Guide to the AP Statistics Exam

Familiar with tests of significance? Can you interpret a histogram? The AP ^® Statistics exam tests topics and skills discussed in your high school Advanced Placement Statistics course. If you score high enough, your AP Statistics score could earn you college credit!

Check out our AP Statistics guide for the essential info you need about the exam:

• Exam Overview
• Question Types
• Calculator Policy
• Formula Sheet
• Scores
• How to Prepare

Exam Overview

How long is the AP Statistics exam?

The AP Statistics exam takes 3 hours to complete. Here’s how AP Statistics timing breaks down section-by-section:

What’s on the AP Statistics Exam?

The College Board is very detailed in what they require your AP teacher to cover in his or her AP Statistics course. They explain that you should be familiar with the following topics:

• Exploring data: describing patterns and departures from patterns:
  • Constructing and interpreting graphical displays of distributions of univariate data (dotplot, stemplot, histogram, cumulative frequency plot)
  • Summarizing distributions of univariate data
  • Comparing distributions of univariate data (dotplots, back-to-back stemplots, parallel boxplots)
  • Exploring bivariate data
  • Exploring categorical data
• Sampling and experimentation: planning and conducting a study
  • Overview of methods of data collection
  • Planning and conducting surveys
  • Planning and conducting experiments
  • Generalizability of results and types of conclusions that can be drawn from observational studies, experiments, and surveys
• Anticipating patterns: exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation
  • Probability as relative frequency
  • Combining independent random variables
  • The normal distribution
  • Sampling distributions
• Statistical inference: estimating population parameters and testing hypothesis
  • Estimation: point estimators and confidence intervals
  • Tests of significance

For a comphrensive content review, check out our line of AP guides.

AP Statistics Question Types

Multiple Choice

Students are given exactly one hour and 30 minutes to complete the 40 questions in this part of the exam. Each question will be followed by five answer choices. At times, it may seem that there could be more than one possible correct answer. There is only one! Answers resulting from common mistakes are often included in the five answer choices to trap you.

Free Response

The AP Statistics free-response questions require not only that you perform the right computations but also that you communicate your reasoning and justify your answers clearly.

Investigative Task

As the name suggests, the investigative task question invites you to investigate a situation and arrive at a solution. It might also require you to expand your knowledge of statistics a bit beyond the course curriculum.

What is the calculator policy for the AP Statistics exam?

Students are expected to  bring a four function, scientific, or graphing calculator for them to use on both sections of the exam.

What’s on the AP Statistics formula sheet?

When you take the exam, you’ll be given a formula sheet with formulas and tables needed to complete exam questions.

What's a good AP Statistics score?

AP scores are reported from 1 to 5. Colleges are generally looking for a 4 or 5 on the AP Statisics exam, but some may grant credit for a 3. Each test is curved so scores vary from year to year Here’s how students scored on the AP Statistics exam in May 2017:

Source: College Board

How can I prepare?

AP classes are great, but for many students they’re not enough! For a thorough review of AP Statistics  content and strategy, pick the AP prep option that works best for your goals and learning style.