AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based score calculator 2026
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Estimated curve · 2026
| Score | Composite at least | Students (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 70% | 9% |
| 4 | 55% | 19% |
| 3 | 40% | 20% |
| 2 | 27% | 27% |
| 1 | 0% | 25% |
The College Board does not publish cut scores. These are estimates reconstructed from released exams and past distributions; the real curve moves a few points each year. Weights follow the 2026 course and exam description. Revised exam from May 2025: 40 MCQ and 4 FRQs.
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based: multiple choice 40 points at 50 %, free response 40 points at 50 %. Write your raws in the margin boxes; the sheet tallies the composite and circles the estimated score. The cutoffs printed under the sheet are our 2026 estimate from released exams; last year about 9 % of students earned a 5.
Worked examples
- APUSH: 40/55, 6/9, 5/7, 4/6
- Composite 29.1 + 13.3 + 17.9 + 10.0 = 70.3. With the estimated cutoff for a 5 at 70, that is a 5 with almost no margin; on a harsher year it is a high 4.
- AP Lang: 30/45 MCQ, 12/18 essays
- Composite 30.0 + 36.7 = 66.7, an estimated 4 (cutoff ~58); a 5 needs about 5 more composite points, roughly two more essay points.
- AP Calc BC: 35/45, 40/54
- Composite 38.9 + 37.0 = 75.9, a comfortable 5. BC has one of the most generous curves; about 44 % of students earn a 5.
How it is calculated
Each section contributes (your raw ÷ section maximum) × the section's weight × 100, so the composite runs from 0 to 100. The composite is compared with the cutoffs for 5, 4, 3 and 2. The College Board does not publish cutoffs; ours are estimates from released exams and the published score distributions, refreshed each May.
Questions people ask
- How is the Physics 1 exam weighted?
- Multiple choice: 50 % (40 points, 40 questions, 1 point each). Free response: 50 % (40 points, 4 questions · 10 points each).
- What composite do I need for a 5 on Physics 1?
- About 70 % of the composite on our estimate, 55 % for a 4 and 40 % for a 3. Real cutoffs move a few points each year.
- How many students get a 5 on Physics 1?
- About 9 % in the last release, 19 % a 4, 20 % a 3, 27 % a 2 and 25 % a 1.
- How accurate is an AP score calculator?
- Within one score point most of the time. The section weights are exact (they are published). The cutoffs are estimates; real curves move a few composite points from year to year, so a result near a boundary can land either side.
- What is a good AP score?
- A 3 is passing and earns credit at many public universities; a 4 or 5 is what selective colleges usually require for credit or placement. Score distributions differ enormously by exam: about 44 % earn a 5 on Calculus BC, about 9 % on Physics 1.
- Do I need to guess on AP multiple choice?
- Yes. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so a blank is always worse than a guess.
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