Students signing up for Advanced Placement® courses often wonder, What are the most popular subjects for AP® exams? “Popular” in this scenario means the AP exams most students take.
Reasons vary as to why certain exams are taken by more students nationwide than others. A few considerations are: 1) Some subjects are more general in nature and more students want to earn those college credits. 2) There are certain AP exams that are offered by more schools than others. 3) AP exams with a word-of-mouth reputation for being more difficult than others might deter some students.
The reasons may differ from school to school, but the question still remains: What are the most popular AP exams? Below you will find the ten most popular AP exams for the 2020-2021 school year, what the College Board® says you will learn in each of the accompanying classes, and how students scored on the AP exams at the end of each course.
#1: AP English Language and Composition | 476,735 Students
In AP English Language and Composition, you’ll “learn about the elements of argument and composition as you develop your critical-reading and writing skills. You’ll read and analyze nonfiction works from various periods and write essays with different aims: for example, to explain an idea, argue a point, or persuade your reader of something.”
2021 AP English Language and Composition Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 12% |
| 2 | 31% |
| 3 | 26% |
| 4 | 23% |
| 5 | 8% |
#2: AP United States History | 399,676 Students
In AP United States History, you’ll “study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from c. 1491 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.”
2021 AP United States History Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 30% |
| 2 | 22% |
| 3 | 21% |
| 4 | 16% |
| 5 | 11% |
#3: AP English Literature and Composition | 297,009 Students
In AP English Literature and Composition, you’ll “learn how to understand and evaluate works of fiction, poetry, and drama from various periods and cultures. You’ll read literary works and write essays to explain and support your analysis of them.”
2021 AP English Literature and Composition Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 17% |
| 2 | 39% |
| 3 | 27% |
| 4 | 12% |
| 5 | 5% |
#4: AP World History | 264,254 Students
In AP World History, you’ll “study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from c. 1200 CE to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments.”
2021 AP World History Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 18% |
| 2 | 30% |
| 3 | 24% |
| 4 | 18% |
| 5 | 10% |
#5: AP Psychology | 262,700 Students
In AP Psychology, you’ll “explore the ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. You’ll examine the concepts of psychology through reading and discussion and you’ll analyze data from psychological research studies.”
2021 AP Psychology Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 31% |
| 2 | 14% |
| 3 | 18% |
| 4 | 22% |
| 5 | 15% |
#6: AP United States Government and Politics | 260,941 Students
In AP United States Government and Politics, you’ll “study the key concepts and institutions of the political system and culture of the United States. You’ll read, analyze, and discuss the U.S. Constitution and other documents as well as complete a research or applied civics project.”
2021 AP United States Government and Politics Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 23% |
| 2 | 27% |
| 3 | 27% |
| 4 | 11% |
| 5 | 11% |
#7: AP Calculus AB | 249,762 Students
In AP Calculus AB, you’ll “explore the concepts, methods, and applications of differential and integral calculus. You’ll work to understand the theoretical basis and solve problems by applying your knowledge and skills.”
2021 AP Calculus AB Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 24% |
| 2 | 25% |
| 3 | 19% |
| 4 | 14% |
| 5 | 18% |
#8: AP Biology | 212,198 Students
In AP Biology, you’ll “study the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern living organisms and biological systems. You’ll do hands-on laboratory work to investigate natural phenomena.”
2021 AP Biology Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 10% |
| 2 | 30% |
| 3 | 34% |
| 4 | 20% |
| 5 | 7% |
#9: AP Human Geography | 193,660 Students
In AP Human Geography, you’ll “explore how humans have understood, used, and changed the surface of Earth. You’ll use the tools and thinking processes of geographers to examine patterns of human population, migration, and land use.”
2021 AP Human Geography Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 31% |
| 2 | 16% |
| 3 | 19% |
| 4 | 20% |
| 5 | 15% |
#10: AP Statistics | 183,181 Students
In AP Statistics, you’ll “learn about the major concepts and tools used for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. You’ll explore statistics through discussion and activities, and you’ll design surveys and experiments.”
2021 AP Statistics Exam Results:
| AP Score | Percentage of Students |
| 1 | 25% |
| 2 | 17% |
| 3 | 22% |
| 4 | 20% |
| 5 | 16% |
Here are the remaining 2021 AP courses listed in order of popularity (as determined by the number of students taking that course):
AP Environmental Science (#11), AP Spanish Language and Culture (#12), AP Physics 1 (#13), AP Chemistry (#14), AP Calculus BC (#15), AP Macroeconomics (#16), AP Computer Science Principles (#17), AP European History (#18), AP Microeconomics (#19), AP Computer Science A (#20), AP Physics C: Mechanics (#21), AP Seminar (#22), AP Art and Design: 2-D Portfolios (#23), AP Research (#24), AP Spanish Literature (#25), AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism (#26), AP Art and Design: Drawing (#27), AP Art History (#28), AP Physics 2 (#29), AP French Language and Culture (#30), AP Comparative Government and Politics (#31), AP Music Theory (#32), AP Chinese Language and Culture (#33), AP Latin (#34), AP Art and Design: 3-D Portfolios (#35), AP German Language and Culture (#36), AP Japanese Language and Culture (#37), AP Italian Language and Culture (#38)
Are you preparing for an upcoming AP exam and aiming for a 3, 4 . . . or even a 5? If so, UWorld can help. Challenging practice questions, detailed explanations for correct and incorrect answers, and digital performance tracking are just a part of what makes our online courses for AP second to none. You’ll love your increased understanding in the classroom and the higher test scores you’ll achieve with UWorld!
AP 2021 scores posts- all access. Posts- All Access. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://allaccess.collegeboard.org/topic/ap-2021-scores.
AP courses and exams. AP Courses and Exams – AP Students | College Board. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page.
