Question about AP classes

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

What exactly are AP classes? Are they a follow-up to a normal class? Or do they substitute the normal class?

 

For example, Chemistry. Would a student take the regular Chemistry class (and see if he likes it) followed the following year by the AP class? Or would he jump right into the AP class?

 

In other words, is previous knowledge of the subject expected, or do they teach from scratch?

 

Forgive this non-American. Over here, when I was a young one, everyone would take a year of Chemistry, and those who liked it followed up with a second year. All sciences were like.

[FloridaLisa]

Cleo,

 

Think of AP classes as college level (that's why a student can get college credit for certain scores on the AP test). So, for some college classes, you would want to have studied at the high school level first. Many of the APs fall into this category -- music theory, foreign language, and some of the sciences. But a lower level class isn't necessary for every class or every student. AP classes such as Human Geography, Environmental Science, Psycology, Stats and even some of the math and sciences can be done without a lower level class. So some students go right into AP Chemistry or AP biology. We didn't do that here. :001_smile:

 

Does that help?

 

Lisa

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

So, in short, if I am thinking of having my son do AP Chemistry, AP Biology AP Physics, that would mean I have to plan for 6 courses. The regular high school one followed by the AP one? Is that right?

[Kareni]

It really depends to a great extent on your child's interest in the material. For example, some have posted here of having done both Apologia levels of Chemistry in one year and then taking the AP Chemistry test. Others have children who use Campbell's Biology (without previously having had a high school level Biology class) and then take the AP exam in Biology at exam time in May. Others choose to take a two year approach with a high school level class followed by an AP class.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[EKS]

So, in short, if I am thinking of having my son do AP Chemistry, AP Biology AP Physics, that would mean I have to plan for 6 courses. The regular high school one followed by the AP one? Is that right?

 

I know lots of people disagree with me on this, but (and I was a biochemistry major) I absolutely believe that a strong high school student who has a solid middle school science background and is at the appropriate level in math should be able to succeed in AP science courses without first taking the high school version.

[Blue Hen]

I won't disagree with you --- my DS did just that. Strong chemistry and physics in 7th and 8th grade, life science course in 9th then:

AP Bio 10th

AP Chem 11th

AP Physics C 12th

 

Worked (and he enjoyed having the challenging courses)

 

Carole

[SS in MD]

Carole,

Where did your ds take AP Biology, AP Chem, AP Physics - at home or online?

 

My oldest will be in 9th grade in the fall. I'm thinking of her doing hs Biology thru' local co-op then in 10th go to cc and take Bio 101 & 102, and try the AP test that May. But, I hear cc doesn't cover all AP topics, so she'll need to study on her own. I was planning on dd doing the same for chem in 11th & physics in 12th (thru' local cc then take AP). But, I'd also like to look into other options... dd wants to go into science field.

 

Thanks for your help!

Sangita

[Reya]

SOME AP classes usually substitute second-year high school classes. Most college-prep students now take 4 years of science in high school:

 

Physics I

Biology I

Chemistry I

One of the above II

 

AP is usually taken after an Honors/Pre-AP foundation as the second course int he series. AP is college level, and it uses college, not high school textbooks. You CAN pass the test without a previous background, as it starts at the foundation of the science, but few high schools would let you do this.

 

In math, AP is simply beyond the normal scope and sequence, for those who finish the other maths "early." They finish high school math and move on to college calculus (AB is Cal I, and BC is I and II) or statistics.

 

In many other subjects, it is a simple substitution: American History AP instead of American History, or World History AP instead of World History.

 

AP only gets you something if you do well in the exam and if your desired school takes your credit in that exam with the score you received. You get a 1-5 as a score. No colleges that I know of take 1 or 2 for credit, a few take 3 in some things, most take 4 in some things but not in others, and almost all colleges take 5s in some things.

 

My AP classes were, without exception, more thorough and more challenging than my first-year college courses, and they were also better taught. My AP tests were, again without exception, harder than my first-year finals in any subject.

 

You usually receive credit for 1-2 college classes with a good score (if the school takes it at all)--usually one class for a one-semester course or a 3 (sometimes) or a 4 (often) on a two-semester course or two classes for a two-semester course with the highest scores. but with foreign languages, you can sometimes get much more. I got credit for 6 classes--18 credit hours--with my 5 on Spanish Lang.

 

What an AP test covers--and therefore what an AP class covers--is very highly regulated and usually quite rigorous.

 

AP is also entirely a la cart, as opposed to IB, which is a full-spectrum curriculum. Others may disagree, but I found kids who'd had IB less prepared than those with AP backgrounds.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Reya

[Blue Hen]

DS took AP Biology and Chem with PA HSers. AP Physics he is doing on his own with the help of a Physics grad student (wish we had found him at the begining of the year)

 

AP Biology was wonderful - great --- Dr. Gross was a great teacher, interacted with her students and while the students didn't interact a great deal with each other it was really a positive experience. The negative is that Dr. Gross' last year with PA HS'ers is this year. She feels the need to spend more time hs'ing her own dd and an online class is really, really time consuming for the involved teacher (I know, I teach AP Stat for PA HS'ers). I don't know that PA HS'ers has anyone else lined up to replace her.

 

AP Chem was through PA HS'ers. Peter can also be found through ChemAdvantage. He was great to work with, organized class structure but little interaction between the students.

 

If my DS had taken these equivalent classes at the CC I would NOT have had him sit for the AP test. The grade from the CC course is what I would have supplied to the college / placed on his high school transcript. There is a huge possibility that the CC class would not have prepared him for the AP test.

 

Carole

[SS in MD]

Carole,

Thanks for your post. Very helpful.

I hope PA Homeschoolers will offer AP Biology again, or in a few years AP Physics.

Tell me, do you think dd should have hs chemistry before taking AP Chem thru' PA Homeschoolers. The last time she did chem was middle school...

 

Thanks!

Sangita

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

AP only gets you something if you do well in the exam and if your desired school takes your credit in that exam with the score you received. You get a 1-5 as a score. No colleges that I know of take 1 or 2 for credit, a few take 3 in some things, most take 4 in some things but not in others, and almost all colleges take 5s in some things.

<snip>

You usually receive credit for 1-2 college classes with a good score (if the school takes it at all

 

Thank you Reya! That was a nice breakdown of what's needed.

 

Our local college will not issue any credit for an AP result of 4 or 5. They will just accept the homeschooler, but give no more.

Mind you, over here, kids have 13 years of schooling before applying for college, while in the States it's 12 years, and a 4 years degree takes 3 years. So I think the AP is that 13th year.

 

We want to play it safe and have DS take AP for all three sciences and math. After all, he would have had that 13th year in all sciences and math, if he were in the standard local school system.

 

I think I'll have him do AP Bio right away, bypassing the regular bio. And possibly AP Chemistry the same way.

 

ARGH! This planning is hard!!!

[Blue Hen]

Depends upon what the middle school chemistry was. For my ds' middle school chemistry we used a high school level chemistry book For his middle school physics we used a high school level physics book. He's a kid that for fun reads science textbooks. I don't foresee my next ds taking very many AP science classes or tests. He doesn't live-and-breath science.

[Nissi]

An online friend said her dd. found the pace of AP Chemistry to be very fast and strenous after taking Apologia Chemistry. Mr. Moskluk recommends a rigorous highschool chemistry course before AP Chemistry.

[Reya]

Mind you, over here, kids have 13 years of schooling before applying for college, while in the States it's 12 years, and a 4 years degree takes 3 years. So I think the AP is that 13th year.

 

 

Yep--except that AP in the US can get you a lot more than 30 credit hours, and AP foreign language can get you credit through the end of the sophomore level here. (Some universities only grant credit for Spanish 201/202 if you get a 5 and not give you 101/102/201/202, though the result is pretty much the same....)

 

I walked into my university with 57 credit hours. We didn't even have Geog, Stat, or World Hist as options at my HS, and I only took one of the 3 AP sciences, so there is actually the possibility of getting even more from some colleges. Anyhow, with the US system, it's often possible to shorten your BA/BS degree by more than a year. Very few students take that many courses, though, and most who do still take 4 years and fill up the time with other things.

[FloridaLisa]

I think I'll have him do AP Bio right away, bypassing the regular bio. And possibly AP Chemistry the same way.

 

Just wanted to point out, for everyone following this thread, that AP Bio has a lot of chemistry in it. Ds1 did APbio in 10th grade, but had already taken Apologia bio in 8th and Apologia chem in 9th. It was a lot (I mean a lot) of work. About 1 1/2- 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. He's a smart boy, but APs are not for the faint of heart. And I'm not saying y'all are faint of heart Cleo! Probably not at all. But, it's always good to know, for everyone looking into AP, what you are commiting to.

