AP Statistics Revisions
AP Statistics has been revised for the 2026-27 school year to align with current introductory college statistics courses.
Course Overview
The AP Statistics course introduces students to the major concepts and tools for formulating questions, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results from data. The practices and skills for the course have been aligned to help students understand the statistical problem-solving process based on the American Statistical Association (ASA) recommendations. The content, skills, and assessments in the AP Statistics course focus on exploring data, sampling and experimentation, probability and simulation, and statistical inference. Students use technology, investigations, problem solving, and writing as they build conceptual understanding.
Course and Exam Description
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AP Statistics Course and Exam Description
This is the core document for this course. Unit guides clearly lay out the course content and skills and recommend sequencing and pacing for them throughout the year.
Course Resources
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AP Statistics Course at a Glance
Excerpted from the AP Statistics Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP Statistics course, along with suggestions for sequencing.
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AP Statistics Course at a Glance Poster
Print the Course at a Glance poster to use for reference in the classroom.
Course Content
The AP Statistics framework is aligned with content used in college-level courses and skills that follow the statistical problem-solving process identified in the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE II) from the American Statistical Association (ASA). This framework defines content students must know and skills students must master to learn and retain an understanding of statistics they can apply in academic and everyday endeavors. The framework focuses on providing students with an experience that supports the learning of introductory statistics content and skills.
The framework is organized in a logical sequence, based on teacher input and commonly used textbooks. The sequence represented in the framework demonstrates one reasonable learning pathway for the course, among many. Teachers may adjust the suggested sequencing of units or topics, although they will want to carefully consider how to account for such changes as they access course resources for planning, instruction, and assessment.
| Unit | Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) |
|---|---|
| Unit 1: Exploring One-Variable Data and Collecting Data | 20%–30% |
| Unit 2: Probability, Random Variables, and Probability Distributions | 15%–25% |
| Unit 3: Inference for Categorical Data: Proportions | 15%–25% |
| Unit 4: Inference for Quantitative Data: Means | 10%–20% |
| Unit 5: Regression Analysis | 10%–20% |
Course Skills
The AP Statistics framework included in the course and exam description outlines distinct skills that students should practice throughout the year—skills that will help them learn to think and act like statisticians.
| Practice | Skill | Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Formulate Questions | 1.A. Determine a valid investigative question that requires a statistical investigation. | 5%–10% |
| 2. Collect Data | 2.A. Identify information to answer a question or solve a problem. 2.B. Justify an appropriate method for ethically gathering and representing data. 2.C. Identify appropriate statistical inference methods. 2.D. Identify types of errors and relationships among components in statistical inference methods. 2.E. Identify the null and alternative hypotheses. | 20%–30% |
| 3. Analyze Data | 3.A. Construct tabular and graphical representations of data and distributions. 3.B. Calculate summary statistics, relative positions of points within a distribution, and predicted responses. 3.C. Calculate and estimate expected counts, percentages, probabilities, and intervals. 3.D. Calculate means, standard deviations, and parameters for probability distributions. 3.E. Calculate appropriate statistical inference method results. | 25%–35% |
| 4. Interpret Results | 4.A. Describe and compare tabular and graphical representations of data, as well as summary statistics. 4.B. Justify a claim based on statistical calculations and results. 4.C. Describe distributions and compare relative positions of points within a distribution. 4.D. Interpret statistical calculations and results to assess meaning or a claim. 4.E. Justify the use of a chosen statistical inference method by verifying conditions. 4.F. Interpret results of statistical inference methods. 4.G. Justify a claim based on statistical inference method results. | 25%–35% |
AP and Higher Education
Higher education professionals play a key role in developing AP courses and exams, setting credit and placement policies, and scoring student work. The AP Higher Education section features information on recruitment and admission, advising and placement, and more.
This chart shows recommended scores for granting credit, and how much credit should be awarded, for each AP course. Your students can look up credit and placement policies for colleges and universities on the AP Credit Policy Search.
AP Course and Exam Development
The AP Program is unique in its reliance on development committees for their initial and ongoing voice in course and exam development. These committees, made up of an equal number of college faculty and experienced secondary AP teachers from across the country, are essential to the preparation of AP course curricula and exams.
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How AP Develops Courses and Exams
Learn what the development committees do and the methodology they use to develop AP courses and exams.
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