APUSH Score Calculator

How the AP US History exam is scored

The exam has four components. The table shows the College Board section weights.

A raw score is your number of points before section weights apply. Each section gives its percentage of the composite score.

The composite score is the total score after the section weights apply. This calculator uses a composite score out of 100.

Some practice tables use a scale out of 130. A different scale does not change the section percentages.

Formula

M is the number of correct multiple-choice answers. S is the total short-answer score. D and L are the DBQ and LEQ scores.

$$C=40\frac{M}{55}+20\frac{S}{9}+25\frac{D}{7}+15\frac{L}{6}$$

For a 130-point display of these same weights, multiply C by 1.3. Do not enter 130-point cutoffs into the 100-point cutoff fields.

AP United States History calculator: interpret your estimate

The calculator applies the section weights to your raw scores. Cutoff estimates then convert the composite score to an AP score from 1 to 5.

The default model adapts Test Ninjas practice cutoffs from a 130-point scale. Its 100-point cutoffs are 33.85, 47.69, 61.54, and 74.62.

These values are estimates for AP scores 2, 3, 4, and 5. They are not official College Board cutoffs.

For example, 40 correct answers, 6 SAQ points, 4 DBQ points, and 4 LEQ points give approximately 66.71. The default model gives an estimate of AP 4.

College Board uses equating to compensate for differences in exam difficulty. Official cutoffs can be different between exam forms and years.

The result is an estimate, not an official score. College Board gives the official result through its score process.

The target planner keeps your written scores constant. It shows how many correct multiple-choice answers are necessary for your target.

APUSH calculator: select the exam format

The 2027 history changes make all three short-answer questions mandatory. There is one broad long-essay prompt. The free-response rubrics stay unchanged.

For a standard 2024-2026 practice exam, enter the short answer that you chose for question 3 or 4.

Do not count the two optional answers together. Older or modified exams can use different rubrics.

How to increase your APUSH score

Multiple choice

Chronology is the sequence of historical events. Cause-and-effect reasoning shows why an event occurred and what changed after it.

1. Do practice questions that use historical documents.
2. Identify the source and historical period of each document.
3. Examine the chronology of related events.
4. Give the causes and effects of those events.

Short-answer questions

1. Answer each part of the question directly.
2. Use historical facts and examples as evidence.
3. Show how the evidence connects to the answer.

Document-based question

Contextualization connects the topic to wider historical conditions. Outside evidence is historical information about the topic that does not come from the supplied documents.

1. Write a thesis that answers the prompt.
2. Give the historical context for the topic.
3. Use multiple documents as evidence for the argument.
4. Show how each document connects to the argument.
5. Add facts and examples as outside evidence.
6. Examine the response against the DBQ rubric.

Long-essay question

1. Give a clear argument.
2. Write paragraphs that each have a different purpose.
3. Use facts and examples from the specified period.
4. Connect each example to the argument.
5. Examine the response against the LEQ rubric.

What APUSH score do you need for credit?

Many colleges accept scores of 4 or 5 for history credit or placement. Some colleges accept a score of 3.

Each college sets its own policy. Credit can count as part of a degree. Placement can let you start after an introductory course.

1. Find the college in the AP Credit Policy Search.
2. Examine the college's current AP US History credit chart.
3. Find which course or credit applies to your degree.

The college uses your official score and its policy for credit, not this calculator estimate. This tool is not affiliated with College Board.

Related calculators

• Use the AP Lang score calculator for an independent estimate for AP English Language.
• Use the weighted grade calculator for your class grade, which is different from an AP exam score.
• Use the scientific calculator for an independent calculation of the weighted section total.
• Use the percentage decrease calculator to measure a decrease in incorrect answers between practice tests.
• Use the time duration calculator to calculate elapsed time for a practice session.