AP® Calculus BC Score Guide
The first step in any exam preparation is to understand its scoring pattern. With the scoring pattern at hand, you become more familiar with which topics or units to prioritize or which sections of the exam you can afford to lose a few points.
If you are taking the AP® Calculus BC exam soon and are curious about its scoring pattern, this article will guide you through the nitty-gritty of the AP Calculus BC scoring system. Let’s explore!
How Is the AP Calculus BC Exam Scored?
| Section I | 45 Multiple-choice Questions | 54 points |
| Section II | 6 Free-Response Questions | 54 points |
| Subtotal | 108 points | |
There are 45 MCQs in Section I and 6 FRQs in Section II. As you can see, the 54 points in Section I are distributed across 45 multiple-choice questions, making each MCQ carry 1.2 points. Now, are you penalized for guessing on the AP Calculus BC exam? The answer is No. You will not be penalized for a wrong answer in the MCQ section of the AP Calculus BC exam.
AP is hard, but we help make really hard stuff easy to understand.
Section II, however, follows the ‘step-marking’ method. You will get a point for every critical step of the problem that you approach correctly, even if you stumble after a few steps and do not reach the correct answer. Each question carries 9 points, totaling 54 points for six questions. These 9 points are distributed across two aspects: first, following the proper steps to solve a problem, and second, determining the correct answer.
Your total points from each section are added up to give you a final composite score. These points are then converted to an AP scoring scale of 1 to 5. The College Board® never publishes your composite AP exam score; you only see your final AP score on a scale of 1 to 5.
AP Calculus BC Scoring Table
Your AP Calculus BC exam scores are sent to the colleges of your choice after they've been recorded on the AP grading scale. To know how you can have the College Board send your scores directly to colleges, refer to our AP Exam Scores page.
Each college has its own criteria for admitting students based on AP scores. However, most colleges use a standard formula to convert your AP Calculus BC score to the equivalent college grade. The following score table shows the conversion of AP scores into equivalent college grades for Calculus BC:
| AP Exam Score | College Grade Equivalent | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | A+ or A | Extremely well qualified |
| 4 | A-, B+, or B | Very well qualified |
| 3 | B-, C+, or C | Qualified |
| 2 | — | Possibly Qualified |
| 1 | — | No recommendation |
As you can see, colleges do not typically consider scores below 3 to grant college credits, Advanced PlacementⓇ, or admissions. Therefore, aiming for an AP score of 3 or higher is advised if you wish to earn college credits and advanced placement. Nevertheless, always check with the colleges about their minimum AP score requirements before you start the application process.
Recent research on students who achieve a score of 2 in AP Calculus BC found that they earn significantly higher grades when taking the course in college than students with the same high school GPA!
AP Calculus BC Score Distribution
Although AP Calculus BC is less popular than the AP Calculus AB exam, it was taken by 135,458 students in 2023. Its relatively low popularity is because it is one of the most rigorous AP courses and is usually taken by students who wish to pursue a math-heavy career. Our AP Calculus BC exam guide will assist you in determining whether Calculus BC is the right subject for you. Nevertheless, the success rate for AP Calculus BC remains one of the highest across all the AP courses, with a whopping 78.4 % of students achieving a score of 3 or higher in 2023. 41.2 % of test-takers scored a 5. That amounts to almost 59,000 students, which is significantly greater than the AP Calculus AB success rates.
If you’re considering opting for the AP Calculus BC exam, knowing the score distribution will help you gauge the overall performance of students on the Calculus BC exam. Let’s look at the numbers below to see how test-takers performed in the last three years for the AP Calc BC exam.
| AP Score | % of Students 2023 | % of Students 2022 | % of Students 2021 | % of Students 2020 | 4-year Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 43.5% | 41.2% | 38.3% | 44.6% | 41.9% |
| 4 | 15.8% | 15.6% | 16.5% | 17.6% | 16.3% |
| 3 | 19% | 20.1% | 20.4% | 19.4% | 19.7% |
| 2 | 15.2% | 16.4% | 18.2% | 14.1% | 15.9 % |
| 1 | 6.3% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 4.3% | 6% |
| 3 or Higher % | 78.4% | 76.9% | 75.2% | 81.6% | 77.4% |
The average success rate for the AP Calculus BC exam over the past four years has averaged around 77%. Surprised? As rigorous as it can be, you can ace the AP Calculus BC exam with dedication and grit.
Although the success rates for the AP Calculus BC exam are much higher than other AP exams like AP Biology, AP Chemistry, or AP Calculus AB, you should also note that these rates show a decline in the past four years. From a whopping 81.6% in 2020 to 75.2 % in 2021, the decline in AP success rates also means more students scored a 2 or a 1 on the exam. However, the pass rates bounced back by a bit in 2023 and 2022, with 78.4% and 76.9 % of test-takers earning a score of 3 and above, respectively.
Scoring pattern for the 2023 & 2022 AP Calculus BC exams
The 2023 AP Calc BC exam showed the following patterns:
For the MCQ section,
- Students scored higher on the “no calculator” questions than those requiring a calculator.
- Unit 10: Infinite Sequences and Series was the most challenging unit, with only 7% of students answering all questions from this unit correctly.
