Students with high scores (top third) on the essay portion of an Advanced Placement Examination (AP) (College Board) and low scores (bottom third) on the multiple-choice portion of the same examination were compared with students whose performance showed the opposite pattern. Across examinations in different subject areas (history, English, and biology) students who were relatively strong in the essay format and weak in the multiple-choice format were about as successful in their college courses as students who showed the opposite pattern, especially in courses where grades are not typically determined by multiple choice tests. Across several ethnic/racial groups, males tended to receive relatively high scores on the multiple-choice portion of the AP United States History Examination while females received higher scores on the essays than the multiple-choice questions. Because the population of students who take the AP Examinations is exceptionally able, generalizations to less able students are not warranted. Nine tables present study data. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/SLD)