Familiar with tests of significance? Can you interpret a histogram? The AP® Statistics exam tests topics and skills discussed in your high school Advanced Placement Statistics course. If you score high enough, your AP Statistics score could earn you college credit !
Check out our AP Statistics guide for the essential info you need about the exam:
The AP Statistics exam takes 3 hours to complete. Here’s how AP Statistics timing breaks down section-by-section:
Timing |
Question type |
% of Exam Score |
|
Section 1 |
90 minutes |
40 multiple-choice questions |
50% |
Section 2 |
Part A: 60 minutes Part B: 30 minutes |
5 Free-response questions 1 investigative-task question |
50% |
The College Board is very detailed in what they require your AP teacher to cover in his or her AP Statistics course. They explain that you should be familiar with the following topics:
For a comprehensive content review, check out
Students are given exactly one hour and 30 minutes to complete the 40 questions in this part of the exam. Each question will be followed by five answer choices. At times, it may seem that there could be more than one possible correct answer. There is only one! Answers resulting from common mistakes are often included in the five answer choices to trap you.
The AP Statistics free-response questions require not only that you perform the right computations but also that you communicate your reasoning and justify your answers clearly.
As the name suggests, the investigative task question invites you to investigate a situation and arrive at a solution. It might also require you to expand your knowledge of statistics a bit beyond the course curriculum.
Students are expected to bring a four function, scientific, or graphing calculator with statistical computation capability to use on both sections of the exam.
When you take the exam, you’ll be given a formula sheet with formulas and tables needed to complete exam questions.
AP scores are reported from 1 to 5. Colleges are generally looking for a 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics exam, but some may grant credit for a 3. Each test is curved so scores vary from year to year Here’s how students scored on the AP Statistics exam in May 2022:
Score |
Meaning |
Percentage of Test Takers |
5 |
Extremely qualified |
14.8% |
4 |
Well qualified |
22.2% |
3 |
Qualified |
23.4% |
2 |
Possibly qualified |
16.5% |
1 |
No recommendation |
23.1% |
Source:
AP classes are great, but for many students they’re not enough! For a thorough review of AP Statistics content and strategy, pick the AP prep option that works best for your goals and learning style.
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