A-G Requirements 

A-G Requirements 

The A-G requirements are a set number of classes that are required for you to be admitted to UC(University of California) and CSU(California State University) college systems. On Friday, November 7, at Brea Junior High School, the counselors had an assembly for the seventh and eighth graders during their English periods. The counselors talked to them about how you need to have a C or better in the A-G Requirements classes. There are 15 required classes, and you only need to pass 11 out of the 15 requirements. There are seven types of requirements: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. They are in order with History being A, English being B, Mathematics (C), Science (D), Foreign Language (E), Visual and Performing Arts (F), and College-Preparatory Electives being G. 

A 

To finish the A requirement, you need to pass two years of history with a C ow[syuwwwwww[p’;;lk,mn n bbvvr better. You can do one year of Historical Geography or cultures, or a world history class. They can be a one-year class or two one-semester courses. And the other year of history is one year of U.S. History or one-half year of U.S. History, and the other can be civics or American Government. “AP or IB Examination

U.S. History: score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP U.S. History or African American Studies exam; score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB History of the Americas HL exam.

U.S. or Comparative Government: Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam satisfies a half year.

World History/Cultures/Geography: score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam in European History, World History, Modern World History or Human Geography; score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB History HL or Geography HL exam

College courses

U.S. History: grade of C or better in a transferable course of 3 or more semester (4 or more quarter) units in U.S history; grade of C or better in a transferable course of 3 or more semester (4 or more quarter) units in civics or American Government meets one semester of the requirement.

World History/Cultures/Geography: grade of C or better in a transferable course of 3 or more semester (4 or more quarter) units in world history, cultures and geography, according to the University of California website

B

To finish the B requirement, you need to pass four years of college-preparatory English. Only one year of an ESL course can be used to fulfil this requirement.  “ACT English Language Arts (ELA)

Score of 24 meets the first three years; score of 30 meets the entire four-year requirement.

SAT Writing and Language Test

Score of 31 meets the first three years; score of 36 meets the entire four-year requirement.

AP or IB Examination

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition exam; score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB HL English: Literature exam (formerly IB HL English A1)

College courses

For each year required through the 11th grade, a grade of C or better in a non-transferable college course of 3 or more semester (4 or more quarter) units in English composition, literature (American or English) or foreign literature in translation. A grade of C or better in a UC-transferable English composition and literature course meets the fourth year and/or the entire requirement,” according to the University of California website

C

To finish the C requirement, you need to finish three years of mathematics. The courses must cover elementary and advanced algebra, two and 3 dimensional geometry. Four years is recommended, but three years is the minimum. A geometry course or an integrated course with enough geometry completed in it. And the math you have taken in seventh and eighth grade is equivalent to these requirements, like if you took Algebra I and/or Geometry in seventh and eighth grade. “AP or IB Examination

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB or Calculus BC exam, or score of 4 or 5 on the AP Precalculus exam, satisfies two years of the requirement (but not geometry).

Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the IB Mathematics HL Analysis and Approaches exam satisfies two years of the requirement (but not geometry).

College courses

Three semester (4 quarter) units of non-transferable college courses in elementary algebra, geometry, intermediate algebra or trigonometry, with a grade of C or better, satisfy one year each of the math requirement.

Grade of C or better in a transferable mathematics course of at least 3 semester (4 quarter) units that has advanced algebra or the equivalent as a prerequisite satisfies two years of the requirement (but not geometry).

NOTE: All students must complete a geometry course or integrated math with geometry content (e.g., Math II). One transferable college course will not satisfy the full three-year math requirement,” according to the University of California website

D

To fulfil the D requirement, you must pass two years of laboratory science with a C or above. The courses have to cover the important topics of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. You only need to do two out of the three science courses, so for example, you could do just biology and chemistry but not physics, or biology and physics, or chemistry and physics. Also, a year of an approved outer space science course is able to fulfil the D requirement. Two years minimum, but three years is recommended “AP or IB Examination

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on any two AP exams from different disciplines in Biology, Chemistry, Physics (B, C, 1 or 2) and Environmental Science; score of 5, 6 or 7 on any two IB HL exams in Biology, Chemistry or Physics

College courses

For each year of the requirement, a grade of C or better in a transferable course of at least 3 semester (4 quarter) units in a natural (physical or biological) science with at least 30 hours of laboratory (not "demonstration")”  according to the University of California website

E
For you to fulfil the E requirement, you must pass two years of a language other than English. