Solon High Senior Gets Rare Perfect Score On AP Exam

SOLON, OH — Solon High School senior Albert Zhu is one of only 113 students nationwide to get a perfect score on the Advanced Placement Government and Politics exam. This is Zhu's second perfect score on an AP exam.

Zhu, who also got a perfect score on his AP Macroeconomics exam in 2018, performed so admirably on the test that the College Board said he and the other 112 students to get perfect scores “fall into a rather select category.”

“This is truly a remarkable accomplishment,” said Solon High School Principal Erin Short. “Earning every possible point on a second AP exam shows Albert’s complete understanding and mastery of the rigor of the curriculum and ability to demonstrate that knowledge on the AP test.”

AP tests are graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the equivalent of an "A" grade in a college course for the subject. Perfect scores on an AP test require students to answer all multiple-choice questions correctly and get the maximum number of points on each of the essays in the free-response section.

The tests are written and scored by college professors and are created to cover a full-year of intensive, college-level knowledge. It is rare for a high school student to achieve a perfect score, according to the College Board. Ohio students are able to get college credit based on their performance on the tests.

“This outstanding accomplishment is likely a direct reflection of the top-quality education being offered at Solon High School,” said Trevor Packer, senior vice president for AP and Instruction at the College Board. “We applaud Albert’s hard work and also the AP teachers responsible for engaging students and enabling them to excel in a college-level course.”

In Ohio, students that get a score of 3 or above on an AP exam are eligible for college credit in that subject. In 2018, 796 Solon High School students took 1,860 AP exams. Students earned scores of 3 of higher and potential college credit on 1,619 of those tests. The score distribution for 2018 was 598 scores of 5, 570 scores of 4 and 451 scores of 3.