AP General Information
The Advanced Placement (AP) examinations are administered by the College Board at the end of every school year. There are forty-two different exams covering a wide variety of subjects. These exams are typically taken by high school students as the culmination to a yearlong AP course in the corresponding subject. Students take these exams to gain college credit if they score high enough. Additionally, many schools will review AP scores as an admissions factor.
AP Exams Offered
- Arts (5)
- 2-D Art and Design
- 3-D Art and Design
- Drawing
- Art History
- Music Theory
- English (2)
- English Language and Composition
- English Literature and Composition
- History & Social Sciences (10)
- African American Studies
- Comparative Government and Politics
- European History
- Human Geography
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- Psychology
- US Government and Politics
- US History
- Word History: Modern
- Math & Computer Science (6)
- Calculus AB
- Calculus BC
- Computer Science A
- Computer Science Principles
- Precalculus
- Statistics
- Sciences (7)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Physics 1: Algebra-Based
- Physics 2: Algebra-Based
- Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- Physics C: Mechanics
- World Languages & Cultures (8)
- Chinese Language and Culture
- French Language and Culture
- German Language and Culture
- Italian Language and Culture
- Japanese Language and Culture
- Latin
- Spanish Language and Culture
- Spanish Literature and Culture
- AP Capstone & Career Kickstart (4)
- AP Research
- AP Seminar
- Business with Personal Finance
- Cybersecurity
Format and Content
Every exam is comprised of a multiple-choice section and a free-response section (either essay or problem-solving format). The one exception is the AP Studio Art exams where students submit a portfolio of their work. Exams range in length from approximately 2 to 3 hours. The content on each exam varies depending on the subject.
Scoring
Exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5. Policies vary by institution, but a score of 3 or higher on any particular exam is typically required for college credit to be granted or for college prerequisites to be waived. Below is the grading rubric:
5: Extremely well qualified
4: Well-qualified
3: Qualified
2: Possibly qualified
1: No recommendation
Testing Schedule
AP exams are held throughout the month every May.