What is AP

Advanced Placement — a program offering college-level courses and exams to high school students.

AP, or Advanced Placement, is a program created by the College Board that offers high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses and earn potential college credit by scoring well on standardized AP exams. Launched in 1955, the AP program now offers more than 38 courses across a wide range of subjects.

How AP Courses Work

AP courses are taught by trained high school teachers and follow a curriculum set by the College Board. At the end of the school year, students take a standardized AP exam scored on a scale of 1 to 5:

5 — Extremely well qualified
4 — Well qualified
3 — Qualified
2 — Possibly qualified
1 — No recommendation

Most colleges grant credit or advanced placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5, though policies vary by institution.

Benefits of AP Courses

College credit — A high AP score can earn credit at hundreds of colleges, potentially saving tuition costs
College admissions — Taking AP courses signals to admissions officers that a student is willing to pursue academic rigor
Skill development — AP courses develop college-level writing, critical thinking, and analytical skills
GPA boost — Many schools weight AP courses on a 5.0 scale, raising weighted GPA

Popular AP Courses

Some of the most commonly taken AP courses include:

AP U.S. History
AP English Language and Composition
AP Calculus AB and BC
AP Biology
AP Psychology
AP Computer Science Principles

AP vs. IB

The AP program focuses on individual subject-level mastery, while the International Baccalaureate (IB) program takes a more holistic, interdisciplinary approach. Many students pursue AP courses exclusively, while others attend schools that offer the full IB diploma program.