What are the Hardest and Easiest AP Classes?

Introduction

My personal statement for all my Common App schools was about my biggest academic failure: getting a 1 on an AP Calculus AB exam. When I first received the College Board scores through the mail (No, we couldn’t see our scores online at the time!), I was devastated: I spent one year in what was, objectively, a challenging class, and had nothing to show for it. While I was ultimately able to turn the experience into an opportunity by writing my college essay about it, reflecting on this experience years later has given me the clarity I wish I had then: Calculus AB (and Physics C!) was not for me, and, despite wanting to challenge myself, it was not a class I was prepared for at the time.

If your high school offers many AP classes, it can be tempting to sign up for all of them to make your college application more competitive: Advanced Placement—or AP—classes are one of the best options that students have to demonstrate that they have challenged themselves academically throughout their high school career.

But, which APs should you take? While your school may offer many options, this doesn’t mean that you should sign up for all of them. In this post, I will discuss what AP classes are and which ones make the most sense for students to take.

Understanding AP Classes

AP Classes are challenging courses designed to cover material at the college level. Students in high school spend a whole year learning content at an accelerated pace so that, at the end of the year, they can take the AP Exam. These exams are scored on a 1-5 scale, with five being the highest score. Generally, they consist of multiple-choice questions and a free-response question that varies from essays to specific math, physics, or chemistry problems (the exception is tests like studio art, where you have to design a portfolio based on specific guidelines set forth by the College Board). APs are tough tests that take multiple hours to complete, but they can be a rewarding opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge.

While this varies by school, many colleges, including the Ivy League and other similarly competitive schools, will award students college credit for passing an AP exam. Therefore, AP exams are appealing not only because they allow students to take more challenging courses, but because passing these exams means the possibility of being exempt from a required class in college. For example, passing both AP English exams with a 5 allowed me to take only one of the required First-Year Writing Seminars at Cornell during my first year.

It is important to note that you must pass the AP exam in order to get credit: if you take the class but get a one or a two, you will not get credit. Furthermore, many colleges don’t award credit for a three, even though it is technically considered a passing score. Colleges have vastly different guidelines for granting AP credit. For example, Cornell mostly gives credit for the hard sciences, and even then, this differs per college. You could enter Cornell having taken every single AP history class, but you will receive credit for none of them. A school like UCLA, however, is more generous in this regard, allowing students to earn credit for most AP classes even if they earn a 3.

Benefits of Taking AP Classes

Of course, one of the biggest advantages of APs is that you may be able to receive college credit. However, the benefits go beyond having the letters “AP” in your transcript.

• Earning college credit: Depending on the school where you enroll, passing the AP exam might give you college credit. These classes will show as ‘AP’ in your college transcript, and it’ll indicate how many credits you earned for each class. Because most colleges have a specific number of credits required for graduation, entering school with AP classes puts you at an advantage over your peers.
• Saving on tuition: Many schools will award credits for AP classes, so taking these exams can save you some money when you start college. (Note that this is not the case for most Ivy League and other high-ranking schools, which often don’t give credit for most AP classes).
• Challenging course material: AP Classes are generally more challenging than their non-AP counterparts. This means that you will be learning about any given subject much more in-depth than you would in a non-AP class. In this regard, AP classes really prepare you for college, as they give you a glance at what college-level courses look like. Additionally, a college-level class shows admissions officers that you took advantage of all the resources available at your school: if your school offers many APs and you don’t take any, it sends a very clear message to a committee that now thinks you are unwilling to challenge yourself.
• Making your college applications more competitive: Taking an AP class—whether you receive college credit for it or not—is challenging. When you take these courses, you are showing schools that you are committed to your academics, and demonstrating that you can handle challenging content and an increased workload.

Factors That Determine Difficulty

In determining which AP classes to choose, students that I work with often ask me which courses will make them stand out the most. What this question is really getting at is ‘What is the most difficult AP class that I can take?’

The answer in this case varies significantly by student. If you don’t speak any Japanese, the Japanese language AP is likely going to be extremely challenging. Meanwhile, a native speaker may find the same test to be extremely easy. While most students know that they shouldn’t take a test in a language they do not speak, they feel more confident taking AP classes in subjects that–while in English–are not the best fit for their interests.

