The hardest AP classes – ranked by student difficulty ratings
Full Answer
Aug 31, 2021 · AP Physics 1 is considered one of the hardest AP classes, covering topics like Newtonian mechanics and electrical charge and force. Students also spend about 25% of their class time performing college-level lab experiments and writing reports.
Dec 18, 2021 · Okay, Seriously, Which AP Classes Are the Hardest? United States History, Biology, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C, and Chemistry are often named as the hardest AP classes and tests. These classes have large curriculums, tough …
Based on pass rates, here are the seven most challenging AP courses (from lowest pass rate to highest): AP Physics 1 (41.9%) AP Human Geography (48.9%) AP United States Government and Politics (49.3%) AP Environmental Science (49.4%) AP United States History (50.9%) AP Chemistry (52.4%) AP English Literature and Composition (52.6%)
Apr 06, 2022 · What is the hardest AP class? AP Physics C – Electricity & Magnetism (E&M) is rated as the hardest AP test by real AP class alumnae, with an average difficulty rating of 7.9 / 10 (10 = hardest). Those who stay the course often score well, though, with a 2021 pass rate of 70%. The hardest AP is Physics C – E&M
AP Physics 1 is considered one of the hardest AP classes, covering topics like Newtonian mechanics and electrical charge and force. Students also spend about 25% of their class time performing college-level lab experiments and writing reports.Aug 31, 2021
AP U.S. HistoryAP U.S. History AP U.S. history is one of the hardest AP classes in the humanities and in general. U.S. History's reputation for difficulty doesn't scare many students away, though—it's the second-most popular AP class (454,204 students took it in 2021).Jan 24, 2022
AP Physics 1 is the hardest AP class with the least passing rate of 51.6. It means almost half of the students fail this exam.
The five easiest exams for self-study are as follows: AP Human Geography. AP Psychology. AP US Government and Politics. AP Comparative Government and Politics.Feb 21, 2021
Is IB harder than AP? It depends. Some students argue that IB is more challenging because of the emphasis on critical thinking and the more application-focused evaluations. However, both IB and AP classes are considered college-level courses that many students find challenging.Sep 9, 2021
Algebra is the single most failed course in high school, the most failed course in community college, and, along with English language for nonnative speakers, the single biggest academic reason that community colleges have a high dropout rate.Sep 15, 2017
As sophomore taking both AP courses, I find that Physics is easier than Chemistry. Honestly, since you are considering a science-related career, I would take AP Chemistry, because it would help you more compared to Physics.
High school students planning for college and hoping to stand out on college applications should consider taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Designed to give students a taste of college-level study, AP courses are more challenging than the average high school class.Jan 14, 2022
What are the easiest AP classes to self-study? The 3 easiest AP exams to self-study are Psychology (3.1/10), Microeconomics (3.6/10) and Environmental Science (3.8/10), as rated by over 2,500 real AP class alumnae reviewers who rated self-study difficulty from 1 (easiest to self-study) to 10 (hardest to self-study).
Harvard only accepts AP® scores of 5 for course credit. If you have 4 scores of 5, you can opt to obtain Advanced Standing. You can use AP® credits to opt-out of lower-level classes. Harvard has general academic requirements that all students must take.Mar 1, 2022
The AP® Psychology course is definitely more difficult than the typical high school psychology course. AP® courses are meant to teach students at an introductory college level. Compared to other AP® exams, AP® Psychology is considered one of the easier exams to pass in the AP® catalog for the reasons described below.Mar 1, 2022
Both AP Physics C courses are calculus-based, meaning you should have already taken calculus or concurrently be taking calculus while you take either AP Physics C course. This is the main factor that makes Physics C more challenging than Physics 1 and Physics 2.Mar 21, 2020
In May 2020, 61.4% of students taking AP Calculus AB passed, while 81.6% of students passed AP Calculus BC. Although these scores might not seem to...
