator and one with) for a total of 45 questions. This section is graded by a computer. The free-response section also has two parts (again, both with and without a calculator) that require an "extended chain of reasoning." This section is scored at an annual meeting of qualified educators in June. The two scores from each section are combined to give one of the following scores meant to indicate level of qualification for college credit or advanced placement:
5 Extremely well qualified
4 Well qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly qualified
1 No recommendation
Credit or Advanced Placement
●Generally speaking, qualifying scores on the AP Calculus AB test can garner entering students a possible combination of credits and the chance for advanced placement. In the case that a school awards credits for high scores on the test, the credits might be used to fulfill general graduation requirements or for a math or science degree. Usually schools also allow students with certain scores on the test to skip certain math department prerequisites and begin taking higher-level math classes from the beginning of their college career. The exact combination of these two benefits varies from school to school, as does the required score to qualify for such rewards.
Public State Universities
●Though it is impossible to generalize every one of the AP credit policies for all the public state universities in America into one single policy, the majority of them will accept scores of 3 or above on the AP Calculus AB test and treat it as if you have already taken and completed a semester's worth of one introductory math class. For instance, some of the biggest schools in the country, including the University of California schools, the University of Central Florida, Arizona and Ohio State Universities all award students who have scored a 3 or above credits equivalent to one semester of an introductory math class.
On the other hand, at the University of Colorado in Boulder, a student with a score of only a 4 or above can be counted as having completed either the MATH 1300 or APPM (Applied Mathematics) 1350 course.
Private Liberal Arts Colleges
●Amongst smaller (generally with 5,000 or fewer students), private liberal arts schools, the AP credit policies are even less uniform, but the majority do tend to all accept 4's or 5's on the AP Calculus AB test in some form or another. Many liberal arts schools approach the AP credit like Washington and Lee University does, accepting a score of 4 or 5 on the Calculus AB test as if the student completed one semester of an introductory math course.
Similarly, some schools treat the scores like Vassar College does; this school accepts all AP scores of 4 or higher and gives credit equivalent to having taken one semester of any course, though credit is not for a specific class in any department. The school's department then recommends which math class a student should begin with based on how high the student scored.
On the other hand, Pacific Lutheran University awards credit for a 3 or above and treats it as if the student finished its introductory MATH 151 course.
Private Universities
●Like private liberal arts schools, larger private universities have dissimilar AP credit policies. Some, like Stanford University, accept a 4 or 5, awarding credits for a semester of an introductory Math class, though the class equivalent to a score of a 5 is at at higher level than the class for a 4. Some of the elite private universities, like Harvard University, only accept a 5 on the Calculus AB test for credit, awarding a semester's worth of credit.
