AP Course Questions

[Nicholas_mom]

Hello, I have 2 questions......

 

Is it essential for a student to take a AP course to do the AP exam?  Or can he take, for example, a Chemistry course and study for an AP exam?

 

Also, if he takes an AP Lit & Comp in 10th Grade, should he take a specific literature course in 9th Grade to prepare for the AP Lit & Comp for 10 grade???

 

TIA

 

[regentrude]

You do not need to take a designated AP course in order to take the exam. You can self study.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

You do not need to take a designated AP course in order to take the exam. You can self study.

 

If this is the case, why am I seeing posts (here and in FB groups) about people getting their homeschool AP course syllabus approved by TCB? I was under the impression that all students had to take the test (and score 4 or 5) to get AP credits, but maybe I'm incorrect?

 

Thanks in advance. My previously very academically unmotivated/anxious teen just mentioned yesterday wanting to maybe consider taking AP Spanish, which kind of blew my mind, so now I'm in deeper water than I ever thought I'd be in (at least this early!) :lol: 

[Caroline]

If this is the case, why am I seeing posts (here and in FB groups) about people getting their homeschool AP course syllabus approved by TCB? I was under the impression that all students had to take the test (and score 4 or 5) to get AP credits, but maybe I'm incorrect?

 

Thanks in advance. My previously very academically unmotivated/anxious teen just mentioned yesterday wanting to maybe consider taking AP Spanish, which kind of blew my mind, so now I'm in deeper water than I ever thought I'd be in (at least this early!) :lol:

In order to use the AP course designation on the transcript, the course has to be approved by College Board. However, the test can be taken by anyone. At my school, a number of our honors World History students end up taking the AP exam. However, their transcript still says honors world history.

[Arcadia]

If this is the case, why am I seeing posts (here and in FB groups) about people getting their homeschool AP course syllabus approved by TCB?

It helps for the weighted high school GPA. However AP courses taken before 9th grade can't be stated as AP on the transcript.

 

"The AP designation may only be applied to authorized courses offered at or above the 9th grade level which have received authorization through the annual AP Course Audit process. The AP label cannot be affixed to courses and transcripts prior to 9th grade. There is one exception to this policy: AP world language courses

 

The College Board recognizes that there are some occasions in which students may be prepared to take an AP Exam prior to 9th grade. Because students are not required to take an AP course before taking the AP Exam, schools may choose to administer AP Exams to students of any grade level, so long as the restriction against use of the AP label on courses and transcripts prior to 9th grade is observed." http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/Appropriate-Grade-Levels-for-AP-Courses.pdf

 

ETA:

Some colleges use weighted GPA for scholarships. It was in my local news (http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/02/palo-alto-weighted-gpas-will-be-in-transcripts-later-this-year/) because it cost someone a higher scholarship due to the public high school not giving a weighted GPA.

E.g. U of Colorado Boulder scholarship http://www.colorado.edu/scholarships/esteemed-scholars

Edited February 22, 2017 by Arcadia

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

In order to use the AP course designation on the transcript, the course has to be approved by College Board. However, the test can be taken by anyone. At my school, a number of our honors World History students end up taking the AP exam. However, their transcript still says honors world history.

 

It helps for the weighted high school GPA. However AP courses taken before 9th grade can't be stated as AP on the transcript.

 

 

Ahh! Thank you both very much. This is all new to me, and I'm getting a very rapid education on dual enrollment, AP, and CLEP!

[8filltheheart]

You can label courses xxx with AP exam.

 

In terms of weighting courses,both you and colleges can/will do whatever you/they want. I don't weight, but I did label my dd's courses as honors bc I knew the colleges would recalculate GPA and use honors designation for weighting.

[RootAnn]

Also, if he takes an AP Lit & Comp in 10th Grade, should he take a specific literature course in 9th Grade to prepare for the AP Lit & Comp for 10 grade???

 

To answer this, you don't have to do anything specific before taking the class (unless you are enrolled in a specific course that assigns summer homework). It helps to be a strong reader & writer going into the AP class. (I've read that AP Lit is usually a 12th grade course in public schools & AP English Comp is usually an 11th grade course. Some online providers require the students be a certain grade or age to take their specific class.)

[regentrude]

If this is the case, why am I seeing posts (here and in FB groups) about people getting their homeschool AP course syllabus approved by TCB? I was under the impression that all students had to take the test (and score 4 or 5) to get AP credits, but maybe I'm incorrect?

 

Because when you teach a course at home, you cannot give the course a designation as "AP" ion the transcript, unless the syllabus is CB approved, since it is a protected term.

You can still self study or do a course without approved syllabus - you just cannot call the class "AP whatever" on the transcript.

You can call it "Whatever with AP exam" though.

 

ETA: For college credit, only the exam score counts. 

Edited February 22, 2017 by regentrude

[Nicholas_mom]

 

You can still self study or do a course without approved syllabus - you just cannot call the class "AP whatever" on the transcript.

You can call it "Whatever with AP exam" though.

 

ETA: For college credit, only the exam score counts. 

 

I am soooo over my head here  :ohmy: ........so, you can take the AP exam and it can count for college but written differently on the transcipts?  

 

I am not even going to ask what is the difference between "AP Whatever" and "Whatever with AP exam."  :crying:

[Nicholas_mom]

 

 

To answer this, you don't have to do anything specific before taking the class (unless you are enrolled in a specific course that assigns summer homework). It helps to be a strong reader & writer going into the AP class. (I've read that AP Lit is usually a 12th grade course in public schools & AP English Comp is usually an 11th grade course. Some online providers require the students be a certain grade or age to take their specific class.)

 

Thank you-------I have a a gifted writer and he loves to read great literature and talk about it.....but I did not know that AP Lit and Comp were seperate tests.  For some reason I thought they were one test......Yet, again, I am soooo misunderstanding what I am reading here.......

[8filltheheart]

I am soooo over my head here :ohmy: ........so, you can take the AP exam and it can count for college but written differently on the transcipts?

 

I am not even going to ask what is the difference between "AP Whatever" and "Whatever with AP exam." :crying:

Simple language. My ds took calculus from AoPS. It is not an AP course. On his transcript I labeled the course calculus with BC exam. He registered for the AP exam at a local school, took it, scored a 5, and sent the score to schools that cared.

 

If he had taken an AP course, it would have been labeled AP cal BC on his transcript.

 

There are 2 different English APs, but a lot of schools will only give credit for 1.

Edited February 23, 2017 by 8FillTheHeart

[RootAnn]

Thank you-------I have a a gifted writer and he loves to read great literature and talk about it.....but I did not know that AP Lit and Comp were seperate tests.  For some reason I thought they were one test......Yet, again, I am soooo misunderstanding what I am reading here.......

 

So, you might want to spend some time reading on the College Board pages. For example, here is the AP English Lit page. (Set aside at least 30 minutes to putter around on the page to read things. You may have to come back a few times to glean all the important parts. But 30 minutes will be enough to get an idea for one test.)

 

The AP test score could mean that your kid could not have to take a class (or two) at college. However, it depends on your kid's score on the test. Some places only give credit for certain scores. (Some for anything higher than 3. Others won't give credit unless you get a 4 or a 5.) It varies by university/college. So, another thing is to check a few places your kid might go to college and see what they give credit for. Almost every institution has an AP credit page.

[regentrude]

I am soooo over my head here  :ohmy: ........so, you can take the AP exam and it can count for college but written differently on the transcipts?  

 

I am not even going to ask what is the difference between "AP Whatever" and "Whatever with AP exam."  :crying:

 

If you want to call the course "AP Whatever" on the transcript, you must have your Whatever syllabus approved by the College Board. Otherwise you are not allowed to label a course "AP".

 

Anybody can take the AP exam, without having gone through an approved AP course. 

Listing it as "Whatever course with AP exam" makes it clear that this was AP level, but avoids using the formal AP label that is protected by the CB. You can mention that the student took the AP exam - you just can't label your course AP without approval.

