Kraig Hoover

The 2025 AP Human Geography Exam scores: 5: 17%; 4: 25%; 3: 23%; 2: 25%; 1: 10% Multiple-Choice Questions Students scored exceptionally well on questions about “Agriculture and Rural Land Use Patterns and Processes” (Unit 5). Approximately 25% of students answered every question about these topics right. “Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes” (Unit 7) was the most challenging unit for students; 5% of students earned all possible points among these questions. Free-Response Questions This commentary will focus on the Set 1 FRQs, since that was the version taken by most students. apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… The highest mean score was on Q2, a population pyramid. 32% of students achieved 6 or 7 of the 7 points possible. The most challenging question was Q3, which focused on agricultural patterns. 10% of students earned 6 or 7 of the 7 points possible. AP Human Geography had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP Physics 1 Exam scores: 5: 18%; 4: 25%; 3: 23%; 2: 14%; 1: 20% Multiple-Choice Questions Students scored especially well on questions regarding kinematics (Unit 1) – 25% answered each of these questions right – and regarding linear momentum (Unit 4), on which 15% answered every question correctly. By far the most challenging unit for students was Force and Translational Dynamics (Unit 2); 2% answered each of these questions right, so this is a good unit for deeper focus in 2025-26. Free-Response Questions apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Students scored best on Q4, the Qualitative Quantitative Translation on the swimmer in fresh and salt water. Students earning AP 4s and 5s are generally able to earn all or all but 1 of the 8 points possible. The most challenging question was Q1, the Mathematical Routines focus on a block-cart system. Students earning AP 5s are typically earning at least 8 points on it, and students earning AP 4s are earning at least 6 points. AP Physics 1 had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 Physics C: Mechanics Exam scores: 5: 20%; 4: 24%; 3: 28%; 2: 17%; 1: 11% Multiple-Choice Questions AP Physics C: Mechanics students scored exceptionally well on questions about Linear Momentum (Unit 4): 29% answered all such questions right. The MCQs about Force and Translational Dynamics (Unit 2) proved the most difficult; a small percentage of students answered all of these correctly, so this is a good focus area for improving learning and scores in 2025-26. Free-Response Questions apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Students performed very well on Q3, the Experimental Design and Analysis focused on determining an experimental value of gravity; 29% earned all 10 of 10 points possible. By far the most advanced question on this year’s exam was Q4, the Qualitative Quantitative Translation on frictional forces; this question primarily differentiated between AP 4s and AP 5s, with AP 3s typically only earning 1-2 of these very challenging points. AP Physics C: Mechanics had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP Physics 2 Exam scores: 5: 20%; 4: 29%; 3: 23%; 2: 21%; 1: 7% Multiple-Choice Questions Students scored highest on questions related to Modern Physics (Unit 15) – 23% answered all of these questions right – followed by questions related to Geometric Optics (Unit 13) and Thermodynamics (Unit 9). The most challenging questions were about Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics (Unit 14) – 8% of students answered all of these correctly -- followed by Electric Circuits (Unit 11). Free-Response Questions apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Students generally earned the most points on Q3, the Experimental Design and Analysis focused on determining the expected time constant of a circuit. Students scoring AP 3s are expected to earn at least 7 of these 10 points. The most challenging question this year was Q1, the Mathematical Routines focus on magnetic fields and forces. Students earning AP 5s were typically able to earn at least 9 of the 10 points possible, while students earning AP 1s were typically unable to earn any of these points. AP Physics 2 had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP Psychology Exam scores: 5: 15%; 4: 32%; 3: 25%; 2: 19%; 1: 9% Multiple-Choice Questions Students scored quite evenly and well across all topics, especially on “Cognition” (Unit 2); on those questions, 15% answered each of these items right. Free-Response Questions These comments will focus on the questions in Set 1, the exam version taken by most students. apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Both of these free-response questions were new question types, focused on something different from what the multiple-choice section measures. The multiple-choice section measures whether students have learned and retained a wide array of foundational concepts, terms, and definitions. The free-response section now measures whether, when provided with psychological research studies, students can derive such understandings for themselves, a highly relevant skill for those who will proceed to major in psychology, and for a wide range of careers. Students scored very well on FRQ 1, the Research Analysis Question, in which they examined research on the effects of misinformation on memory. Here are the results: 23% of students earned each of the 7 points possible. 75% of students accurately identified the research method. 69% of students understood the research variable. 65% of students accurately interpreted the statistics. 86% of students identified one or more ethical guidelines the researchers applied. 78% of students explained the generalizability of the findings. 48% of students earned 2 points for argumentation by explaining how the results supported or refuted the misinformation effect, and 26% of students earned 1 point. FRQ 2, The Evidence-Based Question, measures whether students can evaluate three different psychological research studies and draw upon evidence from those studies to develop and support an argument with psychological evidence. The Set 1 psychological studies focused on whether the presence of others improves performance. 7% of students earned each of the 7 points possible. 94% of students proposed a specific and defensible claim based in psychological science. 86% of students were able to support that claim with evidence from one of the studies. 22% of students were able to explain very effectively the relationship between the evidence and their argument, earning 2 of the 2 reasoning points, while 34% were able to explain this somewhat effectively, earning 1 of the 2 points. 84% of students were able to support their claim with evidence from a second study. 