AP Environmental Science Score Calculator
Just put an approximation of what you think you’ll get on each section into the APES score calculator above (aka, how many questions you expect to get right for the MCQ and FRQ). Once you press the button, the AP Environmental Science Score Calculator will calculate & then show you your projected score based on what you entered. This can help you plan out the approximate number of minimum/max amount of questions you can miss to get still the 5 that you want!
Pretty accurate! This APES Calculator is based on the CED & previous years’ point breakdowns released by the College Board.
So, the weights of each question and the composite raw score are very accurate. Your final score, between 1-5, is calculated based on previous years’ exam curves. Remember, NO AP environmental science calculator can predict your exact score because the College Board does not release official cut points, but our APES exam calculator can give you a pretty good idea of what the benchmarks are for your AP Environmental Science score approximately.
The AP Environmental Science Exam consists of two parts: a multiple choice section and a free response section.
Section I has 80 multiple choice questions, worth 60% of your final score, and will take you 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. There will be individual question as well as set-based questions, 3-4 that will include quantitative data, 3-4 that will include qualitative data, and 2 that will include text-based sources.
Section II (the APES FRQ) has 3 free response questions, worth 40% of your final score, and will take you 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete. Here is what the 3 questions will ask of you:
Question 1 on the AP Environmental Science exam asks you to design an investigation based on a real-world environmental scenario, which might come with a model, visual representation, or some quantitative data to guide your approach.
Question 2 requires you to analyze an environmental problem and propose a solution. Here, you’ll also be working with a real-world scenario, and it might include a model, visual representation, or quantitative data to help you craft your solution.
Question 3 also involves analyzing an environmental problem and proposing a solution, but this time, you'll need to do some calculations. You'll be presented with an authentic environmental scenario to work through.
Earning a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Environmental Science exam demonstrates to colleges that you have a great understanding of the material and typically makes you eligible to skip college-level courses.
If you got a score of a 4 or 5, great work!
The AP Environmental Science pass rate, like for all exams, is a score of 3. It is the mid-range of scores, showing that you have a moderate understanding of the course, and can be worth college credit, depending on your college. To see if your college will accept your score, check the AP Credit Policy.
The AP Environmental Science grading scale, like all AP exams, is scored on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1s and 2s not earning college credit, 3s possibly getting credit, and 4s and 5s earning college credit.
These scores vary year from year, so make sure to look at the AP Score Distributions for the most up-to-date information. Collegeboard does not publish the official cutoffs, so your best bet is to do as many AP practice exams as possible & make sure to focus extra on the most highly weighted questions.
Here is the 2024 AP Environmental Science Score distribution:
9% of students got a 5, 27% got a 4, 18% got a 3, 26% got a 2, and 20% got a 1.
While these AP Environmental Science scores are not too different from last year, they still vary due to the difference in exam difficulty and student preparation. The same will be true for next year!
Yes, like all AP exams, the AP Environmental Science exam is curved each year to ensure fairness between the administration of exams and difficulty.
This curve varies from year to year, depending on student performance and exam difficulty. For this AP Environmental Science score calculator, we take the previous curves into account to approximate your final score as accurately as possible.
AP ES is considered a relatively easy class and exam by students who have taken it.
The difficulty of the AP Environmental Science exam, like many AP courses, depends on various factors such as your familiarity with environmental science concepts and your ability to handle rigorous, college-level coursework. Generally, AP Environmental Science is perceived as a relatively manageable class, often considered easier compared to other AP courses, making it a good option for freshmen and sophomores.
The AP Environmental Science exam requires students to understand and apply a wide range of environmental concepts, principles, and methodologies. The exam tests your knowledge across major topics such as ecosystems, energy resources, pollution, and sustainability. You'll need to be able to explain how environmental principles are applied in various contexts and analyze real-world environmental scenarios using appropriate terminology.
The hardest part of the exam is the breadth of content you need to cover, as well as the ability to connect these concepts to practical, real-world examples.
The APES pass rate for 2024 was 54%, which does look low, but since the course is so easy, students tend to not study for it much, dragging down the average. So if you study and put in the work, you should be just fine.
When you're studying, remember that practicing and reviewing must go hand in hand to get you that 5. Study each environmental topic and spend at least a week reviewing all the major concepts, case studies, and key terms the AP Environmental Science exam will cover. You need to become a master at these concepts; start with the basics and build your way up.
Make sure you understand the following environmental science concepts and the components within them:
Ecosystems and Energy Flow: including energy transfer, food webs, and trophic levels.
Biodiversity and Conservation: including species diversity, habitat loss, and conservation strategies.
Pollution and Its Impact: including types of pollution, their sources, and their effects on ecosystems and human health.
Resource Management: including sustainable agriculture, forestry, and water management practices.
Human Population Dynamics: including demographic transitions, population growth, and the impact of humans on the environment.
By thoroughly understanding these environmental science concepts and taking a ton of AP Environmental Science practice tests, as well as applying them in different contexts, you can be well-prepared for the AP Environmental Science exam. With consistent study habits and a solid grasp of environmental principles, achieving a 5 on this exam is definitely within reach.
The right resources also matter when it comes to studying. Here are some free resources that have been recommended by AP Environmental Science teachers and students:
Ultimate AP Environmental Science Study Guide (broken down by unit)
The exact date for the release of your AP Environmental Science scores varies from year to year, but it is typically early to mid-July after your AP ES exam.
In 2024, it fell on July 8th, a Monday, so it is likely that next year it will also be released on a Monday, which will fall on July 7th. But for the most up to date information, make sure to check the College Board for official updates.
