Advanced Placement examinations are exams offered in United States by the College Board and are taken each May by students. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement courses. AP exams have a multiple-choice section and a free-response section.

What is the purpose of AP exams?

The main reason to take an AP exam is to demonstrate mastery of rigorous college-level material. And, by scoring a passing grade on an AP exam (3 or above), you can earn college credit at the majority of colleges and universities in the US and Canada.

What does AP test mean?

What is Advanced Placement and why is it important? AP ^® tests are college-level exams on specific subjects and are administered in May upon the completion of an AP course taken at a student's high school. ... In some instances, earning college credit can mean an overall lower college tuition bill.

Can AP exams hurt you?

When making admission decisions, colleges consider many more factors than just exam scores, including the strength of your coursework and your GPA in rigorous courses. ... More than 75% of admission officers we surveyed told us that a low score on an AP Exam would not harm an applicant's admission prospects.

Is the AP exam hard?

In general, all AP classes are challenging and the exams are difficult, since they're meant to be at the same level of an introductory college class.

All about AP Exams / What are AP Tests?

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What does 5 mean on AP?

an AP score of 5 is equivalent to the average score among college students earning grades of A in the college course [of the same subject]… AP Exam scores of 4 are equivalent to college grades of A-, B+, and B. AP exam scores of 3 are equivalent to college grades of B-, C+, and C." (CollegeBoard)

What is the most failed subject in high school?

(CBS4) – Algebra 1 is the most failed class in high schools across the country.

Does Harvard care about AP scores?

While Harvard will not grant college credit for your AP tests, the school does want to see that you have taken advantage of all of the opportunities that are available to you, including AP courses and tests. ... Finally, some high schools do not offer many AP or IB classes or any at all.

Do colleges look at freshman grades?

But how much do colleges look at freshman year? Colleges closely evaluate freshman year grades and activities, but not in the ways you might think. ... And most colleges consider your child's overall high school GPA, meaning the grades they receive freshman year do have weight.

Do AP Exams affect college GPA?

Colleges may award credit but will not assign a grade for AP Exams. They do not affect GPA.

Who grades AP exams?

Specially appointed college professors and experienced AP teachers score this section of the exam. The total scores from the free-response section and the multiple-choice section are combined to form a composite score.

Can you take AP exams as a college student?

College and post-high school students may take the AP exam only if they can find a high school willing to admit them. Only the college can let you know whether or not you can obtain credit for an AP exam. ... If you want to take an AP Exam, you must locate a school willing to test you.

What grades take AP exams?

Students can take AP courses and exams as early as 9th grade, but this is rarely recommended. Certain AP subjects, such as European History and World History, are great choices for 10th graders, but most AP classes are best suited to high school juniors and seniors.

What is the hardest AP class?

United States History, Biology, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C, and Chemistry are often named as the hardest AP classes and tests. These classes have large curriculums, tough tests, and conceptually difficult material.

Do you need AP classes to get into college?

Audrey Kahane, an admissions counselor and blogger, notes that the importance of AP courses extends to how well a student will perform at college. ... You don't need to take AP courses to get into a good school, but they may help you stand out among peers with similar transcripts when getting into college.

What is the easiest AP class?

Top 10 Easiest AP Classes by Exam Pass Rate

• Spanish Literature. 75.1% 17.6%
• Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. 74.4% 40.4%
• Physics 2. 73.3% 14.0%
• Computer Science Principles. 71.6% 10.9%
• Psychology. 71.3% 22.4%
• Computer Science A. 70.4% 25.6%
• Comparative Government and Politics. 70.2% 24.4%
• Music Theory.

What's the perfect GPA?

Unweighted 4.0 GPA Scale

Essentially, the highest GPA you can earn is a 4.0, which indicates an A average in all of your classes. A 3.0 would indicate a B average, a 2.0 a C average, a 1.0 a D, and a 0.0 an F.

What colleges ignore freshman year?

Few colleges explicitly state that they don't look at freshman grades. The only ones that I've come across are the schools in the University of California and California State University systems, McGill University, and Stanford University.

What GPA is required for Harvard?

Last year, the reported average GPA of an admitted high school student at Harvard was a 4.04 out of 4.0, what we call a “weighted” GPA. However, unweighted GPAs are not very useful, because high schools weight GPAs differently. In truth, you need close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA to get into Harvard.

Do colleges prefer AP or IB?

Do Colleges Prefer AP or IB? Colleges typically do not state a preference for AP or IB courses. Both options are rigorous and can help you earn college credit depending on your exam scores. If your school only offers AP or IB, you may want to simply stick with what is available.

Do Ivy Leagues accept AP credit?

It is a fact that six out of the eight Ivy League colleges give college credit for AP exams in which students have scored at least a four, or in some cases, the score must be a five. In all cases, earning high scores on AP exams helps you earn admission to top colleges. ...

Should I send an AP score of 3 to Ivy League?

An AP Score of 3 or 4 will likely not get you any college credit or respect at a top school like Stanford/Ivies/MIT. A score of 5 may not either — top colleges like to think that their courses are more rigorous than APs and thus should not be passed out of, and earning a 5 is simply expected for top admits.

What is the easiest subject in the world?

What are the 12 easiest A-Level subjects?

• Geography. ...
• Textiles. ...
• Film Studies. ...
• Sociology. ...
• Information Technology. ...
• Health and Social Care. ...
• Media Studies. With a pass rate of 100% in 2019, Media Studies is definitely one of the easier A-Levels. ...
• Law. A-Level Law is surprisingly easy, especially compared to degree-level Law.

Which is the toughest subject in the world?

What are the hardest degree subjects?

• Chemistry. Chemistry is famous for being one of the hardest subjects ever, so it's no surprise that a Chemistry degree is fiercely challenging. ...
• Medicine. ...
• Architecture. ...
• Physics. ...
• Biomedical Science. ...
• Law. ...
• Neuroscience. ...
• Astronomy.

Which is the most toughest course in the world?

Toughest Courses in the World Explained

1. Engineering. Considered one of the toughest courses in the world, engineering students are required to have tactical skills, analytical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. ...
2. Chartered Accountancy. ...
3. Medicine. ...
4. Pharmacy. ...
5. Architecture. ...
6. Law. ...
7. Psychology. ...
8. Aeronautics.