AP World History - Learn What Test Score You Need

World History is a popular Advanced Placement subject, and in 2017 nearly 300,000 students took the AP World History exam. Many colleges have a history requirement as part of their general education programs, and a high score on the exam will often fulfill the requirement and qualify students to take upper-level history courses. About the AP World History Course and Exam AP World History is designed to cover the material one would encounter in a two-semester introductory-level college world history course, although the reality is that very few colleges will award two semesters of credit for the course. The course is broad and covers important people and events from 8000 B.C.E to the present. Students learn to make historical arguments and historical comparisons, and they learn how to analyze and write about both primary and secondary sources. Students study how to contextualize historical events, and how to understand cause and effect in relation to historical phenomena. The course can be broken down into five broad themes: The ways that humans have been shaped by the environment as well as the way that humans have affected and transformed the environment.The rise and interaction of different cultures, and the ways that religions and various  belief systems have molded societies over time.Issues of state including the study of agrarian, pastoral, and mercantile states, as well as the ideological foundations of governing systems such as religion and nationalism. Students also study types of states such as autocracies and democracies, and conflicts and wars between states.Economic systems including their creation, expansion, and interaction. Students study agricultural and industrial systems as well as systems of labor including free labor and coerced labor.Social structures within human societies including those based on kinship, ethnicity, gender, race, and wealth. Students will study have different social groups are created, sustained, and transformed. Along with the five themes, AP World History can be broken down into six historical periods: Name of Time Period Date Range Weight on Exam Technological and Environmental Transformation 8000 to 600 B.C.E. 5 percent Organization and Reorganization of Human Societies 600 B.C.E to 600 C.E. 15 percent Regional and Interregional Interactions 600 C.E. to 1450 20 percent Global Interactions 1450 to 1750 20 percent Industrialization and Global Integration 1750 to 1900 20 percent Accelerating Global Change and Realignments 1900 to the Present 20 percent AP World History Exam Score Information In 2018, 303,243 students took the Advanced Placement World History exam. The mean score was a 2.78. 56.2 percent of students received a score of 3 or higher, meaning they might qualify for college credit or course placement. The distribution of scores for the AP World History exam is as follows: AP World History Score Percentiles (2018 Data) Score Number of Students Percentage of Students 5 26,904 8.9 4 60,272 19.9 3 83,107 27.4 2 86,322 28.5 1 46,638 15.4 The College Board has posted preliminary score distributions for the World History exam for 2019 test-takers. Note that these numbers may change slightly as late exams get recorded. Preliminary 2019 AP World History Score Data Score Percentage of Students 5 8.7 4 19 3 28.3 2 28.9 1 15.1 College Credit Course Placement for AP World History Most colleges and universities have a history requirement and/or a global perspectives requirement, so a high score on the AP World History exam will sometimes fulfill one or both of these requirements. The table below presents some representative data from a variety of colleges and universities. This information is meant to provide a general overview of the scoring and placement practices related to the AP World History exam. For other schools, youll need to search the colleges website or contact the appropriate Registrars office to get AP placement information. AP World History Scores and Placement College Score Needed Placement Credit Georgia Tech 4 or 5 1000-level history (3 semester hours) LSU 4 or 5 HIST 1007 (3 credits) MIT 5 9 general elective units Notre Dame 5 History 10030 (3 credits) Reed College 4 or 5 1 credit; no placement Stanford University - no credit or placement for the AP World History exam Truman State University 3, 4 or 5 HIST 131 World Civilizations before 500 A.D. (3 credits) for a 3 or 4; HIST 131 World Civilizations before 500 A.D. and HIST 133 World Civilizations, 1700-Present (6 credits) for a 5 UCLA (School of Letters and Science) 3, 4 or 5 8 credits and World History placement Yale University - no credit or placement for the AP World History exam A Final Word on AP World History Keep in mind that college placement isnt the only reason to take AP World History. Selective colleges and universities typically rank an applicants  academic record  as the most important factor in the admissions process. Extracurricular activities and essays matter, but good grades in challenging classes matter more. The admissions folks will want to see good grades in college preparatory classes. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate (IB), Honors, and Dual Enrollment classes all play an important role in demonstrating an applicants college readiness. In fact, success in challenging courses is the best predictor of college success available to the admissions officers. SAT and ACT scores have some predictive value, but the  thing they best predict is the income of the applicant. If youre trying to figure out which AP classes to take, World History is often a good choice. It is a popular exam ranking below just five subjects: Calculus, English Language, English Literature, Psychology, and United States History. Colleges like to admit students who have broad, worldly knowledge, and World History certainly helps demonstrate that knowledge. To learn more specific information about the AP World History exam, be sure to visit the  official College Board website.