Course Tour—AP US Gov. v. AP Comp. Gov.

The Basics

The most obvious difference between the two AP Government offerings is that one focuses solely on the United States and one compares governments globally.

AP United States Government and Politics (AP US Gov.) explores multiple facets of the United States’ government and political history. Students learn through hands-on work with analytical data and primary text resources. Themes range from constitutionalism to competition in policy making to civic involvement.

AP Comparative Government and Politics (AP Comp. Gov.), on the other hand, explores multiple pre-selected countries for comparison: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. While similar techniques for learning are used as in AP US Gov., the themes differ. Set in a larger world context, AP Comp. Gov. explores themes ranging from power and authority to democratization to internal and external forces.

The Exams

The exam format is different for each course, and you may consider your own testing talents when you choose between the courses. It is worth noting that while many AP Courses are having to modify their exams to fit paper and digital needs in 2021, this is not the case for either AP Gov. course.

AP United States Government and Politics.

  • Multiple Choice: 55 questions in 1 hour 20 minutes. [50% of score]

    • Approximately 30 of these questions are standalone.

    • The remainder of questions respond to 3 sets of data and text.

      • Quantitative analysis (numbers)

      • Qualitative analysis (text)

      • Visual analysis (graphs, charts, etc.)

  • Free Response: 4 questions in 1 hour 40 minute. [50% of score]

  1. Concept Application (responding to a political scenario)

  2. Quantitative Analysis (drawing a conclusion from a visual representation and relating it to a political principle)

  3. SCOTUS Comparison (comparing a required Supreme Court case to a non-required Supreme Court case)

  4. Argument Essay (basing argument on foundational texts and class concepts)

AP Comparative Government and Politics

  • Multiple Choice: 55 questions in 60 minutes. [50% of score]

    • 40-44 of these questions are standalone.

    • The remainder respond to five sets of data.

      • 3 sets Quantitative—graphs, maps, charts, etc.

      • 2 sets Qualitative—text-based secondary sources.

  • Free Response: 4 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes. [50% of score]

  1. Concept Application (responding to a political scenario)

  2. Quantitative Analysis (drawing a conclusion from a visual representation and relating it to a political principle)

  3. Comparative Analysis (comparing policies and concepts from at least 2 course countries)

  4. Argument Essay (basing argument on primary sources and class concepts)

The Statistics*

AP US Gov.

  • 314,825 students took the AP US Gov. exam in 2019.

  • Of those students who took the exam, 55.1% scored a 3 or higher.

  • The mean score was a 2.73.

  • 12.9% scored a 5 (15.5 in 2020).

AP Comp. Gov.

  • 23,522 students took the AP Comp. Gov. exam in 2019.

  • Of those students who took the exam, 66% scored a 3 or higher.

  • The mean score was a 3.2.

  • 22.4 scored a 5 (24.4 in 2020).

As you can see, students found the Comp. Gov. exam slightly easier, with an approximately 10% difference in passing scores. In a bit of conundrum, AP US Gov. is generally considered both one of the easier course loads and one of the more difficult exams.

*All statistics are sourced from College Board 2019 & 2020 score distributions

Additional Course Facts

  • Both AP Gov. courses are most often taken in a student’s senior year. A small group elected to take them in junior year and these are likely students who wanted to take both.

  • Some colleges will accept a passing AP score as college credit, which can decrease college costs.

  • AP Comp. Gov. was only offered at 1,565 high schools in 2019, which is far lower than the 9,733 high schools that offered AP US Gov.

Why should I take either of these courses?

Either AP Gov. course is an excellent investment for any student, but especially for those interested in careers in government, politics, law, and non-profit or social work. If you are lucky enough to attend a school that offers both AP US Gov. and AP Comp. Gov and can choose between them, consider whether you would prefer a wider, more global perspective on politics or a more detailed focus on US politics. 

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