What's Inflating Some AP Test Scores?

Relaxing the scoring standards for nine of the College Board’s most popular Advanced Placement exams has led to inflated scores, according to a piece in Education Next by Paul E. Peterson.

It’s an important read and makes much sense, considering the progressive dilution of U.S. higher education. The critical distinction rests here: AP test questions aren’t necessarily easier. It’s the scoring mechanism that’s changed the game.

Peterson rightly points out that financial motives might be driving the score inflation. In 2024, more than “86 percent of College Board revenue came from fees and similar payments, including 48 percent from the basic AP exam fee.” Meanwhile, the College Board’s CEO earned $2.3 million, on a par with what Stanford University’s president earns. Yet the operating budget for Stanford is about ten times bigger than that of the College Board.

“To sustain these revenues and salaries, the College Board must keep AP attractive to schools and students,” Peterson writes. “Guaranteeing that more than two-thirds of test takers ‘succeed’—via relaxed scoring standards—serves that purpose well.”

Read the full essay here.