Which AP class is easier?
Easiest AP Classes and Tests:
Psychology. Human Geography. Environmental Science. US Government.
AP Physics 1
Despite a reputation as one of the most difficult AP classes, Physics 1 is also one of the most popular—137,229 students took it in 2021. Physics 1 has the lowest pass rate of any AP exam (42.1%) along with one of the lowest percentages of students scoring a 5 (just 6.9%).
- Physics 1. 51.6% 8.8%
- Environmental Science. 53.4% 11.9%
- Chemistry. 56.1% 10.6%
- U.S. Government and Politics. 57.5% 15.5%
- U.S. History. 58.7% 13.0%
- Human Geography. 59.0% 11.8%
- European History. 59.3% 13.7%
- Statistics. 60.0% 16.2%
Frequently Asked Questions About the Most Popular AP Exams
In 2021, the least popular AP exams were as follows, based on number of test-takers: AP Italian (2,102 test-takers) AP Japanese (2,204 test-takers) AP German (4,315 test-takers)
AP® Score of 1
Since a 1 is the lowest score that you can get on an AP® exam, this is not desirable. Thankfully, not many students leave the exam with a 1 unless complications arise during the test and they need to leave, or they are just trying to take the exam without knowing any of the material.
The short answer is that it's better to get a "B" in the AP or Honors class because selective colleges want to see that students are challenging themselves academically, but also that they're mastering the material.
What happens if you fail an AP class? If you fail an AP class, then your GPA will likely drop as it would for a normal class. This grade also shows up on your transcript. However, you may be able to retake the class the following year to raise your grade and increase your GPA.
On the other hand, if you fail the class but pass the exam, the outcome depends a bit on your school's grade policy. Some schools might allow failed grades to be changed on a transcript with a passing AP score, but these policies vary from school to school.
The College Board considers a score of 3 or higher a passing grade. That said, some colleges require a 4 or 5 to award credit. Whether a 3 is a good AP score depends on the colleges you're applying to.
AP courses can be taken without taking the exam, and vice versa. If your child wants the possible college credit or score result without taking a course, then take the exam.
Which AP class is harder?
United States History, Biology, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C, and Chemistry are often named as the hardest AP classes and tests.
AP Micro has a passing rate of 59.1% while AP Macro's is 51.3%. So AP Micro had a slightly higher passing rate than AP Macro, but this still isn't a huge difference. Additionally, AP Macroeconomics is quite a bit more popular to take than AP Microeconomics.
- Physics 1: AP Physics 1 is the hardest AP class with the least passing rate of 51.6.
- Environmental Science: ...
- Chemistry: ...
- Government and Politics - United States: ...
- United States History: ...
- Human Geography: ...
- European History: ...
- Statistics: ...
AP Human Geography is often considered the easiest AP class (depending on the school and the teacher, of course), and it falls under the social studies department. Most high schools will also offer college prep level or even lower levels of social studies classes, but those selections are going to vary by school.
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.