Every year since 2019 we’ve gone deep into AP data, painstakingly crunching numbers from pass rates and over 3200 course reviews to provide an unparalleled analysis of how each AP class ranks for difficulty.
Here’s your tl;dr for the top 3 easiest and hardest AP classes:
- The easiest AP class in 2024 was Computer Science Principles, followed by Psychology, and Chinese.
- In contrast, the hardest AP class in 2024 was Physics C – Electricity & Magnetism, closely followed by Physics C – Mechanics, and Chemistry.
Want to know which AP classes to choose? We’ve got a ranking list, a comprehensive bubble chart and an interactive table for you. So let’s dive right into …
A definitive list of AP classes ranked by difficulty
The results are in: here’s your complete list of all the AP classes, ranked by difficulty from easiest to hardest. There are currently 28 main AP classes, plus a number of smaller and newer courses (see notes below).
Letters in [square brackets] reference a note given below. Click on a hyperlink to learn about our analysis of an individual AP class difficulty in more detail!
For each AP class we’ve noted our assessment, plus the average difficulty rating out of 10 (10 = hardest), determined by data from 3,295 reviews by real class alumnae (see Methodology section below for more details):
- Computer Science Principles: 2.9 – Very Easy
- Psychology: 3.5 – Very Easy
- Chinese: 3.9 – Very Easy, though much harder for non-speakers [a]
- Computer Science A: 4.2 – Quite Easy
- Human Geography: 4.3 – Quite Easy
- Environmental Science: 4.3 – Quite Easy, but difficult to score well [b]
- US Government and Politics: 4.4 – Quite Easy
- Microeconomics: 4.6 – Quite Easy
- Comparative Government and Politics: 4.8– Quite Easy
- Macroeconomics: 4.9 – Quite Easy
- Statistics: 4.9 – Quite Easy
- Art History: 4.9 – Quite Easy
- Seminar: 5.0 – Moderate Difficulty, most pass but 5 scores are rare [c]
- Spanish Language: 5.1 – Moderate Difficulty, though much harder for non-speakers [d]
- English Language: 5.2 – Moderate Difficulty, though 5 scores are rare [e]
- Calculus AB: 5.6 – Moderate Difficulty
- Calculus BC: 5.6 – Moderate Difficulty
- US History: 6.0 – Quite hard, and time-intensive to study [f]
- World History: 6.0 – Quite Hard, and time-intensive to study [f]
- Biology: 6.4 – Quite Hard
- European History: 6.4 – Quite Hard, and time-intensive to study [f]
- Music Theory: 6.4 – Quite Hard – though may be relatively quick to study [g]
- Physics 2: 6.7 – Quite Hard
- Physics 1: 7.2 – Very Hard – with a very low pass rate [h]
- English Literature: 7.3 – Very Hard
- Chemistry: 7.4 – Very Hard, especially if you’re self-studying [i]
- Physics C – Mechanics: 7.5 – Very Hard
- Physics C – E/M: 8.0 – Very Hard
Notes on the difficulty ranking, and some points you need to know:
[a] AP Chinese is often taken by people already familiar with the language, which perhaps explains why it’s considered so easy (3.9 / 10), so quick to study (3.4 / 10) and why the average score (4.0) is the highest of all AP classes. You’ll likely find AP Chinese much harder work if you’re new to the language!
[b] AP Environmental Science class alumnae rate it as a relatively easy class (4.3 / 10) BUT the pass rate is quite low (54%), especially for such an easy-rated class. Very few students graduate with the top grade of 5 (just 9% in 2024 – one of the lowest of any AP class we track).
[c] AP Seminar is a funny one: it’s rated as moderate difficulty overall (5.0 / 10), BUT is rated as quite challenging if you are self-studying (7.1 / 10). Most students pass (89%), but a very large number (34%) don’t recommend the class.
[d] AP Spanish is considered moderately difficult (5.1 / 10), but has a pass rate (83%) that’s behind only Seminar and Chinese. As with other AP languages, the class will be much harder if you don’t already speak some Spanish.
[e] It’s tough to get to the top: only 9% of AP English Language students scored a 5 in 2024.
[f] Clear your schedule: The three History APs all rate among the most time-intensive AP classes to study with scores of 7.3 / 10 (APUSH), 6.8 / 10 (Euro) and 6.7 / 10 (World).
[g] AP Music Theory is rated as relatively quick to study (4.9 / 10), but many people choosing the class already have a musical background. You’ll likely find it much tougher if not.
[h] AP Physics 1 has the lowest overall pass rate (46%) of all APs, and the lowest proportion of 5 scores (8%).
[i] AP Chemistry is rated as the hardest of all AP classes if you’re self-studying, at 8.4 / 10.
Small AP classes:
Some AP classes were too small for us to have sufficient difficulty rating data to include in our analysis. These were either foreign languages (Spanish Literature, French, Italian Language & Culture, Latin, German, Japanese), or courses in the Art & Design programme (2D and 3D Art & Design, Drawing).
New AP classes for 2024:
Two new APs were introduced for 2024 – Precalculus and African American Studies.