In May 2020, only 8.8% of students who took the AP Physics 1 exam earned a perfect score of 5. It should also be noted that only 6.4%, 7.2%, and 8....
The College Board scores AP tests on a scale of 1-5. Earning a 4 on an AP exam denotes “very well qualified” and will most likely earn you college...
While a 3 on an AP exam is a passing grade and denotes that a student is “qualified” in the subject, some colleges only award credit for a 4 or 5....
The second hardest AP class is environmental science, with a passing rate of 53.4%. This class is often known for students underestimating the course. It's 2 hours and 40 minutes exam with 80 MCQs and 3 free-response questions.
Calculus AB is another hardest AP class of 3 hours and 15 minutes. The exam consists of 45 MCQs and 6 free-response questions. The exam will check your ability to understand calculus concepts. It will test correct notation use, solve problems by determining procedures and formulas.
As its name says, Art History is the study of the art of various cultures. You will study the history of art back from the prehistoric era to the present times. You need to develop skills by developing theories by seeing art connections. And this will be possible through observation, research, reading, and discussion.
You will study german films, newspapers, books. With this also environmental, social, and political challenges faced by german communities. You need to develop the ability to speak, listen, write, and read the german language. Unless you are a person who can speak German, it's not an easy exam to pass.
For chemistry, you need an excellent conceptual understanding of chemical processes. These processes are very complicated. Also, there are a lot of things to memorize and heavy material to study. And for this, you will have tests and a lot of homework too. The exam will be on scientific concepts in the course.
For a US history class, you would need to know the dates of the civil war, the exact year of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the dates and content of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. You would also be expected to know about the major leaders and law-makers involved. The more detail you can remember, the better!
To get info about an AP class, first talk to your guidance counselor. Ask for the class's syllabus, the class's passing rate on the AP exam for the last few years, and what other students tend to say about the class. This will give you an idea of how well-taught a class is. Your guidance counselor can also recommend good prerequisite classes and teachers.
While AP English Language is also challenging, Literature requires reading texts that are generally more difficult. Compare, say, AP English Literature staple Crime and Punishment to a non-fiction article about the criminal justice system you might read in AP English Language. Crime and Punishment is much more difficult!
Physics C is especially tough because not only are you learning physics material, which can be hard, you also need to know calculus alongside it. While AP Physics 1 and 2 are algebra-based, both Physics C courses (Electricity & Magnetism and Mechanics) are calculus-based, meaning students need to know calculus well enough to apply it in physics. Some consider it "two classes in one" due to the necessary calculus knowledge.
AP Calculus AB is also challenging, but covers less material and moves more slowly. AP Calculus BC often covers everything taught in Calculus AB in just the first semester of school —revealing one reason why it's so hard: intense pacing. You move fast in Calculus BC, which means you need to be prepared to keep up.
The class itself could be incredibly difficult (lots of assignments, reading, and hard tests)—and you should be prepared for that. However, the class could also be easy (not very many assignments, easy tests), meaning you will have to put in a lot of work on your own to be ready for the AP test.
For example, even though AP Biology is hard, if you've done well in previous science classes, have a knack for memorization and critical thinking, you might be better prepared for AP Biology than, say, AP European History, even though that's not seen as one of the hardest AP classes. On the flipside, if you really struggle with something—like ...
You may be wondering whether AP classes are worth it. While they are known to be tough, record numbers of students these days are taking them. If you’re sitting on the fence about taking one, here are some potential benefits to help change your mind: 1 They’re a good preparation for transition to college courses as they’re fast-paced, cover substantial content, and require independent work. 2 They may put you at the top of the pile in college admissions as they show you’re ready for the academic rigor of college-level work. 3 When calculating your GPA, many high schools give extra weight to AP grades. 4 As there are many AP classes to choose from, they give you a chance to study what you love. 5 A good AP score could allow you to earn college credits, saving you some money on college tuition (some students have gone into their first year of college/university with a full year of course work already under their belt).
