Advanced Placement test changes make them easier to pass


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It’s getting easier to pass high school Advanced Placement (AP) tests. The tests — which have long been seen as a boost to help students get into college — have seen changes in recent years, which have caused scores to see an uptick across the board.

The College Board, which makes the tests, updated its scoring model by replacing a panel of human experts with a large-scale data analysis. The changes have led to hundreds of thousands more students getting a passing score on AP U.S. history, European history, government and politics, and chemistry exams.

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The tests are graded on a scale of 1-5, with a 3 or higher considered passing.

The number of passing students could go up again in 2025. The College Board said it is still recalibrating other subjects, including AP English Language and Composition, which is taken by half a million students every year.

Shea Taylor (Producer) and Jake Maslo (Video Editor) contributed to this report.
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