14% of students were able to explain very effectively the relationship between the evidence and their argument, earning 2 of the 2 reasoning points, while 36% were able to explain this somewhat effectively, earning 1 of the 2 points. AP Psychology teachers will receive on their Instructional Planning Reports a point-by-point breakdown of their students’ performance on these free-response questions, enabling them to identify ways to further support students in learning and demonstrating these skills. AP Psychology had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism Exam scores: 5: 23%; 4: 24%; 3: 25%; 2: 19%; 1: 9% Multiple-Choice Questions Students generally scored best on questions related to Electric Circuits (Unit 11) and Electric Charges, Fields, and Gauss’s Law (Unit 8). 30% and 26% of students, respectively, answered all or all but one of these questions accurately. The most challenging questions were related to Magnetic Fields and Electromagnetism (Unit 12); 8% of students answered each of these questions right. Free-Response Questions apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Students scored exceptionally well on Q3, the Experimental Design and Analysis focused on resistivity of a cylindrical circuit element. Students achieving AP 5s typically earned all 10 of 10 points possible, while students earning AP 4s could typically earn 9, and students earning AP 3s could typically earn 7. The most challenging component of this year’s exam was Q1, the Mathematical Routines focused on a cylindrical capacitor. This question differentiated among AP 3s, 4s ,and 5s, as this content is beyond the capability of students who receive AP 1s. AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP English Language and Composition Exam scores: 5: 13%; 4: 28%; 3: 33%; 2: 16%: 1: 10% Multiple-Choice Section Students performed well across the range of skills this section measures, but especially on Skill Category 8: Style – Writing. An impressive 37% of students answered all of these questions right. The most challenging MCQs were related to Skill Category 5, understanding the line of reasoning and organization within a text. 7% of students answered each of these questions correctly. Free-Response Section Set 1: apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Set 2: apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… In the Set 1 essay questions, students scored highest on Q3, the evidence-based argument on the present moment, with 22% of students earning 5+ points. On the Set 2 essay questions, students scored highest on Q1, the synthesis of sources related to mapping software / GPS devices, on which 24% of students earned 5+ points. The most difficult essay question on both Set 1 and Set 2 was Q2, the rhetorical analysis. ~17% of students earned 5+ points. AP English Language and Composition had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year to determine more precisely than in the past which AP students are demonstrating the content knowledge and skills that meet expectations for college credit and placement. The 2021 standard setting used a panel-based approach, with 15 professors estimating what the AP “pass rate” should be. The 2025 standard setting utilized technology to gather input from an exponentially larger set of experts: 773 professors from 524 colleges. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP Environmental Science Exam scores: 5: 12%; 4: 28%; 3: 29%; 2: 15%; 1: 16% Multiple-Choice Questions Students earned the highest average scores across questions about Energy Resources and Consumption (Unit 6); 44% of students answered all or all but one of these questions right. As in prior years, the first unit of the course, Ecosystems, was most challenging for students, suggesting that further focus and practice on this content would continue to improve scores in this subject. Free-Response Questions These comments will focus on the Set 1 FRQs, since this was the exam version taken by most students. apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… The varying difficulty levels of the 10 different points on Q1 make it the best question overall for determining which of the five AP scores each exam will receive; students able to earn 5–6 of these points are generally receiving AP 3s; students able to earn 7–8 of these points are generally receiving AP 4s; and students able to earn 9–10 of these points are generally receiving AP 5s. The most challenging question on this year’s exam was Q2 (the effects of sea surface conditions and the polar jet stream); 1% of students answered all 10 parts of this question right. Students performed best on the math portion of FRQ 3, which comprises 6 of the question’s 10 total points. Point-by-point data indicates scores were strongest for both the setup of mathematical operations and for reporting the correct answer. Given some concerns about students’ ability to enter mathematical operations digitally, the strong performance on the math components of this question suggests that students adapted well to the Bluebook digital testing app. AP Environmental Science had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year, utilizing more data from more college professors than ever before to identify the performance levels most fair and appropriate for receiving college credit and placement. An overview detailing this process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP English Literature & Composition Exam scores: 5: 16%; 4: 27%; 3: 31%; 2: 16%; 1: 10% Multiple-Choice Questions Students scored extremely well across all topics, but especially on questions about the Function of Word Choice, Imagery, and Symbols (Skill Category 5); 27% of students answered all of these questions right. The most challenging skill for AP English Lit students seems to be Skill Category 6, explaining the function of comparisons (similes, metaphors, personification, allusions); 7% of students answered all such questions correctly. As is typical, students scored significantly higher on questions about prose passages than on those about poetry. Free-Response Questions Set 1: apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… Set 2: apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25… In both the Set 1 and Set 2 essay questions, students scored better on the poetry analysis essay (Q1) than on the prose analysis (Q2) essay, which was the most challenging of this year’s essays. On Q3, the literary argument about a work of long fiction / drama: ~22% of students earned 5+ points ~31% earned 4 points ~28% earned 3 points ~9% earned 2 points ~4% earned 1 point ~6% earned 0 points AP English Literature and Composition had an Evidence-Based Standard Setting this year that affirmed the standards in place since 2022, standards that were validated by research on the 2022 student cohort’s performance in college, available here: research.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/MAR-… An overview detailing the standard setting process, with specific information about the findings for this year’s students, will be available at around 4 pm ET today at allaccess.collegeboard.org All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: apstudents.org/score-distribu…