 

 

ARGH! This planning is hard!!!

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

Have a great day!

Lisa

[Granny_Weatherwax]

This thread has been very informative. I recently began looking into AP/Cleps for DS.

 

AP Bio is one that he would like to take, along with US History.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

How many APs does the usual bright US schooled-student bring to a college application process anyway? One, two?

Maybe I'm trying too hard with APs in all three sciences and maths and computer sciences...

[Gratia271]

An online friend said her dd. found the pace of AP Chemistry to be very fast and strenous after taking Apologia Chemistry. Mr. Moskluk recommends a rigorous highschool chemistry course before AP Chemistry.

 

What constitutes a rigorous chemistry course?

[Kareni]

How many APs does the usual bright US schooled-student bring to a college application process anyway? One, two?

 

This is a good question, Cleo, to which I doubt there is a good answer! The number of APs a bright college bound student does depends to a large extent on what number of APs his or her high school offers. (Admittedly, some public schooled students, like homeschooled students, do choose to self-study.) Some elite public schools offer nearly all 30+ AP tests, other more run of the mill high schools might offer only half a dozen, many public high schools offer none. Some elite private high schools choose not to offer any AP exams but instead offer Honors courses.

 

My bright college bound student (who was homeschooled) took four AP tests: Latin, US History, Comparative Politics & Government, and Statistics.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Laura in CA]

This is a good question, Cleo, to which I doubt there is a good answer! The number of APs a bright college bound student does depends to a large extent on what number of APs his or her high school offers. (Admittedly, some public schooled students, like homeschooled students, do choose to self-study.) Some elite public schools offer nearly all 30+ AP tests, other more run of the mill high schools might offer only half a dozen, many public high schools offer none. Some elite private high schools choose not to offer any AP exams but instead offer Honors courses.

 

:iagree:

 

Our local high school offers only about 6 AP courses ... while the next town over offers basically all of them (except Latin and a few others). I do know a very bright local girl (who attended the public high school) who took a bunch of AP classes online (because the high school didn't offer them), and she is now at Stanford. I keep meaning to ask her mother *which* online classes she took ... !!

 

~Laura

[JFSinIL]

My ds jumped right into AP for all three history topics. For Biology, he did have an earlier, "regular" biology course. For English and Calc. - just took AP instead of grade-appropriate "regular" class.

 

If you would put a kid into Honors instead of regular for any topic, why not go ahead and try AP?

[SS in MD]

I've been pondering APs for our oldest (9th grade in the fall)...

I had a few questions-

1)PA homeschoolers offers a variety of APs, but I've heard thru' this board dc can do AP course as self-study, but the syllabus must be college-board approved - is that correct?

2) What if dc does take AP (thru' online) but scores poorly (I guess 3 or less) how does this reflect on transcript? Does college board still relay this info to perspective colleges? Can I ask for score not to be sent?

3) I only know of PA homeschoolers that offer AP course (college board approved) any others out there? (dd wants to try AP Environmental Science, but PA doesn't offer it. I saw a syllabus on Nat'l Repository of Online courses, but honestly don't know where to go from there... or how to create a daily schedule... etc)

Thanks SO much,

Sangita

[Kareni]

I'll answer your first question.

 

...1)PA homeschoolers offers a variety of APs, but I've heard thru' this board dc can do AP course as self-study, but the syllabus must be college-board approved - is that correct?

 

Anyone can self-study for an AP test with or without an approved syllabus. However, if you wish to state on your transcript that your student took (for example)

 

AP US History

 

you must have a College Board approved syllabus. If you wish to state that your child took the course

 

US History

 

you are always free to mention in your course description that this course culminated in the AP test. You can also include a test section on your transcript and note all AP test scores.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Luckymama]

How many APs does the usual bright US schooled-student bring to a college application process anyway? One, two?

Maybe I'm trying too hard with APs in all three sciences and maths and computer sciences...

 

I can answer this since I have kids in two different private high schools.

 

Our son will graduate with 10 AP classes. He is at the top of his class of 200+ (he was still first at the end of last semester) This year he is taking AP Calc AB, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP English Language, and AP US History (along with Wind Ensemble, Latin 3, and the mandated junior year religion classes). Next year will be AP Stats, AP Physics C: Electicity and Magnetism, AP Environmental Science, AP English Literature, AP US Government, and AP Psychology (along with the mandated senior year religion class).

