AP Testing

The Advanced Placement Pathway 

The Advanced Placement pathway can open doors to competitive colleges and universities and to honors programs at other universities. More importantly, completing a successful AP experience can better prepare students for college success. St. Charles High Schools offer a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. College admissions offices recognize that an honors curriculum and district-written assessments for honors courses may vary from state to state, and even from district to district. Because the AP curriculum and accompanying exam represent a nationally standardized program, many admissions offices, particularly at competitive colleges, show preference for students who have successfully completed an Advanced Placement curriculum. While there are many advantages of having Advanced Placement courses on a student’s transcript, students are cautioned about enrolling in too many AP courses within any semester: 

▪ Time demands from juggling multiple AP courses should be considered carefully. 

▪ A well-balanced transcript that includes high-level electives which enrich a student’s experience are also important in the college admissions process. 

AP students can expect to devote considerable time on their own outside of class in preparation for Advanced Placement assignments and assessments. This may include required summer assignments. 

Advanced Placement courses offer high school students an opportunity to study college-level material while still enrolled in high school. All students who enroll in Advanced Placement courses are required to take the Advanced Placement exam in May. By participating in the Advanced Placement examination program, students may receive advanced placement, credit, or both for a specific college or university. Check with specific colleges or universities to see if Advanced Placement credit is accepted. 

Advanced Placement Exams Benefit Students 

District 303 requires students to take the Advanced Placement Exam because of the inherent benefits: 

▪ Students challenge themselves at the highest academic level. 

▪ Students position themselves to be competitively marketable when applying to their first choice universities or colleges. 

▪ Depending on the university policy, a score of 3, 4, or 5 may be awarded college credit. Some students and families elect to apply this credit, allowing them to save money and/or to move into more advanced levels as a freshman in college. 

A New Analyses of AP Scores of 1 and 2

A Broader View of College Readiness

AP Capstone Diploma 

Students who take AP Seminar and AP Research and score a 3 or higher on those AP Exams will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate from the College Board. Students who take AP Seminar and AP Research and score a 3 or higher on those AP Exams and four other AP Exams at any point throughout high school will receive the AP Capstone Diploma from the College Board. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES 

The following Advanced Placement courses are offered at St. Charles East High School. Click the links below for course descriptions and exam information. 

• AP Art History

• AP 2D Art & Design 

• AP 3D Art & Design

• AP Music Theory

• AP English Language & Composition

• AP English Literature & Composition 

• AP French Language

• AP German  Language

• AP Spanish Language

• AP Spanish Literature

• AP Precalculus (new offering in 2024-25) 

• AP Calculus AB

• AP Calculus BC

• AP Statistics

• AP Computer Science Principles (new offering in 2024-25)

• AP Computer Science A

• AP Biology

• AP Chemistry

• AP Environmental Science

• AP Physics 1

• AP Physics 2

• AP Physics C

  • Electricity & Magnetism

  • Mechanics

• AP Human Geography

• AP World History

• AP European History

• AP US History

• AP US Government

• AP Macro Economics

• AP Micro Economics

• AP Psychology

• AP Seminar

• AP Research

ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTS 

The AP (Advanced Placement) examinations are given each year in May. All students who are enrolled in AP classes are required to take the AP Exam for that course. Students who have advanced preparation and understanding of a particular field of study can receive college credit and/or advanced standing for work done while in high school. Most of the students who take these exams are enrolled in formal AP courses; however, students may take an AP exam without taking an AP course. While these three-hour or more exams vary from discipline to discipline, most involve both multiple-choice sections and free-response, essay sections. The test is scored 1 to 5, with 5 the highest score. Colleges treat the examinations differently; however, many will grant college credit for scores from 3 to 5. In reviewing student applications, colleges look favorably upon courses designated as AP since these courses represent more rigorous content than the standard high school curriculum. 

Helpful Links

College Board Website: AP Student Information 

College Board website for parents & guardians: AP Parent Information 

Joining Your AP Class Section

AP Credit Policy at Colleges

AP Exam Policies & Guidelines

AP Exam Schedule for 2023-2024

AP Student Exam Day- Click here for important 2024 exam information, dates, and room locations.