Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

My kids' school pre-tests all of the AP kids in late February, and they discourage anyone from taking the AP exam who isn't already at a high 3 level at that time. Unsurprisingly, when the results come out, all of the kids allowed to take the test earn 4s and 5s. The tests aren't necessarily too easy. There's a ton of self selection in who is taking the exams and who is opting out.

I agree, though, that anything below a 4 is unlikely to help with admissions or grant any credit.

My kids’ school does this too. They also adjust year end grades to reflect AP scores. So kids are likely to score in the 4/5 range IF they take the exam.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

My kids' school pre-tests all of the AP kids in late February, and they discourage anyone from taking the AP exam who isn't already at a high 3 level at that time. Unsurprisingly, when the results come out, all of the kids allowed to take the test earn 4s and 5s. The tests aren't necessarily too easy. There's a ton of self selection in who is taking the exams and who is opting out.

I agree, though, that anything below a 4 is unlikely to help with admissions or grant any credit.

A lot of schools, like my DC’s school, require everyone to take the test. If you don’t take the test you get an F in the class.

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

My kids' school pre-tests all of the AP kids in late February, and they discourage anyone from taking the AP exam who isn't already at a high 3 level at that time. Unsurprisingly, when the results come out, all of the kids allowed to take the test earn 4s and 5s. The tests aren't necessarily too easy. There's a ton of self selection in who is taking the exams and who is opting out.

I agree, though, that anything below a 4 is unlikely to help with admissions or grant any credit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

This post made my day. You didn't look at the distribution but you still think there are too many 4s and 5s so you conclude the tests must be "too easy." LMAO over here, thank you for making my day!

I’m glad I made your day, but I think you misread my post, particularly the first part.

Different poster, but the first part of your post was similarly ignorant. Look up “selection bias.”

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

This post made my day. You didn't look at the distribution but you still think there are too many 4s and 5s so you conclude the tests must be "too easy." LMAO over here, thank you for making my day!

I’m glad I made your day, but I think you misread my post, particularly the first part.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

College Board already released the national distributions on their website. Most kids get a 3 or higher on any test.

The percent achieving 5s is about 10% for most tests - nationwide average.

For those who need to hear it, this means, on average, 90% of test takers do NOT get a 5.

Not true. College board publishes the percentage of 5s by test, and for most fields are between 10 and 25%.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

Some people, like this PP, have no sense. Instead of considering that the parents of kids who get 1, 2, and 3s don’t post, she thinks the tests are meaningless.

NP: Let me fix that for you. My kids got the full range: 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s.

They enjoyed the classes and learned a lot (even the one that got a 1 -- loved the class, lacked the talent), and each ended up being influenced by particular AP classes to explore their eventual majors. They each scored over 700 on each section of the SAT in one sitting without tutoring, got significant merit aid for college, and are achieving honors in college.

Life is fine. Super proud of them, though I wish they had studied more and not squandered that opportunity to get college credit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

College Board already released the national distributions on their website. Most kids get a 3 or higher on any test.

The percent achieving 5s is about 10% for most tests - nationwide average.

For those who need to hear it, this means, on average, 90% of test takers do NOT get a 5.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't Micro and Macro a pair (i.e. the class covers both while there are two separate exams?) Do schools offer Macro and Micro as separate 1 year courses?

I think some offer them as separate semester courses.

Yes, they are separate courses and separate exams, though most kids take both. I’m one of the above posters whose kid only took Macro. She needed a one-semester course to fulfill some distribution requirement mandated by the state.

Anonymous wrote:Aren't Micro and Macro a pair (i.e. the class covers both while there are two separate exams?) Do schools offer Macro and Micro as separate 1 year courses?

I think some offer them as separate semester courses.

Aren't Micro and Macro a pair (i.e. the class covers both while there are two separate exams?) Do schools offer Macro and Micro as separate 1 year courses?

Anonymous wrote:All 5's for my rising senior, in Calc BC, World History, Lang, Chem, and Macro. NJ public high school. She also had a 5 last year in APUSH. She worked hard, and I'm very happy for her.

Wow! Great job!

Anonymous wrote:Do schools/teachers see the scores too?

Yes

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

This post made my day. You didn't look at the distribution but you still think there are too many 4s and 5s so you conclude the tests must be "too easy." LMAO over here, thank you for making my day!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judging by the number of 4s and 5s being reported, I'd say the tests are too easy. Or anything below a 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Anyone know when/where a distribution of scores will be published?

College Board already released the national distributions on their website. Most kids get a 3 or higher on any test.

Or most kids get 3 or lower.

They don't. If you look at the distribution tables on College Board you'll see most kids get 4's and 3's with a smaller proportion getting 5's - usually 12-20%. This is except in the rare case they have taken AP Chinese or AP Japanese where around 50% get 5's. For these two subjects it is a combination of testing a higher achieving group / more native speakers.