AP tests are two to three hours long. Test time varies from course to course and I will cover that in detail here. So, sit tight to know how long the AP test takes. It is a challenging journey, from choosing to enroll in AP programs to finishing them and taking your test. But, don't worry, I will walk you through every step of the AP exam process here. From test schedules and formats to preparation tips, we will talk about everything here.
How Long Does AP Test Take? Before you decide which AP tests to take you must do some research and get answers to a few basic questions, like:
How long does the AP exam last?
What type of questions are there?
How many questions in each exam?
How much time is allocated to different question types?
What's the weightage that each question format carries?
Most of the AP exams last for 2-3 hours. Few AP exams, like AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, and AP English Language and Composition, exceed more than 3 hours. Here, refer to this list to know how long each AP exam lasts:
Exam | Total Time |
AP Art History | 3 hours |
AP Biology | 3 hours |
AP Calculus AB | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
AP Calculus BC | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
AP Chemistry | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
AP Chinese Language and Culture | 2 hours and 15 minutes |
AP Comparative Government and Politics | 2 hours and 25 minutes |
AP Computer Science A | 3 hours |
AP Computer Science Principles | 2 hours |
AP English Language and Composition | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
AP English Literature and Composition | 3 hours |
AP Environmental Science | 3 hours |
AP European History | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
AP French Language and Culture | 3 hours |
AP German Language and Culture | 3 hours |
AP Human Geography | 2 hours and 15 minutes |
AP Italian Language and Culture | 3 hours |
AP Japanese Language and Culture | 2 hours and 15 minutes |
AP Latin | 3 hours |
AP Macroeconomics | 2 hours and 10 minutes |
AP Microeconomics | 2 hours and 10 minutes |
AP Music Theory | 2 hours and 40 minutes |
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 1 hour and 30 minutes |
AP Physics C: Mechanics | 1 hour and 30 minutes |
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based | 3 hours |
AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based | 3 hours |
AP Psychology | 2 hours |
AP Spanish Language and Culture | 3 hours |
AP Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 hours |
AP Statistics | 3 hours |
AP US Government and Politics | 2 hours and 25 minutes |
AP US History | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
AP World History | 3 hours and 15 minutes |
Exam Format AP exams are divided into two parts:
Multiple choice questions
Free-response questions
Read: How Many AP Classes Should I Take?
1. Multiple-Choice Questions Multiple-choice sections are straightforward. They can include more than one correct response. Simply put, there will be three to five options for you to choose from when answering multiple-choice questions.
You either respond correctly or incorrectly because the questions are objective. You won't receive any step marks as a consequence.
2. Free-Response Questions The free-response answer questions are the other question format you will encounter on your AP tests. Many kinds of free-response questions exist, but short or essay questions are the most prevalent. They are highly different from multiple-choice tests in that they are subjective. You need to apply your analytical skills to respond to them. Make sure to keep your answers brief, concise, and direct.
Exceptions The number of questions varies per subject. For example, multiple-choice and free-response questions come in two varieties on most language tests, such as AP Chinese Language and Culture and AP Spanish Language and Culture, to name a few. While free-response questions are split into written and spoken categories, listening and reading categories are used for multiple-choice questions. These areas assess the different levels of language ability you have attained. The table below is an exhaustive list of every detail you need about your AP subject. I recommend you bookmark this post to never lose sight of this important information.
Exam | Type | No. of Questions | Time Given | Weightage |
AP Art History | Multiple-choice Free-response | 80 6 | 1 hour 2 hours | 50% 50% |
AP Biology | Multiple-choice Free-response | 60 6 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Calculus AB | Multiple-choice Free-response | 45 6 | 1 hour and 45 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Calculus BC | Multiple-choice Free-response | 45 6 | 1 hour and 45 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Chemistry | Multiple-choice Free-response | 60 7 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 45 minutes | 60% 40% |
AP Chinese Language and Culture | Multiple-choice listening Multiple-choice reading Free-response written Free-response spoken | 20 to 35 35 to 40 2 2 | 20 minutes 1 hour 30 minutes 11 minutes | 25% 25% 25% 25% |
AP Comparative Government and Politics | Multiple-choice Free-response | 55 4 | 1 hour 2 hours and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Computer Science A | Multiple-choice Free-response | 40 4 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Computer Science Principles | Performance task 1 Performance task 2 End-of-the-course exam | Differs Differs 74 | 12 hours 8 hours 2 hours | 24% 16% 60% |
AP English Language and Composition | Multiple-choice Free-response | 45 3 | 1 hour 2 hours and 15 minutes | 45% 55% |
AP English Literature and Composition | Multiple-choice Free-response | 55 3 | 1 hour 2 hours | 45% 55% |
AP Environmental Science | Multiple-choice Free-response | 80 3 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 10 minutes | 60% 40% |
AP European History | Multiple-choice Short Answer Free-response | 55 2 3 | 55 minutes 40 minutes 1 hour and 40 minutes | 40% 20% 40% |
AP French Language and Culture | Multiple-choice listening Multiple-choice reading Free-response written Free-response spoken | 30 35 2 2 | 40 minutes 55 minutes 1 hour and 10 minutes 18 minutes | 23% 27% 25% 25% |
AP German Language and Culture | Multiple-choice listening Multiple-choice reading Free-response written Free-response spoken | 30 35 2 2 | 40 minutes 55 minutes 1 hour and 10 minutes 18 minutes | 23% 27% 25% 25% |
AP Human Geography | Multiple-choice Free-response | 60 3 | 1 hour 1 hour and 15 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Italian Language and Culture | Multiple-choice listening Multiple-choice reading Free-response written Free-response spoken | 30 35 2 2 | 40 minutes 55 minutes 1 hour and 10 minutes 18 minutes | 23% 27% 25% 25% |
AP Japanese Language and Literature | Multiple-choice listening Multiple-choice reading Free-response written Free-response spoken | 30 to 35 35 to 40 2 2 | 20 minutes 1 hour 30 minutes 11 minutes | 25% 25% 25% 25% |
AP Latin | Multiple-choice Free-response | 50 5 | 1 hour 2 hours | 50% 50% |
AP Macroeconomics | Multiple-choice Free-response | 60 3 | 1 hour and 10 minutes 1 hour | 67% 33% |
AP Microeconomics | Multiple-choice Free-response | 60 3 | 1 hour and 10 minutes 1 hour | 67% 33% |
AP Music Theory | Multiple-choice Free-response written Free-response sight singing | 75 7 2 | 1 hour and 20 minutes 1 hour and 10 minutes 10 minutes | 45% 45% 10% |
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | Multiple-choice Free-response | 50 5 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Physics C: Magnetism | Multiple-choice Free-response | 50 4 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based | Multiple-choice Free-response | 35 3 | 45 minutes 45 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based | Multiple-choice Free-response | 35 3 | 45 minutes 45 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP Psychology | Multiple-choice Free-response | 100 2 | 1 hour and 10 minutes 50 minutes | 67% 33% |
AP Spanish Language and Culture | Multiple-choice listening Multiple-choice reading Free-response written Free-response spoken | 30 35 2 2 | 40 minutes 55 minutes 1 hour and 10 minutes 18 minutes | 23% 27% 25% 25% |
AP Spanish Literature and Culture | Multiple-choice interpretive listening Free-response reading analysis Free-response | 15 2 4 | 20 minutes 11 minutes 1 hour and 40 minutes | 10% 40% 50% |
AP Statistics | Multiple-choice Free-response | 40 6 | 1 hour and 30 minutes 1 hour and 30 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP US Government and Politics | Multiple-choice Free-response | 55 4 | 1 hour and 20 minutes 1 hour and 40 minutes | 50% 50% |
AP US History | Multiple-choice Short Answer Free-response | 55 3 2 | 55 minutes 40 minutes 1 hour and 40 minutes | 40% 20% 40% |
AP World History | Multiple-choice Short Answer Free-response | 55 3 2 | 55 minutes 40 minutes 1 hour and 40 minutes | 40% 20% 40% |
Tips To Ace Your AP Exam The AP test preparation process might seem like a "Sisyphean task". You have to study for a three-hour, multi-part test, in addition to other challenging schoolwork. Right? It is no bed full of roses. But what matters is whether you have the determination to do it. Follow these steps to make it in your AP exam.
1. Prepare Yourself
Start preparing from the middle of school year because this is the best time to review course work. You will have a lot of time to prepare. Before you start, get your hands on:
your AP course's syllabus
previous years' exam papers Keep everything handy to refer to anytime you need it.
Keep everything handy to refer to anytime you need it.
Check out EnthuZiastic AP Courses to learn with the best teachers.
2. Create a Study Plan Next step is to create a timetable. Make your weekly goals. If it helps, break them down further into daily goals.
Have a clarity of the subjects you'll be studying. Week by week you will be prepared for the exam.
3. AP Practice Exams Attempt as many mock tests as you can. They are identical to the real AP test. They train you on the type of questions that come in real exam and the time needed for them.
Utilize practice exams to get comfortable with the test, identify your understanding and ability gaps, and monitor your development while studying for the test.
FAQs When do AP exam scores come out? AP exam scores are scheduled to be released between early June and early July. The AP scores are slated to begin at 7 am EST. What is a 70 on an AP test? A score of 70% to 75% is a 5. However, several tests differ from this pattern. What happens if you get a 1 in an AP Exam? A 1 in an AP exam, the lowest possible score, denotes students do not have enough knowledge of the subject. Is a 3 in an AP Exam good? A 3 or higher is often regarded as a strong AP score. By comparing your AP score to the mean for that test that year, you can get an even better idea of how impressive your score is.