Yes, it is important to show college admissions officers that you took advantage of all the educational opportunities available to you, but taking AP classes and underperforming or not getting a passing score will ultimately hurt your application. In my earlier example about AP Calculus AB, I took a challenging math class without having strong foundation courses, meaning that I was severely underprepared to learn about limits and integrals.

That same year, I had signed up for AP Physics but was able to drop it early enough after realizing that I couldn’t actually take an AP Physics class without taking a basic physics class at all. Since my school did not set any official prerequisites for any of these classes, I was allowed to sign up for all of them. I wish that someone had encouraged me to take the introductory classes, as I would have had a significantly easier junior year!

While Calculus AB and Physics were not for me, I thrived in all history AP classes: By the time I finished high school, I had taken and passed the tests for AP US History, AP European History, AP Human Geography, AP World History (back then it wasn’t “Modern History” like it is now), AP US Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Psychology. Additionally, I earned a five in both AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature and Composition. As a native Spanish speaker, I also got the highest possible score in AP Spanish Literature.

I knew that I could handle AP Lang and any AP history class with no problem because I had always excelled in those subjects. And, while my instincts to step out of my comfort zone and take science classes and math classes were correct, there were other options like AP Environmental Science that act as a bridge between the humanities and STEM classes, and I would have likely had a much more successful experience taking this test.

For students who know that they don’t enjoy lengthy history texts or analyzing poems, I don’t often encourage taking an AP history class. For example, AP United States History is a class that involves a significant amount of reading and writing. The time that you are spending trying to digest these complex texts could be spent building an excellent passion project or taking a more advanced class on a subject that you are actually interested in. This was the case for a past student who knew they could take AP US history but chose to take the non-AP version at his school to focus on chemistry and physics. He went on to be selected for a national chemistry olympiad.

In determining the difficulty of an AP class, then, you need to know who you are as a student and test-taker. Additionally, if you can get information on who your teacher will be, this could also influence your decision whether to take a class or not: I knew that the AP European History teacher also taught AP Government and AP Macroeconomics. After having a very successful sophomore year with her, I was excited to take her class again as a senior.

Finally, if you are fluent in a foreign language, consider taking the corresponding AP language exam for it. While I did not take Spanish all of high school, I had no issue testing into AP Spanish Literature and Culture and aced the exam. Other AP language courses to consider include AP French, AP German, AP Japanese, and AP Chinese. Language APs may be an opportunity to make your profile stand out, and students who are fluent in these languages may find that the language study required to pass the APs is not a significant time commitment.

In short, it is important to allocate your time effectively when you are choosing your AP classes and to understand that what is difficult for you may not be difficult for someone else. Play to your skills here, and, if you choose to step out of your comfort zone, know when your school’s add/drop deadlines are so that, if you determine that the class is not a good fit, you have time to change your schedule without hurting your GPA.

Hardest AP Classes

While difficulty levels are subjective, based solely on passing rates, some AP classes are more challenging than others. Here are some of the classes that are considered to be the most difficult AP courses.

• AP Calculus AB: Calculus AB requires a strong math foundation and the ability to think critically and to apply mathematical concepts to specific scenarios. The class may be challenging for students who, while good at math, may not necessarily know how to apply knowledge of different concepts to the problems presented on the exam.
• AP English Literature and Composition: AP Lit requires not only excellent writing skills but also the ability to read and analyze complex works of literature across decades. Students who struggle to interpret symbolism and who generally don’t enjoy writing assignments will probably not enjoy this class. 
• AP Physics 1: Given that the class is heavily based on a student’s understanding of algebra and higher-level math, students who sign up for this course and don’t have a strong arithmetic foundation will struggle. This was exactly my case, but I was able to drop the class in time!
• AP World History: Because AP World History covers such a vast amount of content, it is a difficult test to prepare for, as it forces students to know about different time periods to be able to place texts in context: the AP World History exam will seldom ask you to regurgitate information. Instead, it will give you specific passages that require that you tap into your historical knowledge to be able to answer questions about any given text.
• AP Chemistry: This is a notoriously difficult course! AP Chemistry requires a serious understanding of the subject and also time availability to complete labs. Students taking AP chemistry, even if they are doing well in the class and ultimately pass the test with a perfect score will tell you that it was one of the most challenging academic commitments in high school. 

Easiest AP Classes

According to the College Board score distribution, these are some of the easiest AP classes based on exam scores:

• AP Calculus BC: While objectively more advanced than Calculus AB, by the time students get to Calculus BC they know they are good at math. The class is self-selecting in a way: I never signed up for Calculus BC because by then I had understood that the class was not for me.
• AP Computer Science Principles: Like Calculus BC, students who take AP Computer Science Principles often know that they are good at programming by the time they sign up for the class. Therefore, they are seldom learning the material from scratch, leading to higher passing rates.
• Language APs: Many students taking AP language exams, particularly AP Chinese and AP Spanish Language are native or heritage speakers. Generally, students taking language APs feel very confident in their ability to pass their AP exams. In my case, I spoke Spanish at home and knew that I was going to pass this test even though I had only taken one other Spanish class in high school. 
• AP Capstone Diploma Program Classes: The AP Capstone program is intended to help students nourish their academic passions while helping them develop critical thinking, and research skills, among others. Because this program is very structured–and because the students partaking in it are generally very committed to their research–the passing rates for AP Research and AP Seminar are generally higher than those of traditional AP classes.

How to Choose the Right AP Classes

While the College Board offers many AP classes, schools often offer only some of these. If your school offers several AP classes, you do want to take as many as possible to demonstrate your academic strengths. On the other hand, some schools offer a very limited number of APs, which means that you can’t take as many classes. If this is you, don’t panic! Admissions officers will know this about your school, and they know that you wouldn’t have had as much access as your peers at different institutions.

In choosing AP classes, make sure you choose the ones that work for you. Many schools will set official requirements that prevent you from signing up for an AP class without taking the honors level first. While many students get upset at this, it makes sense: An AP class is meant to be challenging and work-intensive. You do not want to be in this class for a year if you really hate the subject.

Therefore, while it can be tempting to focus on pass rates to decide which AP classes to take, focus exclusively on what you enjoy: if you know that you are a reader, AP history classes and both AP English classes would be a great fit for you. If you speak, read, and write in a foreign language and an exam exists for it, I highly encourage you to take the exam.

Alternatively, if you know that you have an advanced skill set when it comes to math, challenge yourself in those classes. AP Calculus BC even offers a Calculus AB subscore, so if you don’t get the highest score in Calculus AB, you essentially get a do-over with your Calculus BC score. Similarly, physics classes rely on a strong math foundation. If you are taking an advanced math class, it is likely that you will not struggle as much when studying physics.

If you want to challenge yourself and take a class that is not distinctly within your interests, do not go for the hardest possible class! AP World History is challenging because most students never study these events before the class. On the other hand, AP US History, while still a very difficult class, covers events that many students have already learned about through previous US History classes. Similarly, AP Environmental Science and AP Psychology are science classes that rely less on math, and may therefore be easier for students.

Regardless of which class you choose to take, understand that this is a serious commitment! AP Human Geography, for example, is often considered to be an easy class. However, it has one of the lowest passing rates, which likely means that students do not take the test seriously.

Conclusion

AP classes are a wonderful opportunity to challenge yourself and show colleges that you are serious about your learning. Additionally, they may give you college credit and, in learning in this intense environment, you will have an advantage when you enter college. When choosing an AP class, make sure that you are considering the ones that make sense for you, as passing rates can be deceiving. 

In short, while it is okay to challenge yourself, it is also important to determine which classes you are willing to invest time in. Your application will look excellent when you can say you got a passing rate on an AP exam, but it will raise questions if you took many AP tests that you did not pass. While there is data on passing rates, the level of difficulty of any given class will ultimately depend on you!

Want help planning out your high school classes? Schedule a free consultation today with one of our seasoned college admissions consultants.