Advanced Placement, or AP classes, can seem daunting as students are expected to perform college level work while balancing a heavy workload on top of other classes. While their difficulty should not be underestimated, the effort expended on each class is beneficial.
Students may be intimidated by AP classes because they are a lot of work. The course description for AP government, for example, says the course requires “advanced level reading, extensive writing, and active class participation.” It isn’t a class to sleep through.
Regardless, AP classes are worthwhile because students have the opportunity to save thousands of dollars on college classes, depending on the college and the course. By taking the class in high school, it does not have to be taken during college. But in order to gain credit, students have to take an AP exam — costing around $100 — at the end of the class.
Credit is only earned from a score of three or higher, the maximum score being a five, and some schools require a four or five to completely skip a class. The College Board website has a page called the AP Credit Policy Search, which can be used to see how much credit a specific college awards for each AP class.
Don’t be intimidated — 22.6% out of 35.7% of high school graduates in the US that took at least one AP exam scored a three or higher, or 63%. With enough studying and hard work, AP classes can be conquered.
Completing a college class in high school is an efficient way to get ahead, and free up space for a future college schedule. But if a student chooses not to take the exam, scores less than a three, or does not plan to attend college, the time spent on the class can feel like a waste.
However, the experience of an AP class is still worth it, regardless of passing the test or attending college. It provides an environment to challenge oneself more than in a regular class. For physics, the choice is either AP or regular. Without an honors class, AP physics is more fitting for someone that can excel in science than the standard curriculum.
The difficulty and fast pace of the content covered also simulate the experience of a college class, serving as an authentic trial run before participating in a traditional college course. Students learn how to balance studying so they can complete their homework on time and how to schedule and organize themselves for future, more challenging courses, and jobs that require strict deadlines.
Overall, AP classes can save time and money before college and also teach valuable skills that will be retained even without a perfect score.