The 2025 AP World History: Modern Exam scores: 5: 14%; 4: 33%; 3: 17%; 2: 27%; 1: 9% Multiple-Choice Questions: Students performed very well across all 9 units, but two units in particular stood out, those focused on 1750-1900 CE: Unit 5 (Revolutions) and Unit 6 (Consequences of Industrialization). 51% of students earned most or all of the points on these questions. Students scored least well on questions focused on 1450-1750 CE: Unit 3 (Land-Based Empires) and 4 (Transoceanic Interconnections). 41% of students earned most or all of the points on these questions. Free-Response Questions: The following commentary on Free Response Questions (FRQ) focuses on FRQ Set 1, which was the version taken by most AP World History students. spr.ly/60104cKB0 AP World History students demonstrated strong knowledge and skills on Short Answer #1, where they analyzed the effect of the discovery of the Americas on Africa. 52% of students earned all points possible on this question. The most difficult question on this year’s AP World History Exam was Short Answer #4 , about factors that contributed to the outbreak of revolutions between 1750 CE to 1900 CE; 30% of students achieved all available points on this task. Students showed stronger performance on this year's Document-Based Question than in recent years, and that’s true of the DBQ in Set 2 as well. In this year's DBQ, students evaluated the impact of new transportation and/or communication technologies on African societies from 1850 CE to 1960 CE: 80% of students earned the thesis point 54% earned the contextualization point 71% earned both evidence from the documents points 19% earned the evidence beyond the documents point 29% earned the analysis and reasoning: sourcing point 17% earned the analysis and reasoning: complexity point The highest scoring Long Essay was Question 2, which prompted students to write about the extent to which Buddhism, Hinduism, and/or Confucianism influenced Asian societies and political systems between 1200 CE and 1450 CE. 30% of students received 5+ of the 6 possible points on this task, a job well done. FRQ Set 2 can be found here: spr.ly/60114cKBF All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60124cKB2

