Cutoffs reviewed October 2026
AP Calculus AB Score Calculator
Turn a practice exam into a predicted 1 to 5 score, or work backwards and find out what each section has to be for the score you are after.
Predicted AP score
/ 5
Well qualified
- Multiple Choice
- 31 / 50
- Free Response
- 27.8 / 50
- Composite
- 58.7 / 100
5.2 more composite points would make this a 5.
From here that is 5 more multiple choice questions, or 6 more free response points.
Predicted AP score 4 out of 5, Well qualified.
42 questions in 100 minutes: 29 without a calculator, 13 with one
Worth 31 of 50 composite points
6 questions worth 54 points, in 90 minutes: 2 with a calculator, 4 without
Worth 27.8 of 50 composite points
Raw scores, not percentages. On multiple choice, count the questions you got right; there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so a blank and a wrong answer are worth the same. On free response, use the rubric points you earned on each question.
The trade between the two sections
Both sections are worth 50 composite points, but Section I has 42 questions while Section II has 54 points. One multiple-choice question is worth more to your composite than one free-response point. Here is what each multiple-choice score leaves Section II to carry.
| Multiple ChoiceMCQ | Free Response for a 5For a 5 | Free Response for a 4For a 4 | Free Response for a 3For a 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42 / 42 | 16 / 54 | 4 / 54 | Any score |
| 37 / 42 | 22 / 54 | 10 / 54 | Any score |
| 32 / 42 | 28 / 54 | 16 / 54 | 4 / 54 |
| 27 / 42 | 35 / 54 | 23 / 54 | 11 / 54 |
| 22 / 42 | 41 / 54 | 29 / 54 | 17 / 54 |
| 17 / 42 | 48 / 54 | 36 / 54 | 24 / 54 |
| 12 / 42 | 54 / 54 | 42 / 54 | 30 / 54 |
| 7 / 42 | Not reachable | 49 / 54 | 37 / 54 |
| 2 / 42 | Not reachable | Not reachable | 43 / 54 |
Your current multiple-choice score is highlighted.
How this calculator scores
The composite
Each section is scaled to 50 points and the two are added together, matching the real exam, where each section is half your score.
composite = (multiple choice / 42) x 50 + (free response / 54) x 50
The cutoffs
| Composite | AP Score |
|---|---|
| 63.9 to 100 | 5 |
| 52.8 to 63.8 | 4 |
| 41.7 to 52.7 | 3 |
| 34.3 to 41.6 | 2 |
| 0 to 34.2 | 1 |
Converted from the out-of-108 chart that public AP Calculus AB calculators reproduce: a 5 at 69, a 4 at 57, a 3 at 45, a 2 at 37. Because Section I scales to 54 and Section II is 54 raw points, that scale is already an even split, so the percentages here are those numbers out of 108. College Board does not release composite-to-score cutoffs for recent exams, so this is an estimate, as every calculator's is. Three independent public calculators state these same four numbers; two others disagree by as much as eight composite points, which is a fair measure of how uncertain this is.
Last reviewed October 2026. These are the same cutoffs Studyfor5 uses for the predicted score on its own practice exams, so the two will never disagree with each other.
Want to try this on a real exam? This scored numbers you typed in. Studyfor5 runs the whole thing instead: full-length mock exams timed like the real one, with every free-response answer graded against the rubric in seconds and the same predicted score at the end, built from your actual answers. The free diagnostic is the quickest way to see it.
Common questions
Is this calculator accurate?
It is an estimate, and so is every other one. College Board does not publish the composite-to-score cutoffs for recent exams, so each calculator works from cutoffs gathered from public sources. Ours are listed above along with where they came from. Treat the result as a band you are near, not a promise.
How is the AP Calculus AB exam scored?
Section I is 42 multiple-choice questions and Section II is 6 free-response questions worth 54 points. Each section is worth exactly half your score, so each is scaled to 50 and the two are added to give a composite out of 100. That composite is what maps to a 1 to 5.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers?
No. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, and a blank scores the same as a wrong one. There is no reason to leave a multiple-choice question unanswered.
What score do I need to pass?
A 3 is conventionally described as qualified, but nobody at College Board decides whether you get credit. Each college sets its own policy and many require a 4 or a 5, so check the schools you are actually applying to rather than aiming at a general number.
Why is one multiple-choice question worth more than one free-response point?
Because the two sections carry equal weight with unequal raw totals. Fifty composite points are spread across 42 multiple-choice questions but 54 free-response points, so one multiple-choice question moves your composite by about 1.19 and one free-response point by about 0.93.
Can I still get a 5 if one section goes badly?
Often, but not always. Use the What do I need? tab: set your target, drag the section you are sure about, and it will show what the other one has to carry, including the point where the answer is that it cannot.