Complete List of AP Courses and Tests

main_list

 

Have you ever seen the full list of AP classes? Are you confused about which ones you should take? We’ll help you choose by showing you a list of all AP courses available. We’ll also reveal which ones are the most popular and which are the hardest to pass. Read on for advice to help you pick your ideal advanced placement courses!

 

Complete List of AP Exams

First things first: here is the full list of AP tests. Before we delve into popularity and difficulty, this basic list can be really helpful. Scope it out and see which topics look interesting to you! There are 38 courses in total:

  • Research
  • Seminar
  • Art and Design (formerly Studio Art): 2-D Design
  • Art and Design (formerly Studio Art): 3-D Design
  • Art and Design (formerly Studio Art): Drawing
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Calculus AB
  • Calculus BC
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese Language and Culture
  • Computer Science A
  • Computer Science Principles
  • English Language and Composition
  • English Literature and Composition
  • Environmental Science
  • European History
  • French Language and Culture
  • German Language and Culture
  • Government and Politics (Comparative)
  • Government and Politics (US)
  • Human Geography
  • Italian Language and Culture
  • Japanese Language and Culture
  • Latin
  • Macroeconomics
  • Microeconomics
  • Music Theory
  • Physics 1: Algebra-Based
  • Physics 2: Algebra-Based
  • Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
  • Physics C: Mechanics
  • Psychology
  • Spanish Language and Culture
  • Spanish Literature and Culture
  • Statistics
  • US History
  • World History: Modern

When reading through this list, think about subjects you already enjoy and want to delve into more. For example, if you’ve always liked math, challenging yourself with the BC Calculus course (and exam) could be a rewarding experience.

You can also look ahead to college. AP classes are a great way to explore subjects that aren’t usually part of high school curricula. Many AP classes, such as Computer Science, Psychology, and Economics, can give you a taste of college courses while you’re still in high school.

 

body_campus

AP classes: perfect if you’re dreaming of life on campus.

 

Also, think about the tests that could make you a more competitive applicant to the colleges you’re applying to. You want to showcase your strengths, after all! For example, if you’re applying as a science major and have done several science-related extracurriculars, it would be a smart idea to take (and ace!) the science AP tests, including Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Before you sign up for an AP course or test, think about your prior preparation. In most cases, you shouldn’t jump into an AP class if you have no experience in that subject. For instance, many high schools have students take a regular or honors biology class before they can take AP Biology.

Moreover, consider which AP courses are offered at your high school. Most schools don’t offer every single AP subject as a class. It is definitely possible to study on your own for a test, but it’s much easier if you take a class. This is especially true for the tougher subjects like Calculus and Literature.

For a full description of each AP class and its exam, check out the AP Student website.

 

Looking for help studying for your AP exam?

Our one-on-one online AP tutoring services can help you prepare for your AP exams. Get matched with a top tutor who got a high score on the exam you’re studying for!

Get a 5 On Your AP Exam

 

Which AP Tests Are the Most Popular?

Just knowing which AP classes exist won’t help you totally narrow down your choices. To give you a better perspective, check out this list of AP courses, organized by popularity (i.e., the number of students taking them):

Exam Name
# of Students Taking (2021)

English Language and Composition
518,548

United States History
454,204

English Literature and Composition
321,029

World History
302,232

Psychology
288,511

Gov. and Politics – United States
283,353

Calculus AB
251,639

Biology
230,527

Human Geography
211,735

Statistics
184,111

Environmental Science
160,771

Spanish Language and Culture
148,486

Physics 1
137,229

Chemistry
135,997

Calculus BC
124,599

Macroeconomics
124,436

Computer Science Principles
116,466

European History
84,237

Microeconomics
80,199

Computer Science A
74,676

Seminar
53,076

Physics C: Mechanics
48,083

Art and Design: 2-D Design
34,509

Research
24,021

Spanish Literature
21,796

Art History
20,633

Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism
20,471

Gov. and Politics – Comparative
19,292

Physics 2
18,736

French Language and Culture
18,408

Art and Design: Drawing
18,096

Music Theory
16,271

Chinese Language and Culture
13,122

Latin
4,889

Art and Design: 3-D Design
4,573

German Language and Culture
4,315

Japanese Language and Culture;
2,204

Italian Language and Culture
2,102

Source: The College Board

Taking a more popular AP exam has a lot of benefits. For one, the class is more likely to be offered at your high school. Another plus is that there are more study guides and resources you can use for the test—both online and in print. It will also be easier to find other students to study with.

On the flip side, you can distinguish yourself by taking and passing a less popular AP test. For example, having AP Japanese or AP Government and Politics under your belt can set you apart from other high-achieving students, especially in college applications.

 

AP Test Passing Rates

In addition to knowing all your AP exam choices and how popular each test is, it’s helpful to know how many students pass each exam. (AP tests are scored between 1 and 5, with anything 3 and higher considered passing.)

Most AP tests have a pass rate of around 60% or higher. The high score of 5 is rarer—usually between 10% and 20% of a test’s scores.

Check out our table below, organized in order of the passing rate of each exam.

 

AP Test Passing Rates 2021

Exam Name
Passing Rate (3+)
5 Rate

Chinese Language and Culture (Total Group)
88%
57%

Art and Design: 2-D Design
87%
10%

Art and Design: Drawing
86%
14%

Seminar
85%
11%

Research
82%
14%

Spanish Language and Culture (Total Group)
80%
17%

Spanish Language and Culture (Total Group)
77%
13%

Calculus BC
76%
38%

Japanese Language and Culture (Total Group)
74%
48%

Physics C: Mechanics
73%
24%

Italian Language and Culture (Total Group)
72%
21%

Gov. and Politics – Comparative
71%
17%

Art and Design: 3-D Design
71%
7%

French Language and Culture (Total Group)
71%
13%

Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism
70%
33%

Italian Language and Culture (Standard Group)
69%
12%

French Language and Culture (Standard Group)
69%
8%

Computer Science Principles
67%
12%

Chinese Language and Culture (Standard Group)
66%
19%

Computer Science A
65%
24%

German Language and Culture (Total Group)
65%
18%

Physics 2
65%
15%

Spanish Literature
61%
8%

Music Theory
60%
20%

Statistics
59%
16%

Biology
59%
7%

Microeconomics
58%
19%

English Language and Composition
57%
9%

Latin
57%
10%

German Language and Culture (Standard Group)
55%
7%

European History
55%
11%

Art History
55%
12%

Japanese Language and Culture (Standard Group)
54%
16%

Psychology
53%
14%

Human Geography
52%
14%

World History
52%
10%

Macroeconomics
51%
18%

Calculus AB
51%
18%

Chemistry
51%
11%

Gov. and Politics – United States
51%
12%

Environmental Science
48%
7%

United States History
47%
10%

English Literature and Composition
44%
5%

Physics 1
42%
7%

Source: College Board

 

You might be wondering why tests like BC Calculus and Chinese—which seem really difficult—have some of the highest passing rates. It’s not because they’re the easiest AP tests. These tests have high pass rates because students who take BC Calc and AP Chinese are much more likely to have prior experience in those subjects and are willing to take on a tough class. In other words, the students who take the hardest AP exams are a self-selecting group of high achievers.

 

body_bccalcquestion

It takes years of math classes to build up to Calculus BC questions like this one. View a whole free-response section here if you’re curious about how hard Calculus BC is.

 

On the flip side, some of the most popular tests, such as US History and US Government, have some of the lowest passing rates. This is likely because a wider pool of test takers means that there are more underprepared and unprepared students.

In addition, note that English Literature and Environmental Science—also popular tests—have very low 5 rates, under 10%. This could be because, again, a wider test taker pool makes for more unprepared students.

However, since so few students can pull it off, it’s still pretty hard to get a 5 on these tests. If you take those courses, be prepared to study hard—especially if you want a 5!

 

What’s Next?

Once you’ve chosen an AP class to take, you might be curious about what the test is like. Learn about how long AP tests are and get tips on managing test fatigue.

You’re probably also wondering about your SAT/ACT score and how to improve it. If you’re taking the ACT, get tips on how to avoid the most common ACT mistakes and learn how to get a perfect 36 score.

Aiming for the SAT instead? Learn how to boost your score on each section: Reading, Writing, and Math.

Thinking about college? Read our guides to developing a target ACT or SAT score to get into your target colleges.

 

One of the single most important parts of your college application is what classes you choose to take in high school (in conjunction with how well you do in those classes). Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. We’ll advise you on how to balance your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes you can’t afford not to take.

Plan Your Course Schedule