The 2025 AP Music Theory Exam scores: 5: 18%; 4: 18%; 3: 24%; 2: 25%; 1: 15% AP Music Theory Multiple Choice Questions: Consistent with last year’s results, students performed best on foundational topics from Unit 1—including pitch, major scales and key signatures, rhythm, meter, and expressive elements. 82% of students scored more than 50% of the available points on these questions. The most difficult area was Unit 7—Secondary Function. 32% of students earned more than 50% of the available points in this section. AP Music Theory Free Response Questions: Similar to 2024, the highest-performing question was Question 5: Part Writing from Figured Bass, which required traditional 18th-century voice-leading techniques. 29% of students earned most or all of the 25 points. spr.ly/60194gknf The most challenging was Question 2: Melodic Dictation, with 14% of students earning most or all of the 9 available points. spr.ly/60194gknf All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60104gknA

The 2025 AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam scores: 5: 22%; 4: 32%; 3: 31%; 2: 12%; 1: 3% ¡Buen trabajo AP Spanish Language and Culture students and teachers! The percentage of students scoring 3 or higher increased by 2% compared to 2024, and 1,987 more students earned a top score of 5. Multiple-Choice Questions: Students performed exceptionally well on Unit 5: Factors That Impact Quality of Life; 64% earned most or all of the available points. In contrast to 2024, Unit 3: Influences of Beauty and Art proved the most challenging, with 21% of students earning most or all points. Free-Response Questions: spr.ly/60104cB4r Students demonstrated a strong understanding of concepts and skills across all four free response questions. The highest-scoring question was Q3, a conversation task about organizing a talent show to raise funds for a school; an impressive 47% earned all of the 5 points possible on this task. Question 4, a presentation about the role of public spaces in communities across two settings, was the most challenging task, yet 23% of students earned all 5 possible points. All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60124cB4p

The 2025 AP French Language and Culture Exam scores: 5: 13%; 4: 25%; 3: 35%; 2: 21%; 1: 6% 73% of AP French Language and Culture students earned a 3 or higher—up 2 percentage points from 2024. Félicitations to students and teachers! 1 in 4 test takers are heritage speakers, consistent with prior years. AP French Language and Culture Multiple Choice Questions: Students scored highest on questions about environmental, political and societal challenges: 38% earned most or all points when reading or listening to French content about such topics. Scores for overall listening skills remain consistent with last year’s substantial increase, real improvement over 2022 and 2023. The most challenging questions were about factors that impact quality of life: 18% of students earned most or all points here. AP French Language and Culture Free Response Questions: Students achieved strong performance across all 4 FRQs this year. The highest-scoring question was Q1 (Interpersonal Email): students earning AP 5s typically earned all 5 points possible on this task. spr.ly/6019453qT Students found Q2 (Argumentative Essay) to be most difficult, likely because the task demands higher-level critical thinking, source analysis, and precise language control, making it more complex than the other Free Response Questions. Despite the difficulty, 11% earned all 5 points. spr.ly/6019453qT All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/6010453qp

The 2025 AP Seminar scores: 5: 10%; 4: 19%; 3: 57%; 2: 12%; 1: 2% Of the four AP Seminar tasks scored at the AP Reading, students generally earned highest points on their Individual Research Reports, with especially high marks on accurate source citation and use of a writing style that is appropriate for an academic audience. Approximately 11% of students scored maximum points for the IRR. The most challenging of the four AP Seminar tasks is the Individual Written Argument. Looking at the 7 rows of the scoring guidelines, students earned highest scores for use of effective sentences, precise word choice, and a writing style appropriate for an academic audience (row 7). The most challenging rubric rows were 3 and 4, which award highest points to students whose paper evaluates multiple perspectives (row 3), and who articulate clear reasoning that connects their various claims and evidence into a logical and effective argument (row 4). spr.ly/60114gnSZ AP Seminar students performed well across both of the writing tasks on the final exam. Set 1 students engaged with an analyses of an argument for paid parental leave (Part A), and then wrote their own source-based argument related to the theme of power (Part B). Set 2 students analyzed an argument on energy transmission lines (Part A), and then wrote their own source-based argument related to the theme of work (Part B). In their essays in both sets, ~20% of students earned all or all but one of the points possible. spr.ly/60144gnSj spr.ly/60154gnSd All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60164gnSe

The 2025 AP Biology Exam scores: 5: 19%; 4: 24%; 3: 28%; 2: 21%; 1: 8% This year’s data finds a very impressive showing among AP Biology students: the psychometric analyses found strong increases in content and skill mastery over 2024, such that the percentage of 5s increases from 16% to 19% and the overall rate of 3+ scores increases from 68% to 71%. This is all the more impressive when looking at how well educators expanded access to this course this year, with 26,000 more students participating than in 2024. Multiple-Choice Questions AP Biology students scored especially well on questions about Natural Selection (Unit 7), as well as Cellular Energetics (Unit 3). The most challenging topics were related to Heredity (Unit 5) and Gene Expression and Regulation (Unit 6). Free-Response Questions spr.ly/60174gXtX Students generally scored highest on Q2 on insect pheromones and gene expression. Students earning 3s were generally able to earn at least 5 of these points, and students earning 5s typically proved able to earn all or all but one of the points possible. The most challenging part of this year’s exam was Q6, the analysis of data related to fruit fly mutations. Students earning AP 1s and 2s could typically only answer Part A of this question, which focused on measuring the abilities of the more advanced students in the class. All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60194gXtZ

The 2025 AP German Exam scores: 5: 19%; 4: 23%; 3: 27%; 2: 19%; 1: 12% Wir gratulieren to AP German Language and Culture students and teachers - this year, 69% of students earned a score of 3 or higher, a 2% increase from 2024! Consistent with last year, 29% of AP German Language and Culture exam takers are heritage speakers of the language. AP German and Culture Language Multiple Choice Questions: Students performed best on questions from Unit 3: Influences of Beauty and Art, with 22% earning all or most of the available points. The most challenging were questions from Unit 2: The Influence of Language and Culture: 19% of students received all or most points on these questions. AP German and Culture Free Response Questions: Students showed strong performance across all four tasks. Question 3 (Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation) had the highest scores overall: 34% of students earned the full 5 points on this task. spr.ly/601745MHL Question 2 (Presentational Writing: Argumentative Essay) was the most challenging on this year’s exam, likely due to its requirements for structured argumentation and advanced vocabulary. Nonetheless, 25% of students received all 5 points on this task. spr.ly/601745MHL All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/601845MH0

The 2025 AP Computer Science Principles scores: 5: 11%; 4: 20%; 3: 32%; 2: 22%; 1: 15% Multiple-Choice Questions Students scored highest on questions about the impact of computing; 44% answered 14+ correct of the 16 total questions on this topic. The most challenging questions were about algorithms without code; the average score on these items was 59% correct. The “Create” Performance Task 98% of students earned the point for their project video, and 86% earned the point about their program’s design, function, and purpose (Written Response 1). The most challenging point to earn was the point for algorithm development (Written Response 2a), which 45% of students earned. All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60174jwiP

The 2025 AP Precalculus Exam scores: 5: 28%; 4: 26%; 3: 27%; 2: 11%; 1: 8% The common-item equating psychometricians use to gauge changes in student mastery year over year found that this year’s AP Precalculus students had higher content mastery than last year’s, resulting in an overall increase of ~3% in students scoring a 5, part of an overall 5% increase in scores of 3+. AP Precalculus grew more significantly than any AP subject this year, with ~70,000 more students participating than in 2024. An increased volume in participation and higher content mastery means more students are accessing higher level math and are positioning themselves for future success. In part, these impressive scores reflect the far larger number of instructional hours that precalculus courses typically provide high school students, in contrast to the hours provided such students in college, where this is generally a one-semester class. Many of these excellent students will enter colleges and majors that consider precalculus “advanced math” and will thus allow this AP credit to fulfill their college math requirement; for others who attend colleges or enroll in majors that require calculus, it’s great to see this strong preparation for further advanced mathematics. AP Precalculus Multiple-Choice Questions: Overall, students performed well across most function types. General Functions (non-analytical) stood out, with 53% of students earning all or most of the available points on these questions. In contrast, Trigonometric and Polar Functions proved most challenging: 20% of students earned all or most of the available points on these questions. This is a good instructional focus next year. AP Precalculus Free-Response Questions: spr.ly/60164jSxY Students performed best on Question 1 (Function Concepts), whereas Question 3 (Modeling a Periodic Context) was the single best question on this year’s exam, psychometrically, since it had the best mix of difficulty levels across the 6 points available. Students who can earn just 1 point are typically receiving an AP 1 overall; students who can earn 2 points are typically receiving an AP 2, overall, and students earning 5-6 points are typically receiving an AP 5, overall. Question 4 (Symbolic Manipulations) was the most difficult, and served to differentiate the 3s, 4s, and 5s, as starting this question requires an understanding of algebraic manipulation that is beyond the proficiency of students who receive 1s and 2s. Students able to begin this question successfully are generally receiving an AP 3, and those able to earn multiple points on it receive 4s and 5s. All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60174jSxl

The 2025 AP African American Studies Exam scores: 5: 16%; 4: 33%;3: 30%; 2: 16%; 1: 5% This is the second year of the AP African American Studies course and exam, and there’s much to celebrate: Enrollment in the course doubled compared to its inaugural year in 2024, giving many more students access to advanced instruction in this subject. Common-item equating found that a larger proportion of this year’s students met the standards for college credit than in the prior year, so the percentage of students earning a score of 3 or higher increased by 6 percentage points. AP African American Studies Multiple Choice Questions: Students performed best on Unit 1 (Origins of the African Diaspora) and Unit 4 (Movements and Debates). 54% of students earned all or most points on Unit 1 questions, and ~50% of students earned all or most points on Unit 4 questions. The most challenging questions students tackled were on Unit 3 (The Practice of Freedom); 31% of students earned all or most points on these questions. The score distributions include students who took Set 1 and Set 2 FRQs, but the following commentary focuses on Set 1, since it was the version taken more students. spr.ly/60124dxqs spr.ly/60134dxqt Students performed best on Short Answer Question 1, the primary source by Harriet Tubman. 82% of students earned at least 3 of the 4 points available on this question. Question 4, the Document-Based Question on the cultural contributions of African Americans during Jim Crow segregation, was the most challenging for students. Students who were unable to engage with this question are generally receiving a 1 or 2, as the skills demanded by this question are necessary for college credit and placement. Therefore, students unable to earn any points on this question are typically receiving AP 1s and 2s, and students able to earn 6-7 points are generally receiving AP 5s. Teachers’ AP score reports will include a point-by-point breakdown of their students’ performance across the 7 possible points on the rubric, so that they can know where best to focus when helping future students develop and demonstrate these document analysis and argumentation skills that are so important for so many college majors and careers. All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60174jSxl

The 2025 AP Calculus BC Exam scores: 5: 44%; 4: 22%; 3: 13%; 2: 15%; 1: 6% Multiple-Choice Questions As is typical, Calculus BC students scored extremely well across the units that are shared with Calculus AB, especially Unit 1, where 55% of students answered every question right, and Units 2-3, where 41% did so. The most challenging Calculus BC questions were from Units 9 and 10, which don’t overlap with Calculus AB. As usual, students found questions about infinite sequences and series most difficult: 4% answered all of these questions right. Free-Response Questions spr.ly/60124eEkg Setting aside the three FRQs shared with Calculus AB, which Calc BC students typically find easier than the BC-specific FRQs, students scored highest on Q5, the differential equation question that requires understanding of the second-degree Taylor polynomial, the Lagrange error bound, and Euler’s method. By far the most difficult question on this year’s BC exam was Q2, polar area, which served to differentiate among BC students, who are qualifying for AP 4s and 5s. Polar area is a good instructional focus for next year. All subjects’ AP score distributions for 2025 will be posted here when available: spr.ly/60134eEk9