- Precalculus was taken by 152,000 students. 76% passed, and 25% scored a 5.
- The number taking African Amercian Studies has not yet been disclosed, but 73% of candidates passed, with 15% scoring a 5.
We will add Precalculus and African American Studies to our full analysis from 2025 onwards, once we have sufficient data on student difficulty ratings.
AP classes ranked by difficulty: a visual
Not sure what to make of where the AP classes you’re interested in fall in the rankings? Let’s take a look at our signature bubble chart to examine the main 28 AP class difficulty rankings a different way:
There are five main factors to look out for as you compare the bubbles:
- The easiest and least time-consuming classes (as rated by alumnae) are in the bottom left corner, led by CompSci Principles.
- The hardest and most time-consuming classes (as rated by alumnae) are in the top right corner, led by Physics C – E&M.
- The colour of the bubble indicates 2024 pass rates. Red is low, green is high, and brown is average (College Board, 2024).
- The bubble size shows how many students took the class in 2024. The largest classes were English Language and US History.
- A red outline indicates that more than 15% of students do not recommend the class. Whilst that’s a lot, don’t get discouraged – the majority of alumnae still recommend taking these classes!
- This rating applies to Seminar, Physics 1 and 2, English Literature, Macroeconomics and Music Theory.
Interactive table: AP classes ranked by difficulty
Now, that bubble chart provides a great visual overview, but what if you want to get into the details and compare specific classes?
Well, then you can explore this information-packed interactive table, which lets you sort ALL the data from our AP classes analysis, in any way you want.
By easiest or by hardest? Yup, got you covered. By self-studying ratings? You can do that too! Simply click the column headers to sort by the different metrics.
This table includes data for each class for:
- Difficulty rating out of 10 (10 = hardest)
- Time required rating out of 10 (10 = most time-intensive)
- Ease for self-study rating out of 10 (10 = hardest to self-study)
- Percentage of alumnae who do NOT recommend the class
- 2024 average score
- 2024 pass rate
- Percentage of examinees who achieved a 5 rating in 2024
Want to learn more about our methodology and how we came to these conclusions? Check out the methodology section below.
| AP CLASS | Our OVERALL ASSESSMENT | HOW DIFFICULT? (10=Toughest) | STUDY TIME NEEDED? (10=Most) | EASY TO SELF STUDY? (10=Hardest) | % Alumnae who DON'T Recommend | 2024 Average Score | Pass Rate (3+) | % 5s (Perfect Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science Principles | Very Easy | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 13% | 2.9 | 65% | 11% |
| Psychology | Very Easy | 3.5 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 2% | 2.9 | 61% | 18% |
| Chinese | Very Easy - though much harder for non-speakers | 3.9 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 5% | 4.0 | 87% | 50% |
| Computer Science A | Quite Easy | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 2% | 3.1 | 66% | 24% |
| Human Geography | Quite Easy | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 9% | 2.8 | 56% | 18% |
| Environmental Science | Quite Easy - but difficult to score well | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 9% | 2.8 | 54% | 9% |
| US Government and Politics | Quite Easy | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 3% | 3.2 | 73% | 16% |
| Microeconomics | Quite Easy | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 2% | 3.1 | 65% | 17% |
| US Comparative Government | Quite Easy | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 7% | 3.5 | 73% | 24% |
| Macroeconomics | Quite Easy | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 17% | 3.0 | 62% | 16% |
| Statistics | Quite Easy | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5% | 3.0 | 62% | 17% |
| Art History | Quite Easy | 4.9 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 5% | 3.0 | 63% | 14% |
| Seminar | Quite Easy - most pass, but 5 scores are rare | 5.0 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 34% | 3.3 | 89% | 9% |
| Spanish Language | Moderate Difficulty - though much harder for non-speakers | 5.1 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 9% | 3.5 | 83% | 21% |
| English Language | Moderate Difficulty - though 5 scores are rare | 5.2 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 6% | 2.8 | 54% | 9% |
| Calculus AB/BC | Moderate Difficulty | 5.6 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4% | 3.9 | 80% | 45% |
| Calculus AB/BC | Moderate Difficulty | 5.6 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4% | 3.2 | 64% | 21% |
| US History | Quite Hard - and time intensive to study | 6.0 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 8% | 3.2 | 72% | 13% |
| World History | Quite Hard - and time intensive to study | 6.0 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 7% | 3.1 | 64% | 12% |
| Biology | Quite Hard | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 3% | 3.1 | 68% | 16% |
| European History | Quite Hard - and time intensive to study | 6.4 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 13% | 3.3 | 72% | 13% |
| Music Theory | Quite Hard - though may be relatively quick to study | 6.4 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 18% | 3.0 | 61% | 19% |
| Physics 2 | Quite Hard | 6.7 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 22% | 3.1 | 68% | 15% |
| Physics 1 | Very Hard - with very low pass rate | 7.2 | 5.9 | 7.4 | 19% | 2.5 | 46% | 8% |
| English Literature | Very Hard | 7.3 | 6.0 | 6.9 | 23% | 3.1 | 72% | 13% |
| Chemistry | Very Hard - especially if self-studying | 7.4 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 17% | 3.3 | 75% | 17% |
| Physics C - Mechanics | Very Hard | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.9 | 5% | 3.4 | 75% | 23% |
| Physics C - E/M | Very Hard | 8.0 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 6% | 3.3 | 67% | 27% |
Behind the scenes with our Data Analyst and methodology
Exam Study Expert founder William Wadsworth is a Cambridge University trained psychologist and data analyst. Since he first started crunching AP data in 2019, over half a million AP students have used his difficulty ratings analysis to choose their AP classes.
