How this calculator works
The AP World History: Modern exam has four scored components, each weighted differently. The 55 multiple-choice questions are 40 percent of the composite. Three short-answer questions out of 3 each make up 20 percent. The document-based question is 25 percent and the long essay is 15 percent. Each component is converted to a fraction of its own maximum and multiplied by its weight, then the four parts are added. The result is a composite out of 100, which is compared with estimated cut points to predict the 1 to 5 score. The real boundaries are set after each exam and are not published in advance.
Formula
composite = (multiple-choice correct / 55) x 40 + (short-answer points / 9) x 20 + (document-based points / 7) x 25 + (long-essay points / 6) x 15. Estimated AP score uses cut points of 75 for a 5, 61 for a 4, 46 for a 3 and 30 for a 2; below 30 is a 1.
Worked example
A student with 45 multiple-choice correct, short answers of 3, 3 and 2, a 6 on the document-based question and a 5 on the long essay has 8 short-answer points and 22 written points in total. The composite is (45 / 55) x 40 + (8 / 9) x 20 + (6 / 7) x 25 + (5 / 6) x 15 = 32.73 + 17.78 + 21.43 + 12.5 = 84.43, an estimated 5. With 30 multiple-choice correct and 5 short-answer, 3 document-based and 3 long-essay points, the composite is 21.82 + 11.11 + 10.71 + 7.5 = 51.14, an estimated 3.
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Frequently asked questions
Are these official AP World cut scores?
No. College Board does not publish fixed raw-score cut points and sets the boundaries for each exam year. The values here are practice-exam estimates. A composite near 61 or 75 could fall on either side in a real administration.
How is the written section scored?
The three short-answer questions together are out of 9, the document-based question is out of 7 and the long essay is out of 6, for 22 written points. The written points are not a single weighted total because each component has a different weight; the calculator applies the weights separately.
Which part is worth the most per point?
The document-based question, at 25 / 7 = 3.57 composite points per rubric point. The long essay gives 15 / 6 = 2.5, a short-answer point gives 20 / 9 = 2.22, and a multiple-choice question gives 40 / 55 = 0.73. The DBQ is the most valuable single task.
What composite do I need for a 4?
Under these estimates, about 61 out of 100 predicts a 4 and about 75 predicts a 5. With 40 multiple-choice correct, you would need about 19 written points for a 4. Because the cut point moves by a few points each year, aim above the estimate.