As early as 9th grade, YL students have the option to dip their feet into the waters of AP with the AP Human Geography course taught by Mr. Bradford. Past sophomore year, the majority of core academic classes are typically taught at two levels: college prep or AP, pressuring students to make a choice. AP courses are shaped to prepare their students for the time-intensive AP exams at the end of the school year. With AP exam purchases due on November 5, should students take these AP exams (at $96 per exam)?

APs — formally known as Advanced Placement classes– are usually more difficult than honors classes (hence why most AP courses are locked to underclassmen). Honors classes are more rigorous classes of the school’s regular classes, with its curriculum individual to the school’s. On the other hand, the Advanced Placement program is developed by the College Board, who dictates its curriculum. Advanced Placement offers college-level material and exams to its students, giving high schoolers a taste of college education before the real deal.

Being college-level courses, AP classes can also offer college credit — on a condition. AP courses often include a corresponding AP exam at the end of the year, which is optional but costs a standard $95 for each exam for students in US schools. These tests are scored from a 1 to 5 (5 being the highest score), with a 3 usually considered the passing score, but only qualifying for credit at particular schools. 

Most colleges will accept Advanced Placement for college credit only upon receiving passing scores of either 3, 4, or 5 — a condition unique to each college, so be sure to research AP exam requirements for your desired colleges. On top of that, signing up for AP exams is not restricted to students taking the AP course and is open to everyone, opening up the option of self-studying for particularly driven students.

Given the emphasis on scoring well in the AP exams, many teachers may offer a grade boost for classes based on exam scores. These grade boosts can range from a specific number of percentage points (a 5% grade boost for a 5 scored on the exam, for example) to an entire letter grade jump. Further, some percentage boosts might offer the option to be split across semesters. That’s right, you might be able to retroactively change a past B+ from the first semester into an A- if your teacher allows that.

Elise Stiefel (12) plans to take 6 AP exams in May of next year. “AP exams are worth taking if you have a good idea of what you want for the future,” she says. “High AP exam scores look great on college applications, and the UC schools will also accept AP exam scores as course credit.”

AP exams come at a high cost, making it critical to make a careful decision whether to take the exam or not. Consider the price, workload, and depth of knowledge before finalizing a choice to purchase the exam!