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Advanced Placement (APs) Courses and Tests: Everything You Need to Know

Advanced Placement (APs) Courses and Tests: Everything You Need to Know

Q: What is the Advanced Placement (AP) program?
A: Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the US and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the exams. The AP curriculum for each of the various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in that field of study. 

Q: Does every high school in the US offer every AP course? 
A: In short, no. High schools must receive approval from the College Board to teach AP courses. Some small high schools do not have the teaching staff or interested students to teach every AP class every year, and may rotate years when they teach certain AP courses. You should consult with the school, as some course catalogs may also be misleading if the course is offered every year or every other year. Note: If you are using the number of AP courses offered by a high school to "rank" the high school, stop! The number of AP courses offered at a particular high school does NOT mean it is better or worse than other schools. It may indicate relative strength of a high school's curricula, however many other factors contribute to this as well. 

Q: How many AP courses are there?
A: There are more than 30. See the list below: