How Is the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam Scored?
All AP exams are scored on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being the highest score possible and 1 the lowest. The multiple-choice section of the AP Government exam makes up 50% of a students score. The essay section makes up the other half.
Students with weak essay-writing skills may struggle with this exam. The AP Government exam score relies heavily on strong essays written in a short amount of time.
| Section 1 | 50% |
|---|---|
| Multiple-Choice Questions | 50% |
| Section 2 | 50% |
| Concept Application Question | 12.5% |
| Quantitative Analysis Question | 12.5% |
| SCOTUS Comparison Question | 12.5% |
| Argument Essay | 12.5% |
How many questions are on the AP Gov Exam?
There are 55 multiple choice questions and 4 free response questions on the AP Gov Exam.
Students found having a strong knowledge of current events really helpful
“Stay up to date with current events. The truly difficult part of the test is the free-response questions (there are 8 or so), and reading current events will allow you to better answer the information. Also, it is US Comparative Government, so whenever you read about a country, don’t just focus on the individual aspects. Focus on the difference between the country and the other countries that you have learned about.” – AP Comp Gov Score: 5
“Make sure you know the structure of each government and current events. I reccommend knowing about the economy of the country as well, especially in regards to oil.” – AP Comp Gov Score: 5
“Study the legislatures especially, and also, remember the dates for presidency’s. (these are plentiful in being asked)” – AP Comp Gov Score: 3
“The most important thing to study is the committees. These are what led to my downfall, due to the sometimes confusing nature of these.” – AP US Gov Score: 2
“Memorize all the key concepts related to structure of us gov, supreme court cases, and the three branches of the govt.” – AP US Gov Score: 5
FAQ
What percentage of people pass the AP Gov exam?
How hard is it to get a 3 on the AP Gov exam?
What is the AP Gov exam like?
The AP US Government and Politics exam is divided into two sections, with a 10-minute break in between. Section I gives you 1 hour 20 minutes to answer 55 multiple-choice questions spanning a variety of topics. Each question contains four possible answer choices, with only one correct response.
What percent is a 5 on the AP Gov exam?