- Only 8 students scored a perfect 5 on the exam, earning all 108/108 points.
For the 2022 pen-and-paper exam, students scored significantly higher on the multiple-choice section than on the free-response questions. According to the score statistics, the following trends were noted:
- The strongest performance was on FRQ no. 2 on parametric particle motion, with 14% of students earning perfect scores.
- The most challenging FRQ was question no. 6 on power series / infinite series, with less than 1% of students earning perfect scores.
While this analysis is provided to help you develop an idea about the AP Calculus BC exam scoring trends and patterns, keep in mind that the test subject matter may vary from year to year. With the right study tools, course instruction, guidance, and dedication, you can be a 5 pointer too.
AP Calculus BC Minimum Score Requirement for College Credits
As we mentioned earlier, most colleges across the US recognize AP exam scores to grant credit or advanced placement. At some colleges, a score of 3 or higher can let you skip the core math course in the first semester and get a grade for it. Other colleges offer both advanced placement and credit, which lets you earn the credits and skip the course. At schools where a score of 3 or higher earns you college credit, you could potentially graduate from college early.
Each institution has its own criteria for acknowledging AP scores. Some colleges accept an AP score of 3, while some demand a 5. Some colleges don’t offer you any credit but grant you a placement for your AP score. So, while you’re prepping for your AP Calculus BC exam, it's essential to know your college entrance requirements for this course.
We’ve compiled a list of institutions around the country and the AP scores they accept for admission to help you narrow your search. The list also includes the courses you can bypass for a specific AP score and whether you earn credits or not for taking the AP Calculus BC exam. Let’s have a look.
| Institution | AP Score | AP Recognition | Credit/Placement type | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University | 3 or 4 or 5 | Credit | Subject to qualifying conditions | 6 |
| Georgia Tech | 4 or 5 | Credit | MATH 1551, 1552 | 6 Semester hrs |
| Grinnell College | 3 or 4 or 5 | Credit | MAT-124 or 131 | 4 semester credits (only on approval by Mathematics Dept.) |
| Harvard University | 5 | Credit | Subject to other qualifying conditions | 8 |
| Louisiana State University | 3 |
Credit + Placement |
MATH 1021, 1550 + MATH 1552 / 1553 | 8 Credit hrs |
| 4 or 5 | MATH 1021, 1022,1550, 1552 + MATH 2057 / 2058 | 15 Credit hrs | ||
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 5 | Credit | 18.01 Calculus I | 12 |
| Placement | 18.02/18.022 | |||
| Mississippi State University | 3 | Credit | MA 1713 | 3 Credit hrs |
| 4 or 5 | MA 1713, MA 1723 | 6 Credit hrs | ||
| New York University | 4 | Credit | MATH-UA 121 | 4 |
| 5 | MATH-UA 121, 122 | 8 | ||
| Notre Dame | 5 |
Credit + Placement |
Equivalent course: MATH 10550, 10560 | 8 credits towards MATH 10091 and 10092 |
| Reed College | 4 or 5 | Credit | Placement determined in consultation with faculty members | 1 |
| Stanford University | 4 |
Credit + Placement (subject to conditions) |
MATH 21 or 51 | 6 |
| 5 | MATH 51 | 10 | ||
| Truman State University | 4 or 5 |
Credit + Placement |
MATH 198: Analytic Geometry & Calculus
I; and MATH 263 Analytic Geometry & Calculus II |
5 |
|
UCLA (School of Letters and Science) |
3 | Credit | Calculus | 8 |
| 4 | 31A / Calculus | 8 | ||
| 5 | 31A and 31B | 8 | ||
| Yale University | 4 | Credit | MATH 115, MATH 116, or MATH 118 | 1 (subject to other qualifying conditions) |
| 5 | MATH 120 or higher-numbered courses. | 2 (subject to other qualifying conditions) |
References
- Scoring Distributions from the 2023 AP Exam Administration. (2023). apcentral.collegeboard.org. Retrieved January 24, 2024, from
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap23-calculus-bc-score-distributions.pdf - Student Score Distributions* AP Exams - May 2020. (2020). reports.collegeboard.org. Retrieved January 2022, from
https://reports.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/Student-Score-Distributions-2020_1.pdf - Student Score Distributions* AP Exams - May 2021. (2021). reports.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2022, from
https://reports.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/2021-ap-student-score-distributions_1.pdf - Student Score Distributions* AP Exams - May 2022. (2022). apcentral.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2022, from
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-score-distributions-by-subject-2022.pdf - Student Score Distributions* AP Exams - May 2023. (2023). apcentral.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2024, from
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-score-distributions-by-subject-2023.pdf - Packer. (n.d.). The 2023 AP Calculus BC scores. twitter.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024, from
https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1674514123567005696?lang=en - AP® Calculus BC Scoring Statistics 2023 Free-Response Questions. (2023). apcentral.collegeboard.org. Retrieved January 24, 2024, from
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap23-calculus-bc-scoring-statistics.pdf - Chief Reader Report on Student Responses: 2023 AP® Calculus AB/BC Free-Response Questions. (2023). apcentral.collegeboard.org. Retrieved January 24, 2024, from
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap23-cr-report-calculus.pdf