AP
Advanced Placement
“It has finally become evident to educators that the College Board’s AP Program provides rigorous curricular guidelines with a reliable common assessment. The Advanced Placement Program is recognized as setting a national standard of excellence with equal access for all.”
– Peter Negroni
Vice President, Teaching & Learning
The College Board
The Program
The Advanced Placement Program® is a cooperative educational endeavor between secondary schools and colleges and universities. Since its inception in 1955, the Program has provided motivated high school students with the opportunity to take college-level courses in a high school setting. Students who participate in the Program not only gain college-level skills, but in may cases they also earn college credit while they are still in high school. AP courses are taught by dedicated and enthusiastic high school teachers who follow course guidelines developed and published by the College Board.
The Program’s success is rooted in the collaborative efforts of motivated students, dedicated teachers, and committed schools. By participating in the Program, secondary schools make the commitment to organize and support at least one class that is equivalent to a first-year college course.
– Peter Negroni
Vice President, Teaching & Learning
The College Board
The Program
The Advanced Placement Program® is a cooperative educational endeavor between secondary schools and colleges and universities. Since its inception in 1955, the Program has provided motivated high school students with the opportunity to take college-level courses in a high school setting. Students who participate in the Program not only gain college-level skills, but in may cases they also earn college credit while they are still in high school. AP courses are taught by dedicated and enthusiastic high school teachers who follow course guidelines developed and published by the College Board.
The Program’s success is rooted in the collaborative efforts of motivated students, dedicated teachers, and committed schools. By participating in the Program, secondary schools make the commitment to organize and support at least one class that is equivalent to a first-year college course.
AP Program Facts
- The AP Program offers 38 courses across multiple subject areas.
- In May 2016, more than 2 million high school students at over 21,000 schools worldwide took AP Exams.
- Most four-year U.S. colleges and universities grant credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying AP Exam scores (3 or higher).
The Exam
The AP Examinations are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of college level work. Rigorously developed by committees of college and AP high school faculty, the AP Exams test students’ ability to perform at a college level.
Development committees meet throughout the year to create new exams, each contain a free response section (either essay or problem solving) and a section of multiple-choice questions. (The only subject that does not follow this format is AP Studio Art, which is a portfolio assessment.) The world language exams also have a speaking component, and the AP Music Theory Exam includes a sight-singing task. The multiple-choice questions are scored by computer, while the free-response portions are evaluated by a team of skilled college professors and high school teachers who meet annually to score exams in their subject area. The involvement of college faculty at all levels of exam development and scoring ensures that the AP Exams truly reflect college-level achievement. Students who perform well can receive course credit and/or advanced standing at thousands of universities worldwide.
The AP Examinations are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of college level work. Rigorously developed by committees of college and AP high school faculty, the AP Exams test students’ ability to perform at a college level.
Development committees meet throughout the year to create new exams, each contain a free response section (either essay or problem solving) and a section of multiple-choice questions. (The only subject that does not follow this format is AP Studio Art, which is a portfolio assessment.) The world language exams also have a speaking component, and the AP Music Theory Exam includes a sight-singing task. The multiple-choice questions are scored by computer, while the free-response portions are evaluated by a team of skilled college professors and high school teachers who meet annually to score exams in their subject area. The involvement of college faculty at all levels of exam development and scoring ensures that the AP Exams truly reflect college-level achievement. Students who perform well can receive course credit and/or advanced standing at thousands of universities worldwide.
Grading Scale
The scale is based on a point basis. 1 – 5 which defines the students’ qualification at the college level
- 5 = extremely well qualified (‘A’ level college work)
- 4 = well qualified (‘A-, B+, B’ level college work)
- 3 = qualified (‘B-, C+, C’ level college work)
- 2 = possibly qualified
- 1 = no recommendation
Exam Fee
AP EXAM FEE for 2023 is $97 per exam
AP EXAM FEE for 2023 is $97 per exam
Fee Waiver
Subsidized funding has been made available for any student on free/reduced lunch. For further information contact the Testing Coordinator at the school your child attends.
For further information visit the following web page:
updated July 2020