 

For college credit, only the exam score is relevant. The college does not give credit based on an approved syllabus - it only looks at the test score.

[daijobu]

Going through the course audit process gives you access to their sample syllabi and suggested textbooks, which can make it easier to plan a course of self-study.  You don't even need to the complete the audit, but OTOH, it's hardly any work at all.  

[Kathy in Richmond]

Going through the course audit process gives you access to their sample syllabi and suggested textbooks, which can make it easier to plan a course of self-study.  You don't even need to the complete the audit, but OTOH, it's hardly any work at all.  

 

But these are available to anyone, aren't they? (not trying to pick on you; I find the College Board website miserable to navigate).

 

I always made extensive use of the sample syllabi and textbook lists when planning my kids' AP at home classes, but I never went through the course audit process. We did something like 20 AP courses at home without official classes, and we labeled them as explained above (for example, "Calculus with AP BC Exam") on the transcripts.

 

Here's what I found just now for AP Calc BC on the college board site:

suggested textbooks list

sample syllabus #1   (there were others, too)

Calc BC list of past exam Free Response Questions

 

The only thing that might lure me into writing a syllabus for a home-taught AP course these days is that teachers who go through the audit process now have access to one or more practice exams, including the multiple choice sections. Official MC practices from the College Board are hard to come by, and usually worthwhile.

 

For admissions purposes or for earning college credits, only the students' exam score will count, not how or where they learned the material.

[Lilaclady]

But these are available to anyone, aren't they? (not trying to pick on you; I find the College Board website miserable to navigate).

 

 

The only thing that might lure me into writing a syllabus for a home-taught AP course these days is that teachers who go through the audit process now have access to one or more practice exams, including the multiple choice sections. Official MC practices from the College Board are hard to come by, and usually worthwhile.

 

For admissions purposes or for earning college credits, only the students' exam score will count, not how or where they learned the material.

I have heard that some colleges also weigh AP classes higher and use that towards determining scholarship awarded.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I am soooo over my head here  :ohmy: ........so, you can take the AP exam and it can count for college but written differently on the transcipts?  

 

I am not even going to ask what is the difference between "AP Whatever" and "Whatever with AP exam."  :crying:

 

Advanced Placement is a trademarked term for a specific set of courses.  The label is owned by College Board (same organization that does the SAT and PSAT tests).

 

College Board develops a set of course requirements for each course.  Instructors, schools or districts who are offering "Advanced Placement" courses have to submit their syllabuses to the College Board for review to ensure that the course meets the course requirements.  Homeschoolers are also able to submit their own syllabus.  If it is seen to meet the course requirements, it can be officially labeled as an AP course.

 

Students do not have to take an official AP course in order to sit for an AP exam.  (This has been the case at least since the late 1980's.)  A student could self study, or a non-AP course might provide adequate preparation for taking the test.  

 

Because the AP label is reserved for officially approved courses, some homeschoolers use the phrase "XX with AP exam" on the transcript in order to indicate the level of difficulty of a course without infringing on the AP label.  

 

It is the practice in many school districts to weight transcripts according to the level of difficulty of the courses.  Often an AP course might be worth more points in a gpa.  

 

The college or university a student ultimately attends sets their own policy regarding what college credit an AP exam is worth.  Some grant credit for scores of 3 and above.  Others require 4 and above.  Some give a semester credit for a 3, but two semester for a 4-5.  Some award different credit depending on the course and declared major of the student (for example a score of 3 on AP Biology might be good for credit for an English major, but not for a Biology major).  Credit is only granted based on the exam score, not on the grade in the class.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thank you-------I have a a gifted writer and he loves to read great literature and talk about it.....but I did not know that AP Lit and Comp were seperate tests.  For some reason I thought they were one test......Yet, again, I am soooo misunderstanding what I am reading here.......

 

There are two AP English courses.

 

AP English LANGUAGE and Composition focuses on rhetoric, essays and non-fiction writing.

 

AP English LITERATURE and Composition focuses on literary analysis of fiction, including plays and poetry.

[Nicholas_mom]

Thank you all!!  This has been very helpful.  :)