How the AP Macro exam is scored
The 2027 AP Macroeconomics exam is on Friday, May 7, 2027 (Session 2, usually afternoon), and AP scores come out in July.[6][7] AP Macroeconomics is a hybrid exam: multiple choice in Bluebook, free-response answers handwritten. Two-thirds of the score comes from the 60 multiple-choice questions, which makes Macro one of the most multiple-choice-heavy AP exams.[1] In hybrid exams you read everything in Bluebook but handwrite free-response answers in a paper booklet.[4]
| Part | Questions / points | Time | Share of score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice | 60 questions | 1 h 10 min | 66% |
| Long free response | 1 question, 10 points | 1 h for all three, incl. 10-min reading | half of Section II |
| Short free response | 2 questions, 5 points each | a quarter of Section II each |
Section II has one long question worth half of the section score and two short questions worth a quarter each. In 2025 students averaged 3.86 of 10 on the long question and 1.51 and 2.21 of 5 on the short ones.[5]
AP Macro score distribution
In 2026, 66% of AP Macro students scored 3 or higher and 19% earned a 5.[2] In 2025 the figures were 67.3% and 20.4%, from 176,356 students with a mean score of 3.2.[3]
| AP score | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 19% | 20.4% |
| 4 | 22% | 22.9% |
| 3 | 25% | 24% |
| 2 | 20% | 21.4% |
| 1 | 14% | 11.3% |
How this AP Macro score estimate works
No AP Macro chart has ever been released, so the 1–5 uses the average of nine other subjects’ charts. See where the cut points come from.
| AP score | At least |
|---|---|
| 5 | 70.1% |
| 4 | 58.1% |
| 3 | 46.6% |
| 2 | 34.6% |
Example
65% of the multiple choice plus the 2025 average free-response scores gives 56.7%: an estimated 3.
Each multiple-choice question is worth about 1.1% of the exam, while each point on the long question is worth about 1.7%. Macro does not have a published conversion chart, so the cut points come from the average of nine other subjects.
Other AP score calculators
Taking more than one exam? Try the AP Micro score calculator, AP Stats score calculator or AP Gov score calculator. Every calculator uses that exam’s own section weights.
Frequently asked questions
How is the AP Macroeconomics exam weighted?
Multiple choice is 66% of the score (60 questions) and free response 33%: one long question (half of the section) and two short ones (a quarter each).
When is the 2027 AP Macro exam?
Friday, May 7, 2027, in Session 2 (usually afternoon).
What percent get a 5 on AP Macro?
19% in 2026; 66% scored 3 or higher.