AP Overview

Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams are taken through a student’s high school if the school offers them. There are currently over 30 AP exam options, although most high schools do not offer courses in every subject.

AP courses enable students to pursue college-level coursework while still in high school, with the opportunity to earn college credit or earn advanced placement in college courses. Taking AP courses and the subsequent AP exams provide several benefits, including:

• College Admissions Impact: Taking AP courses shows college admissions officers that a student is challenging themself with the most rigorous high school classes available and can succeed as an undergraduate
• Earning College Credits: Most colleges and universities offer college credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying AP Exam scores. These college credits can allow students to save on college tuition, secure a second major, or study abroad
• Skipping Introductory Classes: Taking an AP course and earning a qualifying score on the AP Exam can allow your student to avoid required introductory courses. This can open up time on your student’s schedule to undertake a second major or minor, take additional electives of interest, or pursue additional activities
• Skill Building: Taking rigorous AP courses helps your student build the requisite skills to continue excelling at the college level

Academic Approach offers customized tutoring solutions for Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. Our experienced and knowledgeable tutors are personally committed to your student’s success.

AP exams are scored on a scale of one to five. The score is calculated as a weighted combination of the multiple-choice and free-response scores. Some courses have additional assessments that are factored in, including AP Seminar, AP Research, AP Computer Science Principles, and three AP Art and Design courses.

Because there is no penalty for incorrect answers, students should guess even if it means filling in random answer choices.

While most colleges and universities factor in taking AP courses as a demonstration of academic strength, whether a high AP exam score strengthens admission decisions depends on the school. More than 75% of admissions officers surveyed by the College Board have stated that a low score would not negatively impact an application.

Colleges and universities typically do not grant college credit for AP scores below a four, though a score lower than a four may still impact course placement. Check with your specific schools of interest to understand how they consider AP scores.

While AP course costs, if any, are determined by high schools, the exam fees are set by the College Board. Each exam is $96, except for AP Seminar and AP Research exams, which are $144 each. For information about additional fees, including international, late order, and unused or canceled exam fees, visit the College Board’s AP Exam webpage.

Students are eligible to request accommodations if they have a qualifying documented disability, an IEP or 504 Plan, or already receive accommodations from their school. Accommodations include extended time, large print test booklets and large block answer sheets, computer-based testing, and accommodations for additional physical disabilities. Requests go through the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office and can be submitted by the student or the student’s counselor. For more information on requesting accommodations, visit the College’s Board’s Accommodations webpage.