Advanced Placement (AP) Program: An overview

The College Board offers Advanced Placement Program to allow high school students to participate in college-level classes to prepare them for further education. It also demonstrates students’ interest and aptitude in learning many undergraduate subjects to institutions in the college admissions process.

The AP exams’ grades range from 1 to 5. A score of 1 denotes ‘no recommendation,’ and 5 represents an ‘extremely well qualified’ student. Like CLEP, students can gain college credit and save the tuition fees for the respective subject from nearly 2900 colleges if they get a high score (generally more than 3 or 4) in an AP exam.

Here is the complete list of AP courses and examinations offered by the College Board.

Math and Computer Science

AP Calculus AB

This Advanced Placement calculus course follows precalculus. It covers the basic concepts of limits, differentiation, integration, and differential equations.

AP Calculus BC

It includes the complete AP Calculus AB syllabus and adds subsequent topics like infinite sequences and series, polar coordinates, parametric equations, and vector-valued functions

AP Statistics

Also informally called AP Stat or AP Stats, this Advanced Placement course is equivalent to a non-calculus-based elementary one-semester college statistics course. It is suitable for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school.

AP Statistics involves numerical and graphical techniques to analyze data distributions, including univariate, bivariate, and categorical data. The students plan and conduct a study involving various sampling or experimentation data collection methods and draw conclusions based on the results. It also involves studying probability and its role in detecting patterns in data distributions. The last section covers statistical inferences and conclusions using point estimation, confidence intervals, and significance tests.

AP Computer Science Principles

AP Computer Science A

Sciences

AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based

Equivalent to a first-semester college course, this Advanced Placement science course includes kinematics, dynamics, circular motion and gravitation, energy, momentum, simple harmonic motion, torque, and rotational motion. Geometry is a prerequisite for this program. If the candidate didn’t study Algebra II earlier, it is possible to learn it concurrently. The College Board also recommends familiarity with trigonometry for a greater chance of success.

AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based

Covering thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and atomic and nuclear physics, AP Physics 2 is equivalent to a second-semester algebra-based physics college course.

AP Physics C: Mechanics

Students planning to study engineering or physical science in the future usually opt for this program. AP Physics C: Mechanics is equivalent to a one-semester college physics course. This calculus-based AP physics program also involves laboratory activities and in-class investigation of mechanical phenomena. The course syllabus includes kinematics, Newton’s laws of motion, work, energy, and power, systems of particles and linear momentum, rotation, oscillations, and gravitation.

AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

It is a one-semester, college-level calculus-based physics course developed for students aspiring to specialize in physics or one of the engineering disciplines. It comprises classroom study and activities and hands-on laboratory experiments involving change, fields, force interactions, and conservation. The curriculum includes electrostatics, conductors, capacitors, dielectrics, electric circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetism.

AP Chemistry

AP Environmental Science

Arts

AP Art and Design Program

AP Art History

English

AP English Language and Composition

History and social sciences

AP Comparative Government and Politics

AP World History: Modern

AP World Languages and Cultures

AP German Language and Culture

AP Latin

AP Seminar

It helps typical grade 10 or 11 students learn and practice research, collaboration, and communication skills applicable to all academic disciplines, especially in advanced courses. The student explores topics in various subject areas and composes essays based on research. Finally, the student individually presents the learnings and does the same in a group setting.

AP Research

It takes over from AP Seminar, a prerequisite. It requires the students to choose and study an academic topic, issue, or problem in-depth. The program involves planning, designing, and executing a year-long research-based project to address the chosen topic.

AP Capstone Diploma Program

The AP Capstone™ diploma program combines AP Seminar and AP Research. Professionals involved in higher education felt that a structured program could help the high school students acclimatize to the advanced educational methodologies initially requested to develop this program.

Rather than focusing on a specific subject, the program helps the students develop crucial academic skills like public speaking, critical thinking, conducting research, and collaboration across disciplines. The student can benefit from completing it as colleges worldwide recognize the effort required.

How to study for your AP exams?

AP is not an easy program, and unless you score well, an average or below-average grade won’t serve you any purpose. Preparing well for this exam requires unique strategies. You must build solid concepts by reading and practicing the recommended books. After that, start solving previous year exams in real-time to simulate the stress and strain you must go through in the actual exam. That will help you make better strategies to tackle the AP exam better. You will also become aware of the unique tricks and tips that you must use to get a high score in this exam.

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