Just put an approximation of what you think you’ll get on each section into the APES score calculator above (aka, how many questions you expect to get right for the MCQ and FRQ). Once you press the button, the AP Environmental Science Score Calculator will calculate & then show you your projected score based on what you entered. This can help you plan out the approximate number of minimum/max amount of questions you can miss to get still the 5 that you want!
Pretty accurate! This APES Calculator is based on the CED & previous years’ point breakdowns released by the College Board.
So, the weights of each question and the composite raw score are very accurate. Your final score, between 1-5, is calculated based on previous years’ exam curves. Remember, NO AP environmental science calculator can predict your exact score because the College Board does not release official cut points, but our APES exam calculator can give you a pretty good idea of what the benchmarks are for your AP Environmental Science score approximately.
The AP Environmental Science Exam consists of two parts: a multiple choice section and a free response section.
Section I has 80 multiple choice questions, worth 60% of your final score, and will take you 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. There will be individual question as well as set-based questions, 3-4 that will include quantitative data, 3-4 that will include qualitative data, and 2 that will include text-based sources.
Section II (the APES FRQ) has 3 free response questions, worth 40% of your final score, and will take you 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete. Here is what the 3 questions will ask of you:
Question 1 on the AP Environmental Science exam asks you to design an investigation based on a real-world environmental scenario, which might come with a model, visual representation, or some quantitative data to guide your approach.
Question 2 requires you to analyze an environmental problem and propose a solution. Here, you’ll also be working with a real-world scenario, and it might include a model, visual representation, or quantitative data to help you craft your solution.
Question 3 also involves analyzing an environmental problem and proposing a solution, but this time, you'll need to do some calculations. You'll be presented with an authentic environmental scenario to work through.
Earning a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Environmental Science exam demonstrates to colleges that you have a great understanding of the material and typically makes you eligible to skip college-level courses.
If you got a score of a 4 or 5, great work!
The AP Environmental Science pass rate, like for all exams, is a score of 3. It is the mid-range of scores, showing that you have a moderate understanding of the course, and can be worth college credit, depending on your college. To see if your college will accept your score, check the AP Credit Policy.
The AP Environmental Science grading scale, like all AP exams, is scored on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1s and 2s not earning college credit, 3s possibly getting credit, and 4s and 5s earning college credit.
These scores vary year from year, so make sure to look at the AP Score Distributions for the most up-to-date information. Collegeboard does not publish the official cutoffs, so your best bet is to do as many AP practice exams as possible & make sure to focus extra on the most highly weighted questions.
Here is the 2024 AP Environmental Science Score distribution:
9% of students got a 5, 27% got a 4, 18% got a 3, 26% got a 2, and 20% got a 1.
While these AP Environmental Science scores are not too different from last year, they still vary due to the difference in exam difficulty and student preparation. The same will be true for next year!
Yes, like all AP exams, the AP Environmental Science exam is curved each year to ensure fairness between the administration of exams and difficulty.
This curve varies from year to year, depending on student performance and exam difficulty. For this AP Environmental Science score calculator, we take the previous curves into account to approximate your final score as accurately as possible.
AP ES is considered a relatively easy class and exam by students who have taken it.
The difficulty of the AP Environmental Science exam, like many AP courses, depends on various factors such as your familiarity with environmental science concepts and your ability to handle rigorous, college-level coursework. Generally, AP Environmental Science is perceived as a relatively manageable class, often considered easier compared to other AP courses, making it a good option for freshmen and sophomores.
The AP Environmental Science exam requires students to understand and apply a wide range of environmental concepts, principles, and methodologies. The exam tests your knowledge across major topics such as ecosystems, energy resources, pollution, and sustainability. You'll need to be able to explain how environmental principles are applied in various contexts and analyze real-world environmental scenarios using appropriate terminology.
The hardest part of the exam is the breadth of content you need to cover, as well as the ability to connect these concepts to practical, real-world examples.
The APES pass rate for 2024 was 54%, which does look low, but since the course is so easy, students tend to not study for it much, dragging down the average. So if you study and put in the work, you should be just fine.
When you're studying, remember that practicing and reviewing must go hand in hand to get you that 5. Study each environmental topic and spend at least a week reviewing all the major concepts, case studies, and key terms the AP Environmental Science exam will cover. You need to become a master at these concepts; start with the basics and build your way up.
Make sure you understand the following environmental science concepts and the components within them:
Ecosystems and Energy Flow: including energy transfer, food webs, and trophic levels.
Biodiversity and Conservation: including species diversity, habitat loss, and conservation strategies.
Pollution and Its Impact: including types of pollution, their sources, and their effects on ecosystems and human health.
Resource Management: including sustainable agriculture, forestry, and water management practices.
Human Population Dynamics: including demographic transitions, population growth, and the impact of humans on the environment.
By thoroughly understanding these environmental science concepts and taking a ton of AP Environmental Science practice tests, as well as applying them in different contexts, you can be well-prepared for the AP Environmental Science exam. With consistent study habits and a solid grasp of environmental principles, achieving a 5 on this exam is definitely within reach.
The right resources also matter when it comes to studying. Here are some free resources that have been recommended by AP Environmental Science teachers and students:
Ultimate AP Environmental Science Study Guide (broken down by unit)
The exact date for the release of your AP Environmental Science scores varies from year to year, but it is typically early to mid-July after your AP ES exam.
In 2024, it fell on July 8th, a Monday, so it is likely that next year it will also be released on a Monday, which will fall on July 7th. But for the most up to date information, make sure to check the College Board for official updates.