You have to memorize the formulas you’ll need in the exam because there’s no formula sheet given. Learning how to accurately use your graphing calculator is essential as the questions which allow one are nearly impossible to solve without one.
As you may know, 5 is the highest possible AP score. The 5-rate score indicates the percentage of students who passed the exam with a score of 5. In theory, this means that the exams with the lowest 5 rate scores should be the hardest.
The exam is 2 hours and 10 minutes long and broken down into 2 sections. There are 60 multiple-choice questions and 3 free-response questions – 1 long question and 2 short questions.
Sometimes AP classes that have higher pass rates can be the more difficult ones . This is because, quite often, the subjects that have a reputation for being more challenging tend to attract the most well-prepared and motivated students who are more likely to pass the test.
Intense pacing is said to be the hardest part of AP Calculus BC – it has to move fast because it covers so much material. You need to be able to keep up with the intensity.
Computer Science Principles: The Foundational Concepts of Computer Science. 2. Psychology. Thought of as one of the easiest AP classes, as well as one of the most popular, AP Psychology will teach you about the theories, ideas and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Need help with advising while taking the hardest AP classes? Enroll in our college application boot camp to get the counseling you need. Advanced Placement (AP) is a program designed by the College Board to offer college-level courses and exams to high school students.
The AP Human Geography exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes long. Students have one hour to complete the multiple-choice section and 75 minutes for the free response section. Some questions are vocabulary-based, while others require students to apply models or concepts to a provided scenario.
The AP Physics 1 exam is 3 hours long and is evenly divided into two sections: multiple choice and free response. According to the College Board, students are assessed on the ability to: Provide explanations of physical phenomena, grounded in physics principles and theories. Solve mathematical problems.
AP United States Government and Politics covers subjects including the constitutional underpinnings of the United States government, the nation’s political beliefs and behaviors, political parties, interest groups, mass media, public policy, and civil rights and civil liberties.
AP Chemistry investigates topics such as intermolecular forces and bonding, atomic structure, chemical reactions, kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium. Students must use the principles of scientific inquiry to conduct a wide variety of laboratory experiments.
Students have 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete the AP Chemistry exam. 1 hour and 30 minutes are devoted to answering 60 multiple choice questions. No calculator is allowed for these questions, which consist of both discrete items and items in set.
What to expect: You’ll need to understand and use geographic terminology, interpret graphs and maps, and read college-level texts. The course also involves substantial writing, including summaries, analyses, evaluations, interpretations, short answers, and multi-paragraph essays.
The hardest AP classes to self-study: are Chemistry, and Physics C – Electricity and Magnetism . These are also rated among the hardest and most time-consuming AP exams, so taking these on as self-study is not to be taken lightly – good luck! Whatever you’re studying, wishing you every success in your AP exams!
The easiest AP classes to self-study are: Computer Science Principles, Psychology and Environmental Science. These are also rated as the easiest and least time-consuming AP classes overall, so you should be OK.
Some reviewers found Physics was relatively less time-consuming than other courses . From my experience, harder physics courses such as the AP exams tend to split classes into two halves: those that “get it” relatively quickly, and those that have to persevere and sweat a bit to figure out what’s going on.
It’s difficult to say which AP courses and exams are the most difficult because each student has their own strengths and weaknesses. One thing to keep in mind is the flexibility of the course and the materials needed to excel in each one.
As mentioned above, there is no definitive list of which APs are easiest as each student has varying interests, capabilities, and learning styles. Traditionally, courses like Psychology, Computer Science Principles, and Human Geography have been reported as easier to self-study for and complete requirements at home.
When applying to universities in the US, Advanced Placement courses and strong AP test scores can provide a significant advantage — especially if your sights are set on the Ivy League or similarly competitive schools. However, when choosing which courses to take, it’s important not to let the ‘easy vs.
AP availability can vary from one school to the next, so many students turn to online options for access to a wider range of AP courses.