AP Exams

Advanced Placement

AP assessments allow students to get a feel for the rigors of college-level studies while in High School. By participating in AP studies, students demonstrate to college admission officers that they have sought out an educational experience that prepares them for success in college and beyond. AP exams are offered in May.  The schedule for administering the AP exams is created by the College Board.  High School Students register for the assessments at their local high school. 

Designed to measure how well students have mastered the content and skills of a specific AP course, most AP exams are paper-and-pencil exams, but a few courses have different ways to assess learning—for example, AP Art and Design students submit a portfolio of work for scoring; some AP World Languages and Cultures exams are computer-based.

AP exams are a weighted combination of the student's scores in a multiple-choice and a free-response section. Scores are reported on a 5 point scale (5 being the highest) and show mastery in the course. Scores of 3, 4, or 5 can afford students credit for a college course or enable them to skip the college course (policies vary by college).