What Does "Apgar" Mean? Apgar stands for " A ppearance, P ulse, G rimace, A ctivity, and R espiration." In the test, five things are used to check a baby's health. Each is scored on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being the best score: A ppearance (skin color) P ulse (heart rate) G rimace response (reflexes) A ctivity (muscle tone).