AP Revision

AP® is run by College Board (collegeboard.org). Check which AP courses your high school offers. AP® is a trademark owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this site.

AP exams generally cost USD $95 per subject. Prices may differ if you are located outside of the United States, or for certain exams.

Having AP on your high school transcript underlines your commitment to that subject and your willingness to complete college-level studies. You may also earn college or university credit. Freeing up your college schedule by bringing credit in from AP studies can allow you to pursue extracurricular programs and broaden your college experience, or take your studies deeper into more demanding courses. In addition, taking AP could potentially save you thousands of dollars in college fees. This depends largely on the college, the course and your AP Exam scores. A number of grade 5 AP scores can even allow you to cut one whole year off your time at university, which could wind up saving you a lot of money.

A student aiming for acceptance at an Ivy League university might take 10-14 AP classes throughout their high school career (this equates to 3-4 per year). You may be limited to the courses offered at your local school, but remember that there is no requirement from the College Board to take the course in order to sit the AP exam! Some non-US students prefer to combine a few AP courses (3 or 4) with qualifications from their home country, eg. A Levels. This can enhance their candidacy for top US colleges.

Depending on the subject, the AP Exam is between 2 and 3 hours long. There are two sections: multiple choice questions and free response questions.

AP scores are usually released at 7am EST sometime between mid-June and early July.

Your scores are released to your My AP dashboard on the College Board website. Within the My AP section of the College Board website, there is the option to request College Board to send your AP scores to your nominated college/university.

There are 38 AP exams. These are: Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Chinese Language & Culture, Comparative Government & Politics, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, French Language & Culture, German Language & Culture, Human Geography, Italian Language & Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, Latin, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics 1: Algebra-Based, Physics 2: Algebra-Based, Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics, Psychology, Research, Seminar, Spanish Language & Culture, Spanish Literature & Culture, Statistics, Studio Art: 2-D Design, Studio Art: 3-D Design, Studio Art: Drawing, U.S. Government & Politics, U.S. History, and World History.

Yes. Check with the institutions for their individual policies. For example, most UK universities accept AP as a means of satisfying undergraduate entry programs. In the UK, the AP is regarded as equivalent to A Level examinations.

The exact amount of credit you get depends on two main factors: your AP exam score, and the AP credits policy of the college of your choice. Not all colleges offer or accept AP credit, although more than 99% of universities and colleges do. Seek out each college's published written policy that sets out how they award credit for AP.

Physics 1 is generally regarded as the hardest AP class; in 2023 it had the lowest pass rate (under 44%), with fewer than 8% of candidates scoring a 5. Chemistry, Macroeconomics, Calculus AB and US History are also regarded as very difficult or hard AP Exams.

Psychology, Human Geography and Computer Science principles are often listed among the top 5 easiest AP classes. Depending on the policies of your school, these can be taken in the early years of high school. But remember - you don't always have to take the course in order to sit the exam.