Additional research, graphics, and article review by Dr Kerri-Anne Edinburgh
Analysing AP class data: the methodology
We wish to be transparent about how we research, collect and analyse all the AP data we use to provide you with our assessments and class rankings. This methodology gives a brief outline of our source material and analytical processes:
Please note, you can also click here to learn more about our rigorous editorial policies here at Exam Study Expert.
Source material for AP data:
When crunching the data on the difficulty of all the AP classes, we use two primary sources of data:
- Pass rate data from College Board itself, including the proportion of students who pass overall (3+ score) and the proportion of students who score a 5. This data is taken from the College Board website plus tweets from Head of AP Trevor Packer, which includes the score breakdown, and sometimes, numbers of students taking each class.
- Student reviews posted by users from r/APStudents who actually took the AP courses (as of 2024 the dataset includes 3,295 reviews). These reviews include a rating for:
- Overall difficulty rating
- Difficulty if self-studying
- How much time is required
The data we post is based on College Board’s June data release, and may shift slightly as late-arriving exams are scored. This shift has historically been negligible.
How we evaluate and use the data on AP classes:
We consider class alumnae’s difficulty ratings to be the most reliable indicator of difficulty, more so than pass rate.
Pass rate, or percentage of students scoring a certain grade, is a misleading metric for two main reasons:
- Some classes attract highly able students, so may have a high pass rate, but this is more a reflection of the calibre of students taking the class. This particularly applies to language classes.
- Research has shown that popular, widely taken AP classes tend to have lower passing rates. So a low passing rate could indicate a larger variety of student skill, not necessarily class difficulty.
Our assessments of course difficulty
We have given each every AP class a graded ranking of difficulty (“Our Assessment”) based on the data we analysed, in particular class alumnae difficulty ratings. Many other important factors are taken into consideration when making recommendations for how easy or hard you may find the AP course, as can be seen in the “Notes” section above, and in our individual in-depth course articles (all hyperlinked above).
The rankings are determined as followed:
- Very Easy – scores less than 4.0
- Quite Easy – scores between 4.0 and 4.9
- Moderate Difficulty – scores between 5.0 and 5.9
- Quite Hard – scores between 6.0 and 6.9
- Very Hard – scores more than 7.0
You should take every available metric into account when making your choice of AP classes. Remember that some students tend to find certain fields easier or harder than others, based on pre-existing experience.
And remember, as College Board’s Trevor Packer reminds us, an AP score is only one indicator of student learning and achievement.
Zooming in: the easiest AP classes you can choose
Let’s examine the top easiest-rated AP classes, according to the data from over 3,800 alumnae difficulty ratings.
To recap, the three classes that ranked as the easiest out of all available AP courses are:
- Computer Science Principles: Very Easy
- Scored 2.9 / 10 for difficulty and 3.7 / 10 for self-studying difficulty
- Had a 65% pass rate in 2024
- And 87% of alumnae recommend taking the course
- Psychology: Very Easy
- Scored 3.5 / 10 for difficulty and 3.4 / 10 for self-studying difficulty
- Had a 61% pass rate in 2024
- And 98% of alumnae recommend taking the course
- Chinese: Very Easy, though much harder for non-speakers
- Scored 3.9 / 10 for difficulty and 4.3 / 10 for self-studying difficulty
- Had an 87% pass rate in 2024
- And 95% of alumnae recommend taking the course
Here’s a chart comparing the scores of the top 10 easiest AP classes, ranked by difficulty according to class alumnae. N.B. a low score and lightest green colour denotes easiest and/or high pass rates.
Zooming in: the hardest AP classes to take this year
Now let’s consider the opposite end of the spectrum. Which classes have been rated by alumnae as the hardest AP courses to take, according to the data from over 3,800 alumnae difficulty ratings?
To recap, the three classes that ranked as the hardest out of all available AP courses are:
- Physics C – E/M: Very Hard
- Scored 8.0 / 10 for difficulty and 7.8 / 10 for self-studying difficulty
- Had a 67% pass rate in 2024
- And 96% of alumnae recommend taking the course
- Physics C – Mechanics: Very Hard
- Scored 7.5 / 10 for difficulty and 6.9 / 10 for self-studying difficulty
- Had a 75% pass rate in 2024
- And 95% of alumnae recommend taking the course
- Chemistry: Very Hard, especially if you’re self-studying
- Scored 7.4 / 10 for difficulty and 8.4 / 10 for self-studying difficulty
- Had an 75% pass rate in 2024
- And 87% of alumnae recommend taking the course
As you can see from these statistics, the hardest-rated courses have equally high pass rates as the three easiest classes, and are highly recommended by course alumnae.
Here’s a chart comparing the scores of the top 10 hardest AP classes, ranked by difficulty according to class alumnae. N.B. a high score and red colour denotes hardest and/or low pass rates, where as green indicates a high pass rate.
Self-studying for APs: difficulty rankings
Let’s examine the easiest and hardest AP classes to self-study. As with overall course difficulty rankings, the scores we give each AP class are determined according to data from the 3,800+ course alumnae reviews.
If you want to take a deep dive into where the AP courses you’re interested in fall in the self-study difficulty rankings, I recommend browsing the interactive table above.
The top five easiest AP classes to self-study are (1 = easiest, 10 = hardest):
- Psychology (3.4 / 10)
- Computer Science Principles (3.7 / 10)
- Environmental Science (4.0 / 10)
- Microeconomics (4.1 / 10)
- Computer Science A (4.3 / 10)
In contrast, the AP classes ranked as the hardest to self-study are:
- Chemistry (8.4 / 10 )
- Physics C – E&M (7.8 / 10)
- Physics 1 (7.4 / 10)
- Seminar (7.1 / 10)
- Physics C – Mechanics (6.9 / 10)
The big question: which AP classes should you take?
The final section of this article offers our recommendations for which AP classes you should take, depending on what you’re looking for and what your interests are.
What are the benefits of taking AP classes in high school?
Before we kick off examining some different scenarios, I thought it worth pausing to recap why it’s worth taking AP classes in the first place.
College Board, who administers the AP program, highlights five compelling benefits of taking AP exams:
- AP classes are challenging courses, and help your application impress and stand out to college admissions officers, especially at selective colleges.
- AP scores will often count towards your college credit. That can save you time at college, potentially allowing you the flexibility to pursue more college classes, and may even save you money if you ride the head-start to an early graduation date.
- Your AP scores can often boost your GPA – check with your school / guidance counsellor for details.
- APs are college-level courses, so you’ll get a feel for what it’s like to work at college level. The jump between high school and college can be a difficulty one, but as an AP graduate, you’ll be able to hit the ground running.
- As well as the material you actually learn on each AP class, many AP students find they develop important transferable skills: they improve their ability to manage their workload, cultivate critical thinking, and write great academic pieces. All invaluable skills for success in college – and in life!
So it’s a great idea to take some AP courses!
But which to choose? Let’s take a look at some common scenarios:
Looking for any AP to pick up some easy credit?
If you’re just looking for an easy AP, the following should all be good options:
- Computer Science Principles: the lowest difficulty-rating (2.9 / 10), an average pass rate (65% in 2024) and the lowest time-required rating (3.3 / 10) of any AP.
- Psychology: a very low difficulty rating (3.5 / 10) and low time-required rating (4.7 / 10). Pass rates, however, are a little lower than average (61% in 2024).
- Human Geography: a low difficulty rating (4.3 / 10) and quite low time-required rating (4.9 / 10). Pass rates, however, are a notably lower than average (56% in 2024).
N.B. Psychology and Human Geography show pass rates a little lower than average, despite low difficulty scores. These tests are entered by very many candidates each year, which is likely to contribute to a lower pass rate than more niche APs that attract specialists in particular fields. (This is one of the reasons we use alumni difficulty ratings to determine which classes are hard or easy, rather than pass rate!)
All three courses are widely recommended by course alumni, with the slight exception of Computer Science Principles which is not recommended by 13% of alumni – that’s a little higher than normal.
Looking for a challenging AP class to really test yourself?
Love a challenge? Really want to impress potential college admissions committees? Then consider the following four AP classes, which rate as the hardest tests you can take:
- Physics C – E&M (Electricity & Magnetism): rated the most difficult (8.0 / 10), with the second-highest time-required rating (7.1 / 10). Pass rates are average (67% in 2024), with a high perfect-score rate (27% scored a 5 in 2024).
- Physics C – Mechanics: rated as very hard (7.5/ 10) and time-intensive (6.5 / 10). As with E&M, pass rates are high for those who stay the course (75% in 2024), with 23% earning a perfect score of 5.
- Chemistry: rated as very hard (7.4 / 10), time-intensive (7.0 / 10) and the hardest to self-study (8.4 / 10). However, a previously below-average pass rate (53% in 2022) is now high, at 75% (2023-24).
- English Literature: rated as very hard (7.3 / 10) and quite time-intensive (6.0 / 10). A previously very low pass rate (44% in 2021) has improved in recent years to 72% in 2024, but 23% of alumnae do not recommend this course.
Tips on choosing the right APs for you
The Head of AP, Trevor Packer, has some great advice on how to choose the right APs to suit your own needs and skills, and you can find his full tweet threat here.
But I want to focus on two of the points he mentions, which are really important for every future AP student to remember:
1. Don’t overdo your AP class-load:
One big reminder is that “students should resist pressure to take large numbers of AP classes“.
Why? Well, as Trevor points out, College Board offer 40 AP courses in a wide variety of subjects – because they want to give options to lots of students. NOT because you should be taking them all!
