​Number of students scoring 3-5 up 9.6 percent, participation up 8 percent

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October 9, 2014 – More Georgia students are taking and passing Advanced Placement (AP) exams – and Georgia is outpacing the nation in growth in both participation rates and passing rates, according to data just released on the May 2014 administration of those exams.

In 2014, 89,806 Georgia students took 154,176 AP exams – an eight percent increase in the number of students participating, and an 8.9 percent increase in the number of exams taken. The number of tests with scores of 3, 4, or 5 (the scores needed to gain college credit at most institutions) increased by 9.6 percent, to a total of 86,075.

Nationwide, the number of test-takers increased by 5.6 percent and the number of tests with scores of 3, 4, or 5 increased by 6.3 percent.

“No matter which metric you examine, Georgia’s performance is improving on Advanced Placement exams – which is excellent news, because it means more students are taking advantage of the opportunity to access rigorous, college-level coursework and gain credit toward post-secondary education,” State Superintendent Dr. John Barge said. “I am thrilled to see participation and scores going up across the board in Georgia, and among every minority group reported by the College Board. We know that our top students are competitive nationally – now it’s time to expand that opportunity to all Georgia students.”

English Language and Composition was the most popular AP exam among Georgia test-takers, with 18,108 students taking the exam. United States History and World History followed, with 17,720 and 15,200 test-takers, respectively.

Participation and scores have risen steadily in the last five years. In 2009-10, Georgia students took 118,367 AP exams. That number rose to 120,706 in 2010-11, 132,266 in 2011-12, 141,528 in 2012-13 and 154,176 in 2013-14..

In 2009-10, 62,313 scores of 3, 4, or 5 were recorded in Georgia. That number rose to 65,818 in 2010-11, 74,077 in 11-12, 78,543 in 2012-13 and 86,075 in 2013-14.

The number of Georgia’s minority students taking AP exams increased this year, as did the number of those students scoring 3, 4, or 5. The number of test-takers increased by 11.6 percent among American Indian students, 9.7 percent among Asian students, 9.9 percent among black students, 19.5 percent among Mexican American students, 11.2 percent among Puerto Rican students, and 11.1 percent among other Hispanic students.

The number of scores above 3, 4, or 5 increased by 10.9 percent among American Indian students, 12 percent among Asian students, 12.2 percent among black students, 11.9 percent among Mexican American students, 1.9 percent among Puerto Rican students, and 7.2 percent among other Hispanic students.​