Advanced placement
The Advanced Placement Program (abbreviated as AP) is an educational program in the United States and Canada that offers college- level courses at American and Canadian high schools.
history
The College Board , a New York City not for profit , has run the Advanced Placement Program since 1955. Furthermore, it supports teachers of AP courses and universities by developing guidelines and allocating teaching materials. These activities are fully funded through the fee that students must pay to take the final exam of their respective AP course.
In 2006, one million students took one of the final tests of the Advanced Placement Program. The courses themselves are offered in almost every high school in the United States. However, in order to give students from non-participating schools and also students who are homeschooled the chance to take an AP exam, the College Board does not require participation in an AP course for the final exam.
In the 2007/2008 school year, the exam was still $ 80 per subject. However, participation in the AP program is often subsidized by state or local programs. There is also the option for students to qualify for financial assistance. In this case, the price is usually reduced by $ 25.
rating
AP exams are graded differently than the US educational system . The results are measured using a numerical scale (1 to 5) instead of the usual scale with the letters A to F (without E). The result 3 marks the required value to pass the exam. In general, the 5 results have the following meaning:
- 5 : Very well qualified
- 4 : Well qualified
- 3 : Qualified
- 2 : May qualify
- 1 : No recommendation
The connection between the number of points achieved and the result is by no means absolute in the AP exam. The assignment takes place with the help of a normal distribution , which means that the distribution of all points achieved decides from how many points, for example, result 3 is awarded.
The results are mainly used to waive some of their standard college courses for high school graduates if they have already proven their skills in a subject in an AP exam. Each college decides for itself the result from which college courses are issued. Usually results from 4 to 5 are sufficient.
Some high schools allow the grade achieved by the student in the respective course to be overwritten with the result of the AP exam (if better). The translation of the exam result and course grade takes place as follows:
- 5 : A
- 4 : B.
- 3 : C
- 2 : D
- 1 : F
statistics
| exam | number | Share with grade 3 or better |
O |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art history | 23,213 | 59.6 | 2.82 |
| biology | 213.294 | 64.2 | 2.91 |
| Infinitesimal calculus AB ( Calculus ) | 294,072 | 58.9 | 2.94 |
| Infinitesimal calculus BC ( Calculus ) | 93,180 | 84.6 | 4.02 |
| chemistry | 148,554 | 52.8 | 2.68 |
| Chinese language | 10,728 | 94.5 | 4.43 |
| Computer Science | 39,278 | 61.2 | 2.96 |
| English language | 505.244 | 55.8 | 2.79 |
| English literature | 397.477 | 55.0 | 2.76 |
| Environmental science | 130,321 | 47.3 | 2.60 |
| European history | 110.297 | 59.5 | 2.65 |
| French language | 21,268 | 78.0 | 3.36 |
| German language | 5.111 | 73.3 | 3.34 |
| United States government | 271.043 | 50.7 | 2.62 |
| Comparative governance | 20,361 | 62.0 | 3.09 |
| Human geography | 136,448 | 52.0 | 2.64 |
| Italian language | 2,331 | 69.6 | 3.23 |
| Japanese language | 2,311 | 75.9 | 3.56 |
| Latin | 6,542 | 65.8 | 3.05 |
| Macroeconomics | 117.209 | 57.8 | 2.89 |
| Microeconomics | 74,049 | 65.6 | 3.07 |
| Musicology | 17.176 | 62.7 | 3.07 |
| Physics B | 93,574 | 60.7 | 2.89 |
| Physics C: Electromagnetism | 20,765 | 70.8 | 3.51 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 47,000 | 76.7 | 3.56 |
| psychology | 259,789 | 65.5 | 3.09 |
| Spanish language | 135.341 | 89.3 | 3.72 |
| Spanish literature | 20,118 | 74.5 | 3.14 |
| statistics | 184.173 | 59.6 | 2.86 |
| Studio Art: 2D design | 26,811 | 78.5 | 3.33 |
| Studio Art: 3D Design | 4,256 | 67.5 | 3.04 |
| Studio Art: Drawing | 16,928 | 77.5 | 3.27 |
| United States history | 462.766 | 52.4 | 2.76 |
| World history | 245,699 | 54.5 | 2.66 |
| total | 4,135,962 |