 

His guidance counselor said the coursework next year, even with more AP classes, will be easier than this year. AP Calc is THE HARDEST course at his school (the teacher has had only one boy NOT score a 5 in her 10 years of teaching the course!). I am grateful the school splits the two Physics C classes into two year-long courses as there is no way he could handle the work otherwise.

 

He is an outlier though. Most "regular" guys only take 2 AP classes total, usually US History and one of the English choices. Most bright students add one science and one math to that. His academic peers are taking 3 this year and 3 next year, with the exception of one boy who has 3 this year and 5 next year (that boy is aiming for Ivy-level schools).

 

At our daughter's school, all higher-level sophomores take AP US History. Junior year they will take 1-3 APs, depending on interests (she'll probably be in AP Calc, an English, and World History or Gov't). Senior year they take 2-4 APs, again depending on interests (she'll probably take AP Bio, Psych, the other English and Gov't or World History)

 

Both schools offer almost all AP possibilities------in fact I think the only ones NOT offered are Human Geography (I think that's the course title) and Latin. Ds's school offers the Latin as an option only during senior year, for those guys that came into school testing out of Latin 1. I don't think any of the seniors is taking the AP option this year, though.

 

The local public high school offers a bunch of APs and an IB program. I don't know anyone with upperclassmen at the school to know anything about average courses taken.

[In The Great White North]

Our local high school only offers one AP course : Environmental Science, but will order any for you.

 

I've checked a few European universities (whose schools are on the 13 year plan) and they seem to equate 5 Ap tests with the Abitur/Maturite, but do not count: Art History, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Music Theory, Psychology, Statistics, Studio Art, Comp Government & Politics, U.S. Government & Politics (List from Uni of Bern, which doesn't recognize a homeschool or correspondence school diploma.)

[Kareni]

Thanks for sharing those details, Luckymama. Your son sounds like a very busy young man.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Laura in CA]

I've checked a few European universities (whose schools are on the 13 year plan) and they seem to equate 5 Ap tests with the Abitur/Maturite, but do not count: Art History, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Music Theory, Psychology, Statistics, Studio Art, Comp Government & Politics, U.S. Government & Politics (List from Uni of Bern, which doesn't recognize a homeschool or correspondence school diploma.)

 

Here's what Oxford wants to see from U.S. applicants:

 

We would also expect Grade 5 in three or more Advanced Placement tests in appropriate subjects or SAT Subject Tests in three appropriate subjects at 700 or better.

 

(Obviously Oxford is for exceptional students, and UK students have had more years of specialization than the average U.S. kid, but it gives an idea of what a foreign univ wants, like Great White North posted.)

 

How many APs does the usual bright US schooled-student bring to a college application process anyway? One, two?

Maybe I'm trying too hard with APs in all three sciences and maths and computer sciences...

 

When I was in school (a long time ago!), yes, one or two was the norm; everyone science-minded took AP Calculus BC, and then maybe one other one, such as AP Physics or AP US History. But now ... kids are doing more. Bright kids seem to do between 2 and 5. Super-bright kids, of course, do more -- a friend's daughter did 17 APs and went to Harvard; another local girl did 20something APs and went to Stanford. So these 'elite' schools are seeing amazing numbers of APs, and I think some kids/parents are feeling pressure to do a lot.

 

ETA: Obviously not every kid at an elite school did 17-30 APs, nor does doing that many guarantee admission! I just threw in that 'anecdata' because *I* wouldn't have thought it humanly possible to do that many ... but some kids are outliers, like Luckymama's son and other kids on this board.

 

For me, I plan to do as many or as few as my kids want to or can handle, which means that for one of my sons, he will do two in 9th grade, aligning with his interests (Comp Sci & Calculus), and other AP classes each year after that, so he will end up with at least 8. However, my other son will do Calculus in 10th and then who knows ... he is "bright," but a slow reader & a deliberate writer, so I don't foresee *any* of the history or language ones in his future, but perhaps a science one -- but not until 12th grade. That just feels right for him.

 

~Laura

Edited April 21, 2010 by Laura in CA

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Woah, that many,eh?

10 to 17 AP? (ok, I know, it's for very bright students, the elite, the creme de la creme). But it gives me something to shoot for, and it tells me that I'm not overdoing it at all with 4 planned APs for my son (3 in sciences, 1 in math).

I really don't see any interest in having him work on AP history, it's just not his style. Maybe an AP in French? :-) That would be cheating, but hey, why not?

[Laura in CA]

Maybe an AP in French? :-) That would be cheating, but hey, why not?

