Wheeling student earns perfect score on AP exam

Wheeling High School graduate Matthew Kulczak earned a perfect score on his Advanced Placement Microeconomics Exam last spring, one of only 15 students in the world to do so.

Matthew, who graduated in 2014, earned every point possible on his AP exam, an incredibly rare feat, according to the College Board. He was also the only student in Illinois to receive a perfect score on the AP Microeconomics exam.

Approximately 1.5 million public high school 11th and 12th grade students took 4 million AP exams in 2014. Only 285 students earned every point possible: answering every multiple-choice question correctly and earning full points on the free-response section of the exam.

"Matthew is the perfect example of a well-rounded, highly intelligent and grounded young man. His achievements in his academics as well as in band are unparalleled," said his AP economics teacher Sandra Chico. "I am so terribly proud of him, and fully expect that this is just the beginning for Matthew."

AP exams are reported on a 5-point scale, where a 5 is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course.

"AP courses and exams are college level, and require hard work and focus on the part of students and their teachers, said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of instruction at the College Board.