AP® Psychology

Looking for AP® Psychology study materials?

Also, check out this reference for the best AP® Psychology review books.

Albert.io Practice Exam Distributions

We thought it would be helpful to bridge the gap between our AP® Score Calculator (above) with the original practice exams published on Albert.io. This way, you can see how your practice in Albert.io might translate into the score curves on the real exams. NOTE — These score distributions are ONLY relevant for the multiple-choice sections of Albert.io’s full-length practice exams. All of these practice exams are 100% original and can only be found on Albert.io here.

What is a good AP® Psychology score?

The College Board designates scores of 3 and higher as passing scores. Qualitatively, scores of 3, 4, and 5 are described as “qualified”, “well qualified”, and  “extremely well qualified” respectively. In addition to looking nice on applications, high AP® scores can earn you college credit. Check the specific policy of a school on the College Board website here, and use these to help set goals for your AP® exams.

Thinking about the other students’ scores can also help determine a “good” score. In 2024, 320,164 students took the AP® Psychology exam, and 61.7% of them passed. You can reference the latest 2024 student score distributions here.

What is the average AP® Psychology score?

The average score changes with every exam because of fluctuations in students taking the exam and question difficulty. In recent years, the average scores were 2.97 in 2024, 2.89 in 2023, 2.86 in 2022, 2.71 in 2021, and 3.22 in 2020. So, the average score over the past five years was around 2.93.

Why are AP® Psychology scores curved?

Curving scores provide a uniform assessment of AP® Psychology students. As we mentioned, the exams change slightly every year and have different average scores. The curve ensures that students taking a harder version of the exam are not underestimated compared to students taking the exam at other times.

How do I get a 5 on AP® Psychology?

Getting a 5 takes careful content knowledge, targeted practice and dedicated studying. Only around 20% earn the top score for the AP® Psychology exam, but it can be done. Just knowing definitions won’t get you a 5, so focus on developing an in-depth understanding of AP® Psych topics. Being able to apply every topic to specific examples will get you much closer to your desired scores

Albert provides a large collection of resources to help you prepare for your exam. Here are a few general resources to get you started:

• Is AP® Psychology Hard?
• How to Study for AP® Psychology
• One Month AP® Psychology Study Guide
• The Ultimate Guide to 2016 AP® Psychology FRQs
• The Ultimate List of AP® Psychology Tips

Finally, for multiple choice question practice, work through Albert’s study guide page. The questions are aligned based on College Board curriculum so you can focus on the subjects where you need the most help.

Why should I use this AP® Psychology score calculator?

This AP Psychology score calculator uses College Board score calculation worksheets from officially released exams. Use this score calculator to identify the sections where you need to the most practice and devote a little more time to mastering them. Being able to track your improvement can also be a great confidence booster, which can actually help you do better on the exam overall.

Looking for AP® Psychology practice?

Kickstart your AP® Psychology prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today.