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Do AP Exam scores accurately reflect how well a student will probably perform at Berkeley?

By Fenix_Three (Fenix_Three) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 10:40 pm: Edit

Allow me to venture a guess.

According to my psych class GPA predicts college performance with 25% accuracy and SATs are less than 10% accurate. So, I don't think that AP scores are that great of a predictor.

HOWEVER, students who have taken AP classes are probably better prepared. So, I wouldn't say that the grade matters as much as the type of student who'd score well on an AP.

By Calbears2007 (Calbears2007) on Monday, August 16, 2004 - 04:22 am: Edit

Basically, AP prepares you well for Berkeley, but a 5 on an AP score does NOT necessarily mean an A in that class at Berkeley. Even if you received a 5 on a test, if that class is very relevant to your study, you should still consider taking it. When you are taking that class, do NOT think that it will be easy, because its NOT easy. For example, if you received a 5 on AP Biology but you are taking Biology 1A/1B, you really have to work very hard to get that A.

Let's put it this way. On AP exams, the amount of people getting 5s might be up to around 20% for some tests or even in the 30-40% range. However, at Berkeley, the weeder classes allow 10% A.

By Esun (Esun) on Monday, August 16, 2004 - 02:03 pm: Edit

Personally, I thought AP tests were a joke. The first year I took them I found them a bit tough, but then my junior and senior years I got all 4s and 5s without even trying for the most part. I suck at history, I guessed my way through the statistics exam (there was no class), and yet I still got 4s on those. I highly doubt AP exams demonstrate your ability to perform well in anything, except in taking the AP exam.