AP Score Distributions 2026 — every subject

The official results of the May 2026 exams: what share of students earned a 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 in each subject, which subjects award the most 5s, and where a 3 is hardest to reach. Click any subject to open its score calculator.

Subjects with results

Average earning 3+

73%

Most 5s

Chinese Language & Culture · 48%

Hardest to pass

Music Theory · 59% earn 3+

Subject ⇅	Shape	% 5 ⇅	% 4 ⇅	% 3 ⇅	% 2 ⇅	% 1 ⇅	% scoring 3+ ⇅
AP Seminar	10% 21% 57% 10% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	10%	21%	57%	10%	2%	88%
AP Chinese Language & Culture	48% 19% 18% 9% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	48%	19%	18%	6%	9%	85%
AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio	12% 30% 43% 12% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	12%	30%	43%	12%	3%	85%
AP Spanish Language & Culture	21% 31% 31% 14% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	21%	31%	31%	14%	3%	83%
AP Drawing Portfolio	16% 31% 36% 14% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	16%	31%	36%	14%	3%	83%
AP Calculus BC	46% 22% 14% 14% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	46%	22%	14%	14%	4%	82%
AP Precalculus	29% 29% 24% 11% 7% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	29%	29%	24%	11%	7%	82%
AP African American Studies	20% 30% 27% 17% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	20%	30%	27%	17%	6%	77%
AP U.S. Government & Politics	23% 28% 25% 16% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	23%	28%	25%	16%	8%	76%
AP Chemistry	15% 31% 30% 18% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	31%	30%	18%	6%	76%
AP English Language & Composition	15% 28% 32% 15% 10% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	28%	32%	15%	10%	75%
AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism	24% 24% 27% 17% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	24%	24%	27%	17%	8%	75%
AP 3-D Art and Design Portfolio	7% 25% 43% 23% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	7%	25%	43%	23%	2%	75%
AP European History	16% 33% 25% 18% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	16%	33%	25%	18%	8%	74%
AP Psychology	15% 35% 24% 18% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	35%	24%	18%	8%	74%
AP U.S. History	14% 37% 23% 18% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	14%	37%	23%	18%	8%	74%
AP English Literature & Composition	16% 26% 31% 16% 11% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	16%	26%	31%	16%	11%	73%
AP Latin	20% 29% 24% 17% 10% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	20%	29%	24%	17%	10%	73%
AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based	20% 29% 23% 21% 7% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	20%	29%	23%	21%	7%	72%
AP Physics C: Mechanics	20% 25% 27% 17% 11% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	20%	25%	27%	17%	11%	72%
AP Japanese Language & Culture	47% 10% 15% 7% 21% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	47%	10%	15%	7%	21%	72%
AP Biology	15% 25% 31% 21% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	25%	31%	21%	8%	71%
AP French Language & Culture	15% 23% 33% 23% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	23%	33%	23%	6%	71%
AP Spanish Literature & Culture	20% 23% 28% 20% 9% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	20%	23%	28%	20%	9%	71%
AP Comparative Government & Politics	15% 22% 33% 18% 12% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	22%	33%	18%	12%	70%
AP Environmental Science	13% 29% 27% 15% 16% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	13%	29%	27%	15%	16%	69%
AP Italian Language & Culture	19% 22% 28% 20% 11% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	19%	22%	28%	20%	11%	69%
AP Microeconomics	19% 26% 23% 20% 12% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	19%	26%	23%	20%	12%	68%
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based	19% 24% 25% 15% 17% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	19%	24%	25%	15%	17%	68%
AP German Language & Culture	24% 17% 27% 22% 10% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	24%	17%	27%	22%	10%	68%
AP Art History	15% 25% 27% 24% 9% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	15%	25%	27%	24%	9%	67%
AP Human Geography	19% 26% 21% 24% 10% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	19%	26%	21%	24%	10%	66%
AP Macroeconomics	19% 22% 25% 20% 14% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	19%	22%	25%	20%	14%	66%
AP World History: Modern	14% 36% 16% 26% 8% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	14%	36%	16%	26%	8%	66%
AP Computer Science A	25% 26% 15% 11% 23% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	25%	26%	15%	11%	23%	66%
AP Calculus AB	20% 28% 17% 24% 11% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	20%	28%	17%	24%	11%	65%
AP Computer Science Principles	10% 23% 30% 21% 16% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	10%	23%	30%	21%	16%	63%
AP Statistics	17% 23% 22% 17% 21% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	17%	23%	22%	17%	21%	62%
AP Music Theory	18% 17% 24% 26% 15% Share of students earning each score in 2026 (College Board, official). Left to right: 5 · 4 · 3 · 2 · 1.	18%	17%	24%	26%	15%	59%

Source: College Board's official 2026 score distributions (global cohort, published rounded percentages). Click a column header to sort. The three portfolio subjects (2-D, 3-D, Drawing) are judged on a portfolio rather than a timed exam, so they have no calculator page — but their results count the same for credit. The three brand-new subjects for 2027 (Business with Personal Finance, Cybersecurity, Networking) have no distribution yet; their first results arrive in July 2027.

What the table says

The most 5s: Chinese Language & Culture (48%), Japanese Language & Culture (47%), Calculus BC (46%). Read these carefully — several are subjects whose test-takers are mostly native speakers or students who already finished a prerequisite course, so a big 5 share says as much about the room as about the exam.

The hardest passes: Music Theory (59% earn 3+), Statistics (62% earn 3+), Computer Science Principles (63% earn 3+). These are mostly high-enrollment subjects taken early in high school. If your subject sits here, a 3 is a genuinely strong result — more colleges know that than students think, though each school still applies its own minimum.

The middle is crowded: the average subject passes 73% of its students at 3 or higher. If you are choosing between AP subjects, this table — not reputation — is the honest difficulty map; pair it with what the credit is worth at the colleges you are aiming at.

From a distribution to your own score

A distribution tells you how the country did; the calculator tells you where you stand. Pick your subject in the table above, enter your section results, and you get a composite, an estimated 1–5, and exactly how that estimate was derived from this distribution. Then check what the score buys you in the AP credit search.

Questions

What is a good AP score?

A 3 is the passing line College Board designs for, and it earns credit at many public universities. A 4 or 5 is what selective colleges usually want, and a 5 puts you in the top slice of most subjects — see the table for exactly how big that slice is in yours.

Why do distributions differ so much between subjects?

Two reasons: how hard the exam is, and who takes it. Subjects with small, self-selected cohorts — native speakers in world languages, seniors in Calculus BC — post very high pass rates. Big first-AP subjects like Human Geography, taken by many ninth graders, post lower ones. A high pass rate does not mean an easy exam.

Do the distributions change every year?

Yes, a little. College Board sets each year's cut scores so that a 3 means roughly the same level of mastery year to year, so the shares move with the cohort. That is also why any score calculator — including ours — can only estimate your 1–5 from a composite.

Where do these numbers come from?

College Board publishes the official global distribution for every subject after each exam year. This table is the 2026 release (May 2026 exams), collected from the official score distributions page; percentages are the published rounded figures.