 

I don't think it's cheating! I say, go for it! ;-)

 

At the Northern California state MathCounts competition last month, *15* of the top 16 kids were Chinese-American. Many of them speak Chinese at home, attend Chinese school (complaining all the time) on Saturdays, and spend part of their summers in China (complaining about the lack of access to Facebook and Google). I expect that most of these super-bright kids will take the AP Chinese exam in a few years. Yes, they have a big advantage over someone who doesn't speak the language at home, but I also don't think it will be a complete walk in the park for them, since it has "culture" questions and also (I think) writing. Same with native Spanish speakers ... anyway, don't feel guilty! ;-)

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I wonder though, those Chinese-Americans definitely have an advantage, but they are educated mostly in English, no?

That's not quite the case for my son. He's getting half of his education in French, and half in English (plus 1/3 in foreign languages :tongue_smilie: )

 

I wonder too, if the university would consider it cheating. It's like a Chinese living in China passing the AP Chinese...

 

On the other hand, DS will probably do AP French either next year or after that. And it will be his first taste of what's an AP test. We don't really care if he gets a 3 or a 5 on this test :)

[In The Great White North]

I don't think it's cheating - they do have an AP English test (two, I think) and I'd bet that everyone who takes it was educated in English.

[Mrs Mungo]

Woah, that many,eh?

10 to 17 AP? (ok, I know, it's for very bright students, the elite, the creme de la creme). But it gives me something to shoot for, and it tells me that I'm not overdoing it at all with 4 planned APs for my son (3 in sciences, 1 in math).

I really don't see any interest in having him work on AP history, it's just not his style. Maybe an AP in French? :-) That would be cheating, but hey, why not?

 

It's not cheating at all. In fact, it is part of the *intent*. I had a boss who was raised in Mexico and went to an American university. He actually minored in Spanish, based on the AP/CLEP credits he received plus one lit class.

[jld]

Dd is planning to take the French test. She did some practice questions last fall, and didn't get them all right.

[SS in MD]

Here's what Oxford wants to see from U.S. applicants:

 

We would also expect Grade 5 in three or more Advanced Placement tests in appropriate subjects or SAT Subject Tests in three appropriate subjects at 700 or better.

 

(Obviously Oxford is for exceptional students, and UK students have had more years of specialization than the average U.S. kid, but it gives an idea of what a foreign univ wants, like Great White North posted.)

 

 

 

When I was in school (a long time ago!), yes, one or two was the norm; everyone science-minded took AP Calculus BC, and then maybe one other one, such as AP Physics or AP US History. But now ... kids are doing more. Bright kids seem to do between 2 and 5. Super-bright kids, of course, do more -- a friend's daughter did 17 APs and went to Harvard; another local girl did 20something APs and went to Stanford. So these 'elite' schools are seeing amazing numbers of APs, and I think some kids/parents are feeling pressure to do a lot.

 

ETA: Obviously not every kid at an elite school did 17-30 APs, nor does doing that many guarantee admission! I just threw in that 'anecdata' because *I* wouldn't have thought it humanly possible to do that many ... but some kids are outliers, like Luckymama's son and other kids on this board.

 

For me, I plan to do as many or as few as my kids want to or can handle, which means that for one of my sons, he will do two in 9th grade, aligning with his interests (Comp Sci & Calculus), and other AP classes each year after that, so he will end up with at least 8. However, my other son will do Calculus in 10th and then who knows ... he is "bright," but a slow reader & a deliberate writer, so I don't foresee *any* of the history or language ones in his future, but perhaps a science one -- but not until 12th grade. That just feels right for him.

 

~Laura

 

Laura,

Thanks for the post. Our oldest will enter 9th in the fall and we are discussing APs as well (see my earlier post on this thread). I really want dd to challenge herself in high school but not burnout... This is our 1st homeschooler a high schooler, and this may sound like a silly question, but how do you know do you gauge how many APs your dc can handle? It's been SO long since I was in hs and took APs.

 

I'm assuming if dd took AP test and didn't score high it still stays on her record and sent to perspective colleges?

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond:001_smile:

[Hunter's Moon]

Laura,

Thanks for the post. Our oldest will enter 9th in the fall and we are discussing APs as well (see my earlier post on this thread). I really want dd to challenge herself in high school but not burnout... This is our 1st homeschooler a high schooler, and this may sound like a silly question, but how do you know do you gauge how many APs your dc can handle? It's been SO long since I was in hs and took APs.

 

I'm assuming if dd took AP test and didn't score high it still stays on her record and sent to perspective colleges?

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond:001_smile:

 

I don't really know if there is a way to gauge how many your child can handle. At the Public School I go to now, they basically force children into the AP program and while the AP program is good, not all can handle it, and so they burnout and give up. I am not saying your daughter would, that is just how it is at my school.

 

That being said, maybe start her off with AP in whatever she is really good at. If she is great at English but lacking a bit in Math, hold off AP Math for a year or so, or even her whole high school career if she never feels confident enough to take it.

 

College would also not deny your daughter if she failed an AP test. The AP test is too determine if she can get any college credits, not if the college would like her. So the AP tests are more for your child, not the colleges. You can take the tests as many times as you want and I would advise you to have her take as many AP tests as she can, because who knows, maybe she will do really well on one she thought she knew nothing about. Couldn't hurt.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

A new question ... Would it look bad if the child takes AP exams over *six* years?

 

My son would be ready starting next year. He's accelerated by 2 years, and we're thinking of spreading his high school load over 6 years instead of 4, thus having him graduate at 18 per the norm. Since he's a bilingual kid, his course load is a tad heavier than normal. He does French as a first language *and* English as a first language for example. That makes a lot of books to read when you hit literature. His sciences are done twice, so he can learn the technical words in both languages.

 

I'm considering AP French next year, as a training experience. :-)

[Blue Hen]

..... not overdoing it at all with 4 planned APs for my son (3 in sciences, 1 in math).

I really don't see any interest in having him work on AP history, it's just not his style. Maybe an AP in French? :-) That would be cheating, but hey, why not?

 

My science-loving ds really enjoyed his AP Econ class this year. It also pushed him into an unfamiliar area and was a nice elective for him.

 

I would explore the AP French although some colleges will not accept AP credit for a foreign language if it is your native language. Here's just one school's policy that I quickly found:

Students are not eligible to receive credit for AP foreign language exams that are the same as their native language. However, they may receive credit for AP foreign literature exams that are the same as their native language. Best to check with a few of the colleges your child might apply to first.

 

 

Carole

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Econ is on our list of APs to explore.

As for us and the university where my son will apply (and hopefully attend), APs are used strictly as a way of determining if the youth is ready for college or not. No credit will be given. Usually kids enter university for a three year degree, not a four year one, because they have one extra year of schooling (11 years to finish high school, not 12, followed by 2 years of CEGEP for a total of 13). So APs are strictly a way of showing that he's had 13 years worth of education. I *think* but I'm not sure that American kids getting into that university are asked to do an extra year (a prep year, if you want) and they end up doing 4 years.

[Joan in GE]

I don't think it's cheating - they do have an AP English test (two, I think) and I'd bet that everyone who takes it was educated in English.

 

I agree in the even broader sense of "language".

 

If a physics teacher's child takes the Physics AP it is not considered cheating, etc.

 

Plus, as the statistics show on the College Board, taking the test of your native tongue does not guarantee a 5. Eg French

 

I'm guessing those who don't get a 5 are not studying the language like your children Cleo. The only thing about taking the AP very young is the speed of response. But if you practice with the practice books, it should give you an idea. I don't know the cost of the test in Canada, here it cost us $165 this year. In 9th last year, my ds did well, but he'd had practice in testing in group situations already in the Swiss schools.

 

Interesting about the credit or lack of it Blue Hen...

 

Joan

[Kareni]

We began with one AP class (and exam) when my teen was in 10th grade. You can begin whenever you think your child might be ready. If in May, you decide your child is not ready, then he/she need not sit for the exam. (Bear in mind, you probably would not be able to get your test fee back.) You might determine readiness by having him/her take a practice exam at home.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Laura in CA]

A new question ... Would it look bad if the child takes AP exams over *six* years?

...

I'm considering AP French next year, as a training experience. :-)

 

Not at all, I think. Some kids start with the "easier" ones like Human Geo in 8th grade. Kathy in Richmond posted a link to the College Board's AP data. You can see that last year, 96 pre-9th-graders took the AP French Language exam (while only 2 pre-9th-graders took the AP French Lit exam -- no longer offered, anyway). So, a small but nonzero number of younger students took AP French Language.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Yeah! I'm off to figure out what "human geography" is all about! ;-)

 

That and AP French, for next year. Let the AP years begin!! :001_smile: