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I've searched old threads, and so far have been unable to find an answer to this question. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out with this.

 

If someone takes AP US History in high school, do they also take a regular US History class first, or does the AP class replace regular American History?

 

And, would AP Biology replace a regular Biology class, or would it replace Advanced Biology?

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Decades ago, but when I was in high school, I took AP US History and did not take a regular US history course.

 

I believe students at our school did have a traditional biology course first before taking the AP Bio course though.

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I've searched old threads, and so far have been unable to find an answer to this question. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out with this.

 

If someone takes AP US History in high school, do they also take a regular US History class first, or does the AP class replace regular American History?

 

And, would AP Biology replace a regular Biology class, or would it replace Advanced Biology?

It depends on the student and the subject. Many students study subjects before taking an AP class, and others do not. Some public schools offer what they call "Pre-AP" classes, which are first-year high-school-level classes, often on an honors level. Some APs are more challenging than others, especially the lab sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

Calculus, English, and the foreign languages are the next step in a progression. Others such as Human Geography, Economics, and Psychology are routinely taken without having had the subject before.

 

To help you decide what to do with your dc, have a look at the CB website AP course descriptions. Keep in mind that there are plans to change the biology, history, and other exams. No one is exactly sure what will happen, so it would be best to be flexible in your planning.

 

HTH,

GardenMom

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AP U.S. History replaces the regular U.S. History course. The other AP history courses work the same way, as do the English courses. AP Human Geography is kind of a stand-alone class, but I know of at least one public school which allowed students to take AP Human Geography instead of World Geography to satisfy the geography portion of the social studies requirement.

 

I attended public school in 10th-12th grade (graduated 2007), and I have *never* heard of anyone taking AP Biology without first taking a year of biology. So, AFAIK, AP Biology is in effect a second year of biology. The same goes for the other AP sciences (Chemistry and Physics).

 

The AP foreign language tests were equated in my high school with a fourth year of a foreign language. Basically, they require fluency in the language.

 

HTH! :)

Edited by Hannah C.
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My daughter is presently taking AP Bio through PA Homeschoolers without having taken Bio. It is A LOT of work. She spends many, many hours on it a week and it's still challenging for her. As people were mentioning in the threads today about the revamping of the AP exams, there is just an unbelievably huge amount of information to digest. The level of detail has surprised me.

 

I took Bio and AP Bio in high school and did very well, but this is a whole 'nother animal. I am so proud of her for sticking with it... I can't say if my lazy 15yo self would have done the same.

 

*realizing I am not really answering your question*

 

Just throwing our experience out there so you can add it to your thought file.

 

I think APHistory would be fine without a prerequisite .... unless historians are discovering vast uncharted areas of Revolutionary War history every couple of years....

 

HTH

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My daughter is presently taking AP Bio through PA Homeschoolers without having taken Bio.

Wow - kudos to your dd! I hope she gets a great score!

 

Just to add to your file, I know two students who took both AP Physics C exams (Mechanics + E&M) without taking physics previously and who scored very well. I also know a student who is currently taking the Chemistry AP and who has not taken chemistry before.

 

All are dedicated students who are talented in math and science. The physics students had also taken science and/or math APs before, so had experience with that type of testing.

 

These students are the exception. While it is quite challenging to take a science AP with no prior experience in the subject, it is possible. Personally I wouldn't want to do it, especially for biology! When I was in high school I took the AP exam after my 2nd year of Chemistry. We didn't have AP classes, just advanced subjects.

 

GardenMom

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I would suggest doing a regular high school course before tackling the AP course. This preparation will definitely make your child's experience with the AP course a smooth and pleasant one. Ds. is taking AP Chemistry after Apologia and is still finding it challenging. He is making an "A" but he has had to work hard at it. My younger one is definitely going to take a rigorous high school Chemistry course before tackling AP.

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Agreeing with the comments above ... at our local high school, students can choose *either* regular US History or AP USH in 11th grade (after taking World History in 10th grade and something else in 9th). However, regular biology (with a good grade) and mandatory homework the summer before are prerequisites for AP Biology.

 

~Laura

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Hearing about the success of other kids in the same boat is reassurring to me.

 

I think she's going to do well on the exam... luckily she had plain 'ol high school level chem last year which really helped with the beginning of the APBio course... it's very Chem intensive. She is definitely dedicated and loves math and science, so I am hoping, crossing my fingers, throwing salt over my shoulder, spinning around three times, doing a tap dance and encouraging her in every way I know how so that there is a positive outcome for her. The one thing I can't do is learn the stuff for her .... that's gotta be 100% her. She's giving it a great effort. :)

 

BTW, I think the PAHomeschoolers teacher is doing a stellar job --- she is completely on top of things, gives great feedback and is very encouraging overall. We are very happy with the program, whatever the exam outcome.

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