AP Comparative Government and Politics is offered in over 100 countries around the world. In 2022, over 20,949 students took the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam.
In this AP Comparative Government and Politics guide, we will provide you with an overview of the AP Comparative Government and Politics course, including the exam format, the topics covered, and effective ways to study. We will also discuss some of the resources that are available to help you prepare for the exam.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam covers the interactions between citizens and governments in six different countries. The exam covers a wide range of topics, including the political systems, institutions, and processes of China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Students will compare and contrast the different ways these countries organize their governments, make decisions, and deal with political challenges.
Students will examine the concepts of comparative government and politics through reading and discussion, and analyze data from political research studies. The exam also requires students to apply their knowledge of comparative government and politics to solve real-world problems.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam format includes two sections as below:
| Section | No. of Questions | Time allocated to each section | Weightage |
| Multiple Choice | 55 questions | 1 hour | 50% |
| Free response questions | 4 questions | 1 hour 30 mins | 50% |
Now let’s understand everything about the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam: duration, structure, score distribution, etc.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam is 2 hours 60 mins long and is divided into two sections
The AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam will test your understanding of the psychological concepts covered in the course units, as well as your ability to analyze behavioral studies.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam has 59 questions in total divided into two major sections; 55 multiple-choice questions and 4 free-response questions.
AP Comparative Government and Politics is a rigorous course that covers the core political principles, theories, and processes that govern the interactions between citizens and the government. Students will do hands-on activities and simulations to investigate political phenomena.
| Unit | What’s included | Weight in Exam |
| Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments You’ll learn about the skills and concepts that political scientists use in their work and apply them as you analyze data related to the six course countries. | How political scientists collect and use data and information Types of political systems: regimes, states, nations, and governmentsDemocracy and authoritarianismThe ways governments and regimes get, keep, and lose powerFactors that can either help or undermine the stability of a government | 18%–27% |
| Unit 2: Political Institutions You’ll look at the political structure and the branches of government of each of the six course countries. | Parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential government systemsExecutive institutions (for example, presidents, prime ministers, cabinets)Legislative systems (for example, congressional or parliamentary)Judicial systems (judges and courts) | 22%–33% |
| Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation You’ll study the ways in which the citizens of a country interact with, influence, and are affected by their government, using the six course countries as examples. | Where the political attitudes and beliefs of citizens come fromPolitical ideologies such as individualism, communism, and fascismPolitical participation by citizens and its effectsCivil rights and civil libertiesSocial divisions within a country and their effects | 11%–18% |
| Unit 4: Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen OrganizationsIn the context of the political structures, events, and issues associated with the six course countries, you’ll learn how individuals, parties, and citizen organizations work to gain influence and power. |
For additional course resources such as classroom resources, formulae and equation sheets and lab manuals refer to the College Board AP Comparative Government and Politics course page.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score.
The exam is divided into two sections: a multiple-choice section and a free-response section. The multiple-choice section accounts for 50% of your final score, while the free-response section accounts for the remaining 50%.
The multiple-choice section comes first and is one hour and 20 minutes long. There are 55 questions. The multiple-choice questions are scored by computer. You get 1 point for each question you answer correctly; no points are deducted for any incorrect answers or questions left blank.
The free-response section is slightly longer at one hour and 40 minutes. It has four questions, and each question is worth 12.5% of your final score. The free-response questions are scored by human graders, who use a rubric to determine the score for each question.
The AP ComparativeGovernment and Politics exam is scored on a curve. This means that the percentage of students earning each score is determined after all the exams have been graded. Generally, a score of 3 or higher is considered a passing score.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam for 2024 will be held on Monday, May 2024 12:00 Pm local time. The 2024 AP Exams will be held over two weeks in May: May 6–10 and May 13–17.
For the most recent information on exam dates and registration deadlines, students can check with their institution or the College Board website.
Here are some tips on how to prepare for AP ComparativeGovernment and Politics
Here are some advantages of taking AP ComparativeGovernment and Politics
Students who are interested in majoring in comparative politics, international relations, or other related fields will find the skills learned in AP Comparative Government and Politics to be essential. Additionally, the skills learned in this course can be applied to a wide range of careers, such as government service, law, and business.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam is divided into two sections: multiple-choice (75 questions, 100 minutes) and free-response (3 essays, 60 minutes). The mean score for the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam in 2022 was 3.14 out of 5, which is slightly higher than the mean score for all AP subjects in 2022 (2.92). The passing rate for AP Comparative Government and Politics in 2022 was 70.5%, which is slightly lower than the pass rate for AP overall (60.2%).
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam is challenging, but it is also rewarding. By learning about the political systems of different countries and applying your critical thinking skills, you can better understand how governments work and how they compare to each other. You can also develop the skills necessary to be an informed citizen and participate in the global political process.
The AP Comparative Government and Politics exam is not considered to be one of the most difficult AP exams, but it can still be challenging to self-study for. The exam covers a wide range of topics, including political systems, political parties, civil society, and political economy. In order to do well on the exam, you will need to have a strong understanding of these concepts and be able to apply them to different political systems.
AP Comparative Government and Politics is generally considered easier than AP U.S. Government and Politics.
Going by the AP exam pass rate, AP US Government and Politics is one of the hardest AP courses, with an exam pass rate of 50.4% in May 2021. This is significantly lower than the average rate of passing scores for all AP exams. It also has a lower-than-average rate of perfect scores across all AP exams.
In contrast, AP Comparative Government and Politics has a higher-than-average pass rate and a roughly average rate of perfect scores. However, just as many factors go into how difficult any student finds an AP course, which of the courses you find most difficult is harder to predict.
Whether or not AP Comparative Government and Politics is worth it is, as with any AP course, a personal decision for you. For students who are very interested in politics, international relations, and the social sciences, AP Comparative Government and Politics will likely be worth taking.
However, if you are not very interested in the social sciences and already have a large number of AP classes in your schedule, AP Comparative Government and Politics may not be worth it for you.