In fact, he notes that: “Our research finds that taking just 1-2 APs per year optimizes a student’s readiness for college. Take more only if the subject matter truly interests.”
You can access College Board’s research on the topic of AP class-load and performance right here.
2. Your AP scores are only ONE indicator of your learning and achievements:
Trevor reminds us that “AP scores’ only valid use is for placing a student out of a corresponding college course” and “have not been designed nor validated for evaluating student growth, student potential, or teacher quality“.
And never forget that your exam scores do not reflect your academic potential, capacity for growth or “what matters most: curiosity and eagerness to continue learning“.
Choosing APs by subject area: which class should you pick?
Not sure which AP class offers you the best chance of success within your chosen field of study? Got limited time and can’t take them all? This final section offers a comparison of the similar courses within each subject area:
History: what is the easiest vs hardest AP to take?
There are three history APs, and US History (APUSH), World History and European History are all similarly ranked as quite hard and time-consuming classes:
- US History: a hugely popular AP class, and the joint easiest history AP at 6.0 / 10 difficulty. The 2024 pass rate was 72%, however in 2022 and 2023 pass rates were just 48%.
- World History: also a popular course, similarly rated as 6.0 / 10 difficulty, and had a 64% pass rate in 2024.
- European History: the hardest history AP at 6.4 / 10 difficulty. The 2024 pass rate was 72%, up from 59% in 2023. Please note this is a much smaller course, likely taken by students who are keen historians.
If you’re considering taking an AP History course, be sure to check out our full AP course difficulty analyses for US History, World History and European History.
English: Literature or Language?
Literature is rated by alumnae as much harder than Language, and requires more study time. But if you can handle the Literature course, you’ll likely stand out from the crowd!
- English Language: a popular AP course with a 5.2 / 10 difficulty rating (Moderate Difficulty) but just 54% pass rate in 2024 (below average)
- English Literature: a slightly smaller course with a 7.3 / 10 difficulty rating (Very Hard) but higher 72% pass rate in 2024
If you’re considering taking an AP English course, be sure to check out our full AP course difficulty analyses for English Language and English Literature.
Macroeconomics or Microeconomics: which is harder?
Macroeconomics and Microeconomics offer a similar, relatively easy, difficulty level. However, Micro is more highly recommended (98%) than Macro (87%):
- Microeconomics: 4.6 / 10 difficulty rating, 65% pass rate (2024)
- Macroeconomics: 4.9 / 10 difficulty rating, 62% pass rate (2024)
N.B. Micro is rated ever so slightly more time consuming than Macro. Though Micro is also more interesting, in my personal opinion – I love microeconomics, such a cool field!
If you’re considering taking an AP Economics course, be sure to check out our full AP course difficulty analyses for Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
Math: is Statistics or Calculus the better choice?
Simply put, according to alumnae reviews, Statistics is much easier than Calculus:
- Statistics: 4.9 / 10 difficulty rating, 62% pass rate in 2024
- Calculus AB: 5.6 / 10 difficulty rating*, 64% pass rate in 2024
- Calculus BC: 5.6 / 10 difficulty rating*, 80% pass rate in 2024
* Calculus AB and BC were asked as one subject in the alumnae review.
So if you’re just looking for an easy math class, take AP Stats. In fact, many reviewers say Stats almost doesn’t feel like a math class at all, and is very accessible to people who don’t normally feel “good at math”. (Though check out YouCubed’s article on growth mindset for math!)
However, you’ll likely want to take Calculus if you want to be well-prepared for more advanced study in Math and other quantitative subjects, like Engineering and Physics.
If you’re considering taking an AP Math course, be sure to check out our full AP course difficulty analyses for Statistics and Calculus AB/BC.
The Sciences: which is the easiest vs hardest class to take?
There are a lot of science AP classes, some (Psychology and Environmental Science) ranked as very easy, but most (Physics and Chemistry) as very hard:
- Psychology: 3.5 / 10 difficulty rating (Very Easy), 61% pass rate
- Environmental Science: 4.3 / 10 difficulty rating (Quite Easy), 54% pass rate (below average)
- Biology: 6.4 / 10 difficulty rating (Quite Hard), 68% pass rate
- Physics 2: 6.7 / 10 difficulty rating (Quite Hard), 68% pass rate
- Physics 1: 7.2 / 10 difficulty rating (Very Hard), 46% pass rate (that’s very low!)
- Chemistry: 7.4 / 10 difficulty rating (Very Hard), 75% pass rate
- Physics C – Mechanics: 7.5 / 10 difficulty rating (Very Hard), 75% pass rate
- Physics C – Electricity & Magnetism: 8.0 / 10 difficulty rating (Very Hard), 67% pass rate
And here’s the data for the Physics APs – they’re all considered hard!
So how to choose the Science AP for you? Consider that:
- Psychology, Biology, Chemistry and Physics 1 are all popular courses.
- Psychology and Environment are rated very easy to self-study. However, the others are rated hard to self-study, especially Chemistry.
- Chemistry and Physics 1/2 are tough courses and 13-22% of alumnae do not recommend these courses.
- In contrast, Physics C is both harder and highly recommended by it’s alunmae (95-96%).
