Score Correlations
The table below shows the number of students that participated in the study, the section(s) of the PSAT/NMSQT that were used to predict performance, and the correlation between PSAT/NMSQT performance and AP performance for each AP Exam. A correlation measures the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, in this case, PSAT/NMSQT scores and AP exam scores. Correlation values range from -1 to +1 with absolute values of approximately 0.1 considered to represent a small relationship, absolute values of approximately 0.3 considered to represent a moderate relationship, and absolute values of 0.5 or higher considered to represent a strong relationship. A positive correlation, like those seen between PSAT/NMSQT scores and AP exam scores, indicates PSAT/NMSQT scores are useful for identifying students who are likely to do well in AP courses and exams.
| AP Exam | Sample Size | PSAT/NMSQT Section Used | PSAT/NMSQT Correlation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art History | 27,679 | CR + W | .563 |
| Biology | 205,036 | CR + M | .647 |
| Calculus AB | 341,698 | Math | .539 |
| Chemistry | 139,600 | CR + M | .611 |
| Computer Science A | 21,607 | CR + M | .594 |
| Computer Science Principles | 82,334 | CR + M + W | .651 |
| English Language | 445,235 | CR + W | .762 |
| English Literature | 500,972 | CR + W | .754 |
| Environmental Science | 109,290 | CR + M | .668 |
| European History | 80,532 | CR + M + W | .621 |
| Government & Politics:
Comparative |
22,037 | CR + M + W | .598 |
| Government & Politics:
United States |
271,889 | CR + M + W | .648 |
| Human Geography | 25,017 | CR + M + W | .644 |
| Macroeconomics | 112,839 | CR + M | .595 |
| Microeconomics | 68,095 | CR + M | .633 |
| Music Theory | 19,842 | Math | .465 |
| Physics 1 | 291,922 | CR + M | .631 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 48,928 | CR + M | .566 |
| Physics C: Elec. & Mag. | 21,847 | Math | .465 |
| Psychology | 212,402 | CR + M + W | .618 |
| Statistics | 171,871 | CR + M | .651 |
| U.S. History | 419,099 | CR + M + W | .661 |
| World History | 84,942 | CR + M + W | .664 |