Skip to main content

Advanced Placement®

What is AP®?

With AP®, students can get a feel for the rigors of college level studies while they still have the support of a high school environment. When students take AP® courses, they demonstrate to college admission officers that they have sought out an educational experience that will prepare them for success in college and beyond. 

Resourceful and dedicated AP® teachers work with their students to develop and apply the skills, abilities and content knowledge they will need later in college. Each of AP®'s 34 courses is modeled upon a comparable college course, and college and university faculty play a vital role in ensuring that AP® courses align with college-level standards.

Each AP® course concludes with a college-level exam developed and scored by college and university faculty members as well as experienced AP® teachers. AP® Exams are an essential part of the AP® experience, enabling students to apply the new critical thinking skills they have learned in a comprehensive exam. Most two- and four-year colleges and universities worldwide recognize AP® in the admission process and accept successful exam scores for credit, advanced placement®, or both.

Performing well on an AP® Exam means more than just the successful completion of a course. Research consistently shows that students who score a 3 or higher typically earn higher GPAs in college and have higher graduation rates.

Taken from :
2013-14 ap program guide
. (2013). Retrieved from


Back to top