Following a scoring “recalibration” by the College Board, the percentage of students passing many Advanced Placement exams has increased sharply in recent years.
In 2021, for example, 44% of English Literature and Composition students passed the AP exam with a score of three or higher. By 2024, this number had jumped to 72%. AP Chemistry boasted a 75% pass rate in 2024, compared to 51% just three years earlier.
The College Board, which administers AP tests nationwide, has been recalibrating several of their exams. This recalibration, although intended to better align the AP tests and curricula with their college course counterparts, has been the subject of criticism.
Many have argued that in reality, the recalibration has made tests easier and inflated the scores and pass rates.
But why would the College Board want more people to pass their tests? The answer may lie in the profits brought in from AP exam fees.
Although the number of total AP tests taken by high school students has been steadily increasing, there seems to be growing competition in the market of sources of college credit for high school students.
The popularity of dual enrollment has surged in the last several years as students have received college credit through online classes with American River College and the Los Rios network.
They also don’t need to pay upwards of $100 or take a long test to receive that credit.
Michael Mahoney, who teaches AP Language and previously taught AP Literature, said he thinks the College Board might be responding to dual enrollment and other ways of getting college credit while still in high school.
“I think AP Literature is a great class and the right choice for hardworking, intellectually curious students,” he said. “But from a kid’s perspective, why would you take a challenging class where you have to pass a rigorous test to hopefully get college credit when you can take a dual enrollment course, which almost everybody passes–most with an A–and the credit is guaranteed. The College Board is lowering the bar to pass the AP exam in order to compete.”
On its website, the College Board has indicated that the increased score distribution is meant to more accurately align certain AP test score distributions with the rest of the AP exams.
“Among 9 AP subjects with recent success rates lower than typical, the EBSS process justified increases to the same 60%–80% success rates that have consistently been warranted in the other AP subjects,” College Board said.
Whatever the reason for the change, about 500,000 more test takers got passing scores last May. And the trend looks to continue as more tests come up for recalibration.
