Understanding Advanced Placement®

Advanced Placement® (AP) is a College Board program that exposes high school students to college-level coursework. AP Teachers are highly trained in their respective fields, and they receive ongoing professional development to ensure the rigor and challenge of the AP classes they teach. On top of the possibility of earning college credit, AP classes benefit students in a variety of ways from teaching general college readiness skills to providing an outlet for strengths and interests. 

Your AP scores could earn you college credit or advanced placement (meaning you could skip certain courses in college).  Use THIS tool to find colleges that offer credit or placement for AP scores.

AP Exams and Earning College Credit

AP classes offer students the opportunity to earn college credit, dependent on passing AP Exam scores. Students can score a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Exam, and a 3 is considered passing. Post-secondary institutions that offer college credit for AP Exam scores typically begin offering credit to students with a score of 3 or higher. Occasionally students can receive credit for more than one college class if they score a 4 or 5. Every college has their own policy on offering college credit for passing AP Exam scores, and it is important to note that some colleges do not offer any credit for passing AP Exam scores. To find out more about earning college credit for an AP Exam, refer to a college's website or contact an admissions representative directly to get a copy of their policy. Legacy High School does not guarantee that every college will offer college credit for a passing AP Exam score; it is the student's responsibility to understand the AP credit policy at the post-secondary institution they plan to attend.

AP Exam Score Breakdown:
5 = extremely well qualified, or an A+ or A in corresponding college course
4 = well qualified, or an A-, B+, or B in corresponding college course
3 = qualified, or a B-, C+, or C in corresponding college course
2 = possibly qualified
1 = no recommendation

Click here to view the College Board's AP Student "About AP Scores" page. 

Exam Schedules

AP Exams are offered only once throughout the year, usually in May. Official AP Exam schedules can be found here on College Board's website. Legacy High School administers these exams only during the dates and times listed in the official exam schedule. Students are not able to take the same exam twice in one year, but they may retake an exam the following year if they do not earn the score desired the first time they take it.