If you’re considering taking an AP Science course, be sure to check out our individual full AP course difficulty analyses for Psychology, Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics 1 & 2, and Physics C – Mechanics and E&M.
Good luck!
Wishing you the best of luck in choosing the right AP classes for you!
If you’ve found our AP class difficulty ranking helpful, have a question for our Data Analyst and AP expert, William – or just have some thoughts to share: please leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
Exam Study Expert founder William Wadsworth is a Cambridge University trained psychologist and data analyst. Since he first started crunching AP data in 2019, over half a million AP students have used his difficulty ratings analysis to choose their AP classes. William’s research on effective study strategies has been presented at top education conferences and reported in The Times, and he also hosts the top-rated Exam Study Expert podcast, with 1 million downloads to date.
Author Profile | About Us | Editorial Policy | Contact Us
Hi, I am currently a sophomore and I plan on taking 3 APs next year: AP Physics 1, Ap government(U.S + comparative), and AP CSP. I was wondering if this would be advisable since I’ve never taken an ap before because my school doesn’t allow me to. I plan on majoring in CS in college and I can’t take APCSA since I have prereqs I have to have complete so I am only left with AP CSP. What are your thoughts on this matter? Thanks in advance
Good idea to take Computer Science Principles and then Computer Science A (Java) senior year.
FYI, if you are going to major in CS, you probably won’t get any credit for CP CSP, and if you already know how to code, you won’t learn much about coding. You will learn good things about empathetic design, networking, and the impact of computing.
Hi! I can’t speak much about AP Chem. I was a special case where I took a college chemistry course for high school credit which also acted like AP Chem. But at least in my school, many students I know have said AP Chem was insanely difficult. These students were also taking AP Calc AB – some are taking BC – for the year and later they decided to drop out of AP Chem because their workload was too much. Not to mention, if you don’t like the trigonometry and unit circle I can’t imagine BC Calc being very enjoyable. Even with the math you learn in AB Calc those fundamentals are incredibly important. Honestly, with the amount of other AP classes you’ll be taking, despite you not worrying about them, the workload will add up 10-fold should you choose to do Chem and BC Calc. At the absolute most I would choose to do Chem and AB. However, not stressing about tests is a big plus for you, so of course that final decision is yours.
I am currently taking Calc BC and AP Chem and I don’t think it’s that bad if you REALLY like mathematics and science. I’m taking them with AP Lang and APES
If you guys are looking to self-study, use Khan Academy! Because of COVID-19, I wasn’t really able to retain a lot from my AP Chemistry and AP Macroeconomics class especially when learning remotely, so I resorted to self studying both curriculums. AP Chemistry’s 9 units took me about a month and a week to study, thanks to Khan Academy and my Barron’s book, and I am currently banging out unit 4 of macro! Even though every AP class may not be on Khan Academy, it was a great help for me especially because of the fact that they have tons of AP-aligned practice questions, and even explanations why my answer was right/wrong! No matter how hard an AP course might be, everyone has the potential to excel!
Well I took AP Lit as a junior and it was one of my favorite classes. We learn all about the classic novels and it’s obviously different for every school, but we didn’t do much essay writing. We focused more on the AP exam, so my teacher gave us lots of exam practices. If your AP Lit class is small you’re gonna have a blast. I had like 8 students in my class so it was definitely more comfortable and easier to participate, which helps the teacher to get to know you better (in case you want to use them for recommendation letters). Overall don’t stress at all about the class. I also took AP chem as a sophomore, I hated it but I still did really well. Of course it’s different for everyone, but it was sort of stressful for me. Tons of homework and tests, but I’m sure based off your previous AP classes you’ll do very well.
Hello, I am currently a junior. Next year I am considering taking AP Chem along with AP Calc AB BC (many of my friends will be doing calculus, too). Other classes I will take are AP Psych, AP Comp Sci, and government, which I am not worried about.
Apparently the AP Chem teacher at my school is really good, and when I first took Chemistry I enjoyed it. However, I haven’t taken chemistry since last year and idk if I will still remember how to do it. How hard will the class be if I enjoyed and did well in chem Honors?
The AP Calc teacher at my school is supposedly a good teacher, but she doesn’t show up for class often. I took pre-calc sophomore year, but I had a bad teacher and didn’t like the class. This year I’m taking AP Stat and the math in this class is nothing like calculus. I considered myself to be pretty good at math, but I don’t like math with trigonometry and the unit circle stuff. So, should I take AP Calc AB BC or just do AB?
Will doing AP Chem and Calc be too much? I am somewhat a procrastinator but I always get my work done and never stress about tests.
Don’t worry things will be alright. I’ll also be taking ab/bc next year and was concerned as you were. Thankfully based on my friends who are already taking the class this year, I learned that the amount of effort is what’s important. However the teacher is also an important factor to this, so don’t stress out as much and just go for it if you know the ab/bc teacher is good at your school😊
I am currently a junior, and I am taking AP Psych, AP Calc BC, and AP Lang right now. AP Psych is a lot of work for me but once I go through my notecards for the terms I’m pretty much fine, AP Calc BC is quite easy for me (mostly because I have a great teacher), and AP Lang is okay– I think I’ll do fine on the exams, I just really don’t like writing. Last semester and this semester so far I have had high As in all 3 of those classes.
Next year I plan on taking AP Lit, AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Spanish, and Honors Calc 3 (mulitvariable calc), not including my PE and band class. I am not too worried about Honors Calc 3 because I have done well in AP Calc BC and I consider myself much more of a math person, but I am a bit scared because I have heard that AP Chem and AP Lit are especially hard, and although I have a decent work ethic and can get things done well, I sometimes procrastinate and that can cause issues with my sleep schedule– but, like I said, I am still able to get my homework done & do well on the tests, essays, etc.
In addition, I am going to be doing marching band this coming season again, so my schedule will be packed, even with COVID interfering with the season.
For those of you who have taken the AP Lit or AP Chem courses in particular (especially if you took AP Chem and AP Bio at the same time), do you think I will be okay based on how I’ve done in my AP classes this year? What are you guys’ thoughts on taking that combination of classes, and also trying to not burn myself out in my last year of high school? As well, what would be your recommendations for succeeding in AP Lit and AP Chem?
I definitely agree with the notecards part. I am in AP Psych right now and I make a notecard with definitions, examples, people related to it, etc. for the large majority of the terms, and it has helped an enormous amount.
I found Alg 2 to be a challenge but it was relatively fun. If Alg 2 is easy, Pre Calc will be a breeze. I would recommend Pre Calc in that case because if Calculus isn’t your thing, you can always take AP Stats senior year. If you’re interested in a career in STEM, pick Calc. If you’re interested in humanities, it’s best to do AP stats at some point during your high school math career.
Hello there, I am not an expert in the field , but I would definitely recommend AP human Geo, It is relatively easy and is good for Law. I would definitely also recommend you manage your time to be able to take activities that may be of interest to you that help in Law like MUNs, debate team or club, conferences on a specific matter , and stuff like that. I have an interest in engineering so I don’t know too much about what you might be interested in . my best tip would be : DONT FORGET TO HAVE FUN. if you are fine with taking 3-4-5 Aps per year in grades 11 and 12 , that’s fine but don’t sell your soul just to take a bunch of courses. Balance your courses with some more rigorous courses here and some there. I say take Lang before Lit, and put psych when you want to lower the Load. Discuss with a school counselor if possible or if your school has some . If not, talk with a family member or friend who took similar courses.
Hey I’m a freshman going into sophomore year for 2021-22 and I was planning on taking 3 AP Classes and 3 Honors. I want to pursue Law so I am planning on taking AP World History, AP Psych, and another AP sophomore year but I haven’t decided on what that should be yet. Focusing on Critical thinking classes is my goal because it has been recommended to me if I want to go to Law School. The AP classes I want to take throughout the next three years are AP English Lit, AP English Comp, AP French, AP U.S. Gov, AP Psych, AP U.S. History, AP Calc BC, AP Economics, AP World History. I am open to taking others but I those are just the ones that I definitely want to take. If anyone has any recommendations for the third AP I should take sophomore year, or how I should map out my classes for sophomore to senior year please let me know.
you should take comp sci a. if you like coding.
Hi there! I’m a current sophomore with a very similar schedule, and I also want to be a lawyer. As strange as it sounds, AP Bio has helped me incredibly with my critical thinking, as well as AP CSP. AP Bio pushes you to think critically about every aspect of a concept you know, while AP CSP, even though it’s regarded as the easiest AP class, pushes you to think about problems creatively. Even if you’re not interested in these topics (I hate science, personally), I’ve found it really helps you develop the right mindset for this type of career. It also helps me deal with lots of work and studying (needed for law school). For reference, I’m taking AP Psych, AP World, and AP Bio, and have already taken AP CSP.
Hello, I will be a Junior next year and was wondering if i should take either Pre-Cal Honors or AP Statistics. I found Algebra II Honors, in my sophomore, fairly easy at times, but others not so much. If it helps any, I plan on taking AP Research and AP Psychology for my APs, US History Honors as my only other advanced class, and prepping for, and taking, the SAT and/or ACT; this being listed for the consideration of workload. Also if you’re willing to, can you drop info about all said courses. Thanks in advance!!
Hi! For your math choice, it really depends what you want to take next year. If you want to take calculus, I would recommend taking pre-calc, as it explains some of the topics you need to know for calculus. Also, you need to take AP Seminar before you take AP Research, this is part of the AP Capstone diploma program. Info on that here: https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-ap-capstone-should-you-do-it#:~:text=AP%20Research%20Overview,a%20topic%20that%20interests%20you.
Hope this helped!
I’m a Junior currently deciding what AP courses I should take for my senior year. I’m set on AP Literature, AP Government and Politics and AP Environmental Science. I’m taking Algebra 2 Hon this year and have done really good in it. The math I’m set to take next year is pre-calc, but my friend asked me if I wanted to do pre-calc with her over the summer and go into either AP Calc AB or AP Stat with her next year. I considered this option earlier in the year and now this has me thinking about it again. I definitely think I can handle an AP math course and I know a good tutor who could help me, but do you guys think it’ll be too hard on top of those other AP classes? And should I take either AP Calc AB or AP Stat? Or should I just stick with pre-calc next year?
Hey! I definitely think that you can do Precalc over the summer. In fact, that was the only class I did in the summer because I didn’t have space for it. I’m currently taking both AP Stat and AP Calc AB. The only thing I would recommend you do while and after you take PreCalc is to memorize the Unit Circle entirely because the Unit Circle will definitely appear a lot of times in Calc. Both, AP Calc AB and AP Stat, are really easy and I recommend that you take them.
Take precalc honors if you are thinking about going into anything business-related whether it’s your major or your job. Or just take it if you like math. If you don’t like math, take Stats. This was the advice my precalc teacher gave me.
This is directed to orrtam. For some reason, when I try to reply, it submits as a comment instead. :/
It’s funny you mentioned AP Capstone, I read about it the other day and added it to my plan, along with a few other changes. I’m planning to take AP Seminar in sophomore year and AP Research in junior year. I also have the four other APs needed for the Capstone diploma, so I’m pretty much set. If you want, we can start an email chain in which I tell you my ideas for classes and you give me advice? Lmk if you want to do this and I can give you my email.
Thanks William! This website has been a very helpful guide for me trying to decide my high school APs. Even though I’m a seventh grader, this really helped me get an idea of which APs I should/shouldn’t take or self-study. =D
I’m so glad! Good luck with your choices 🙂
Hey all, it’s William (author of the site) – I just wanted to take a moment to honour each and every one of you reading this.
To those choosing your APs, I wish you every success in your chosen classes. There’s some hard work to come, but you’ve got this, and we’ll be rooting for you!
And to those so generously offering their experience and advice to others in the comments, thank you so much for taking the time to help out – you’re really kind people.
While I’m here, just a very gentle reminder to keep the thread clean, and supportive – 99.999% of the time it is, I know. So thank you so much to you all for making this comments section such a welcoming little corner of the Internet.
If there’s ever anything else I can do to support you or improve things round here for you all, just let me know by reply to this comment, or by getting in touch directly at https://examstudyexpert.com/about/contact/.
Study smart and have fun 🙂
If I am planning to pursue a Medical career do I need to take AP Bio, AP Chem, and AP Physics 1. in addition, would it be advisable to take AP Physics 1 along with advanced Chem and Bio in my junior year, and then take AP chem and AP Bio in my senior year, and btw I am taking other APs like: Calc, Stats, Lang, Psych, French. Therefore, do you think this will be a burden and what would be your advice for me?
Moderator / article author here! It’s not often I step in, but Ahmed, I just removed a slightly un-supportive reply to your question. The strong language and tone of that reply weren’t quite in the spirit of what’s normally a very supportive and constructive comments thread. I hope you get some other helpful replies from your peers, and wishing you EVERY success with your APs and med school application 🙂
Hey Ahmed! I wouldn’t recommend taking all 3 sciences in one year, especially with one of them being AP Physics and the rest being accelerated. Also, looking at all the other APs you’re taking, it seems like a lot of work, but if you are determined and have good study habits, you might be able to pull it off. Good luck!
I would definitely recommend taking bio and chem. Physics is not as important as the other classes, so unless you really want to take it, I wouldn’t take the ap course, a normal accelerated class will be enough. Also if possible, I would recommend not taking ap chem and ap bio in the same year. The work load will be extremely tough, and it will be hard to remember which is which. No matter what you choose, remember to not stress your self out, especially in these difficult times.
Good luck!!
is APCSP hard to self study? I am planning to take intro to java next year and I’d like to self study for the CSP test. I’m an incoming junior.
I’m self-studying for the AP exam for that course this year as well, and honestly as long as you get the right textbook and just study a few hours a week(say 30 min or 1 hour a day), you’ll be fine. It’s not that hard to grasp the concepts, so you’ll be okay. I recommend getting 5 steps to a 5: APCSP, second edition for exam prep and the Computer Science Principles textbook by Kevin Hare for the content. Good luck!
Hi there! I’m a freshman debating whether or not I should be self-studying AP Psych next year. I’m also currently taking AP HuG and self-studying APES. Anyone have any suggestions?
Hi! I’m currently selfstudying AP psych
Hello! I’m a sophomore currently self studying AP psych. If you are already self studying APs this year, I definitely think you can do it next year as well depending on the rest of your course load. Psych is interesting, you just need to make sure you have time. Hope this helps!
Hello! I’m currently a sophomore but next year I am planning to take intro to java, as I currently don’t have any CS experience. If I selfstudy java in the summer to prepare better for AP computer science principles, would it be hard? Does anyone have any experience w/ APCSP?
APCSP doesn’t have a set language so it changes from school to school. At my school, we used python but the AP test is given in a certain style that would be similar to pseudo code or a language that doesn’t actually exist. That is the best help I can give because the test got scrapped due to COVID when I took it last year so I don’t fully know they layout. I do know the language changes from school to school. Java is used I believe for APCSA for which you don’t necessarily need to have taken APCSP.