Now that the AP season has ended, I can officially call myself an AP veteran. As a recipient of the AP Scholar with Distinction award and having taken 11 AP classes and exams since my first year, I hope I have the credibility to determine the difficulty of some of the APs so far, particularly those offered at Quartz Hill. This considers the general course rigor, such as assignments, homework, in-class assessments, and the actual exam at the end of the year. There will ultimately be bias because I am more geared towards English and History than Math and Science, but this is my review. Try it before you think about it.

The easiest AP class, by far, is AP Computer Science Principles. The extremely low course rigor, lack of homework, increased time for in-class assignments, and simple nature of the exam made it the easiest by far. I took this class in my Freshman Year, and had no clue what I was doing. However, I still scraped a 3 out of it. With more actual practice and focus on the subject, I would have gotten a 4 or 5, but I was generally slacking and found it too easy to focus. This class may require more work on the part of the student, but it is worth taking if you are interested in Computer Science or want to add something more to your curriculum.

Without going too in-depth, some other easy classes were AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, and AP Human Geography. These classes were on par with any honors or regular classes and did not require a lot of brain power to do the work. I enjoyed learning about these subjects, but often dreaded the amount of busy work included in the classes, many of which felt like they did not help me with the exam or did not help at all. I found assessments in the class very easy, and the style of the exam and the exam as a whole (I took APES and APHUG in 2024 and AP Psychology in 2025) seemed very straightforward and not too difficult. These are enjoyable classes if someone wants to specialize in a subject or add an AP to their schedule, but they should understand the grueling work, which will hurt motivation, alongside the issues with other classes.

Moving onto more difficult subjects, AP History classes and core subjects drove me to near-insanity. I am particularly inclined towards history and writing. Hence, the exams came off easier, but the work within the classes that prepared me for these tests was terrifying, and I hope never to see it again. I loved learning about World History, United States History, and Art History, but the types of work and tests tore me to shreds. APUSH is notably easier than the other two history classes, with a smaller timeframe and less material to focus on and remember. Art History is a challenging class with a massive payout. The class forces a student to memorize 250 artworks and be able to adequately analyze those works, as well as similar types in the exam. The assignments for this class were relatively easy, but there was a heavy workload, making the class a little more difficult than expected. Furthermore, the tests and quizzes were tricky but curved, which made it easier over time. It completely changes the world’s perception and is an excellent class, but it should be taken if a student can focus and is willing to balance it with their main workload. 

AP Language and Composition is undoubtedly one of the more complex subjects after all of these, as many Juniors take it without a prior AP or involvement in higher-level English. The workload for my particular class was heavier, and assignments were not complex but required more time and effort than any regular or honors class. Tests and quizzes are significantly easier, in contrast. The exam is challenging because of the lack of concepts that someone can study. This is a measurement of a student’s skills in English, which vary across high schoolers worldwide. Similarly, AP Calculus AB, which is slightly more complicated than the AP Language exam, also has a variety of concepts throughout the year that are applied in multiple-choice and free-response questions. I found it challenging to keep up with the workload, but how I learned calculus made it moderately difficult compared to other classes. I found the exam harder, so I ranked it this high. 

Before we dive into the hardest exams, some honorable mentions include AP Physics and the AP Language exams. AP Physics is, by word of an anonymous student, a rigorous AP class with an exam worse than any other exam they’ve taken. Although I have not experienced this, I understand the rigor undertaken by people who take the class. I one hundred percent respect and admire those who have been able to take this class and pass — although I have no interest in doing it. Furthermore, language classes are similarly tricky, but for a different reason. Understanding a language deeply enough to take a college-level exam is impressive. It requires genuine effort and time, which is different from the rigor in the other AP classes I have taken. The speaking, listening, and written parts of the test are confusing and, for other students, can be hard, even for those who have been fluent in the language since childhood. I don’t think these are easy exams, and by the standards that other students have described to me, it is a universally difficult genre of exams.

Finally, AP World History and AP Chemistry are the most difficult classes. AP World, taken in my Freshman year, was difficult in nearly every aspect. The homework and classwork were mostly easy, but as it was mainly noted, it took a long time. I never felt I had enough to finish on time. Exams and quizzes should have been easier, but I barely survived them and could not stand my performance in the class. The exam is just as grueling, with 3 hours of testing with multiple-choice questions and essays. The types of questions, massive subject material, and exam length drain students and are significant examples of the difficulty students are referring to when they think about AP exams. AP Chemistry is also similar, with a rigorous course and an even more challenging exam. I hated this class and taking the exam, and I did not perform nearly as well as I should have. 

AP classes are almost always a worthwhile investment, but I’m a good reference if you are wondering what class to take first. Some people are better than others at specific subjects or in rigorous classes in general. Try at least a few of these courses during your time at the school and be open to challenging yourself.