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Last Updated: November 22, 2023

Advanced Placement Courses and Exams

The Advanced Placement program is conducted by the College Board for students who aspire to take extra credits for college before even applying to a college. Taking an AP course provides the student with the experience of intro-level courses that they will have to attend during their first semester in college. This program helps students who are brilliant in their fields to graduate sooner or focus on the more important subjects during college since they can finish the less important ones while in high school.

While the Advanced Placement program is immensely beneficial to the students, the course also makes it easier for admission officers to provide admissions to students if they have taken AP courses. By clearing an AP course with a high score, the student is proving to have the academic skills that are required in college even before attending college.

Courses Offered in Advanced Placement

There are 38 courses offered under the Advanced Placement program and these courses come under different categories like Arts, English, History and Social Sciences, Math and Computer Science, Sciences, and AP World Languages and Cultures. The official College Board website provides students with the option of choosing a course they might excel in by making the student choose their aspired career options and offering a list of courses that can help them attain their career goals. They also have the option of offering apt guidance if the student provides them with their PSAT/SAT scores.

The list of complete Advanced Placement courses is: Some of the courses frequently chosen by the students are as follows-

1
Capstone Diploma Program

2
Arts

3
English

4
History and Social Sciences

5
Math and Computer Science

6
Sciences

7
AP World Languages and Cultures

The language courses deal with an in-depth exploration of the language and its culture through mediums like the study of newspapers, articles, films, music, and books. The study of their culture begins with concepts such as family and the influence of language and culture on identity.

Popular Courses in Advanced Placement

The courses that are most commonly taken by students for advanced placements are English Language and Composition, United States History, English Literature and Composition, World History, and Psychology. The language courses are often chosen least due to the lack of practical application in colleges and universities.

While courses like Calculus are taken by students who excel in the subject, it is not recommended that students choose the toughest subject available since it may affect their overall grades. Students are to choose subjects that fall under their comfort zone and will benefit them in the course they are going to choose for their higher studies. Language courses, even though they are chosen least, are recommended for students who want to stand apart from the rest of the students.

Choosing a Good Advanced Placement Course

Choosing a good Advanced Placement Course starts with having an insight into the kind of colleges the student wants to go to. Narrowing down the list of colleges gives the student the space to research the AP policies of the said college to understand the credit amounts required for admission.

Students will have to choose courses that are thematically similar to the courses that they aspire to take since this provides the student with an opportunity to demonstrate their area of expertise while applying for admission. But at the same time, students can always choose language courses that do not essentially contribute to the degree of their choice but can make them stand out in the admission process.

A good Advanced Placement would then let the student express their skills rather than learning one from scratch. The requirements for colleges and universities differ from one another. Students must always opt for courses that will guarantee them a score of 4 or above instead of choosing tough courses that they might scrap a 3 which is the passing grade.

Courses like AP English Language and Composition, AP Microeconomics, AP Spanish Language and Culture, and AP United States History are thematically similar to most of the courses that students will have to take in their first semesters in college. So, taking up these courses provides leeway to students while attending college.



2024 Advanced Placement Test Dates

Understanding Advanced Placement

Courses Offered in AP