Advanced Placement Programs & Testing
The Advanced Placement Program and Examinations provide students
with the chance to earn college level course credit by
taking specially designed approved courses and passing examinations
at a certain level. Approximately 50% of high schools throughout
the United States provide these courses and examination programs.
At some schools, the courses and exams may not be referred to
as AP courses, sometimes they are called "honors" programs
or independent studies programs. (BE CAREFUL, some of these
honors courses MAY NOT be AP approved. Check with the instructors.)
If you complete an Advanced Placement course and then pass the
accompanying exam, colleges you want to attend may grant you credit
for their equivalent college course. This can enable you to
skip some 1st or 2nd year courses and allow you to get ahead in
your college studies. In addition, if you are granted credit
for a college level course, you may be saving a substantial amount
of money by not having to pay for those units of credit. In some cases, colleges
are willing to give up to a year's worth of college level credit if you have
passed 3 or more Advanced Placement exams with high grades. Again, this is a
wonderful way to save the cost of a semester or a years worth of college.
Questions to consider:
-
Who produces or provides the materials for the Advanced Placement Program?
-
Can taking Advanced Placement courses and exams help me be accepted at a college of my choice?
-
Do I have to take an AP course in order to be eligible to take an AP exam?
-
Where do I get more information about the AP courses and exams?
-
When can I take the AP exams and when are the scores reported to colleges?
-
How do I register for AP Examinations?
-
How much do the AP Examinations cost?
-
What curriculum areas are offered for examination by the AP program and how are the tests graded?
The College Entrance Examination Board. (CEEB)
National Office:
Advanced Placement Program
P.O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-6671
Phone: (609) 771-7300
Grades earned in AP courses are frequently
assigned more "weight" by many high schools as they figure out your GPA. For
example, a "B" in an AP course can be counted as an "A" based on the greater
challenge and rigor of the AP course. Many colleges take into consideration the
challenges of taking AP courses and the difficulty of AP exams when reviewing
your transcripts for admission. Obviously, this kind of effort on your part may
influence the admissions committee to view your application in a positive way.
HOWEVER, this does not necessarily mean that the college will decide to admit
you based on this one factor alone, there are other things to consider too.
NO! However, if you are going to attempt one of the
AP exams you had better follow the basic outlines designed to guide students in
AP courses. You can get outlines form the AP national office address listed
above. Be sure you are really ready to take one of the exams.
Your counselor and teachers will be able to provide
you with specific advice about AP courses and exams that you may
want to attempt. In addition, you can pick up a brochure called Advanced Placement Examinations Bulletin for Students
at your
counseling office.
Usually, you will be taking the AP exams after completing the
Advanced Placement or Honors courses that you are taking. This
will probably be in your junior or senior year (although some
students take the courses and exams as sophomores).
For the 2002-2003 academic year, the AP exams will be given from
May 5th to May 9th and from May 12th to May 16th. (AP exams are always offered in the first 2 full
weeks in May.)
AP exam scores are sent in July to you, your high school and
colleges you designate on your identification form at the time
of the exam.
Registration for these exams is usually handled by an on campus
Honors or AP coordinator. They will schedule meetings to give
you registration materials, bulletins and any other information
you need. AP or Honors course teachers should also be available
to help you register and get ready for these exams.
The fee charged for AP exams in 2002-2003 is
$80.00 dollars per exam.
Do not send your fees to the College Entrance Examination Board,
your school will collect all money. There are fee reduction programs
available for those who can show financial need. Talk to your
on campus Advanced Placement Coordinator.
A variety of academic areas are available for
testing. A general listing follows. For a more detailed listing of examination
options, check with your on campus AP coordinator.
Scoring on the AP exams are called grades and are reported on
a 5 point scale. The scale is as follows:
5= Extremely Well Qualified
4= Well Qualified
3=Qualified
2=Possibly Qualified
1=No Recommendation
Most colleges consider a minimum score of 3 on one of these exams as
an acceptable level of achievement.
|
