A big question that many students have to answer each year is which Advanced Placement (AP) classes to take. The College Board offers 40 different AP courses, out of which 14 are available at GWUOHS. These classes cover content at the college level, equivalent to an introductory semester-long course on the topic, but this can vary based on the exact AP course. College credit can be earned by taking a standardized exam for that specific AP course, depending on the student’s score.
So, what factors should be considered when choosing what AP classes to take? While different students and teachers at GWUOHS have slightly varying opinions, most agree that an interest in the course’s subject and readiness for its rigor are crucial for success.
“Key factors would be success in other courses dealing with the same overall main topic as the AP course,” said Daniel Kelly, who teaches AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Government and History at GWUOHS.
AP Psychology teacher Amy Wiles agrees with Kelly.
“A student should always carefully consider a plan for successfully balancing a schedule with academic rigor, their own personal interests and strengths, extracurricular activities, and potential career paths,” Wiles said.
Teachers significantly impact the experience a student has with an AP course. This can be additionally relevant for students taking the AP exam, because it is important for the content taught in class to match the expectations laid out by the College Board.
In terms of which AP classes are most difficult, AP Chemistry teacher Whitney Keaton believes it is hard to quantify.
“I can’t rank them because they are all challenging. They are taught with a high level of rigor and a fast pace. But the content in all of them is very interesting and engaging,” said Keaton.
Wiles added that the difficulty of a course also depends on one’s prior knowledge of that topic.
Senior Audrey B., who has taken four AP classes and is currently enrolled in four, believes that the difficulty of AP classes is intensified due to the large amount of self-studying and independent practice that must be done. This can require a lot of self-discipline and productivity.
Another point to greatly consider when looking at a course’s difficulty is that it differs from person to person, based on their interests and skills. But what are some of the general skills that students taking high-level AP classes have?
Kelly mentioned that some key skills that students should have are smart notetaking, self-management, and usage of all available resources.
For Audrey, understanding the time commitment of different types of assignments is key to succeeding in an AP class.
“APs generally require about two hours to each course a day, although it definitely varies. Graded assignments, unit tests, and labs can require several hours, while quizzes or discussions can take just a couple minutes,” Audrey said.
A student’s performance on the AP exam is the main source colleges use to determine whether a student will be given credit or not. Each AP exam has a standard format that is consistent for test-takers across the world. All AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Most colleges provide credit to exam scores of 3 and above, but selective colleges may require a score of 4 or 5. Other colleges do not provide credit for AP exams but instead use them to grant placement into classes.
Wiles encourages students to take advantage of the resources they have available for AP classes.
“When students enroll in an AP course with GWUOHS, they also receive access to an AP Classroom for that subject through College Board, which is a tremendous resource that includes tutorial videos, multiple-choice practice questions, [free-response question] practice, and exams from previous years that students can complete and see how they score,” Wiles said.
