Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores have seen a significant increase in recent years, with top marks more than doubling in some subjects since 2021. This trend has led to criticism that the tests are experiencing grade inflation and may not be adequately preparing students for higher education, especially as national standardized test scores have been in decline.
From 2021 to 2025, the percentage of high school students earning a top score of 5 on AP exams rose by an average of 61% across nine central subjects. Similarly, scores of 4 or higher, which many colleges require for credit, increased by 63% in the same period, according to an assessment of College Board data by Education Next. For instance, the AP English Literature and Composition exam saw its top-scoring students jump from 17% in 2021 to over 43% in 2025. US Government and Politics and US History also showed substantial gains.
These score increases stand in contrast to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results for 2025, which indicated a decline in national standardized test performance, with only 35% of 12th graders deemed proficient in reading and 22% in math.
Daniel Buck, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, expressed skepticism about the sharp rise in AP scores, noting that "all other national tests have been in slow decline for the last decade." He suggested that "the fact that AP scores jumped almost overnight seems an implausible explanation."
Education Next highlighted that the significant score increases occurred in subjects where the College Board implemented its new Evidence-Based Standard Setting (EBSS) scoring system around 2022. This new system broadened the pool of educators involved in determining score thresholds compared to the previous method, which relied on a smaller panel of professors and teachers.
College Board officials have denied that the tests have been watered down or that scores have been inflated. Trevor Packer, senior vice president at the College Board, stated in an Education Next response that EBSS allows for a more accurate understanding of student performance and that the exams themselves remain unchanged. He added that improved data analysis and input from hundreds of college professors contribute to a more precise scoring verification.
Massie Ritsch, College Board media director, echoed this sentiment, asserting that the EBSS method provides "a more precise, data-rich method for verifying the score thresholds that determine what score students receive." She emphasized that the exams are unchanged and that the College Board's ability to verify scores against college-level achievement has improved.
However, critics like Buck remain concerned that easier grading standards, even if the exams are technically the same, could lead students to reduce their effort and learn less, ultimately lowering educational standards.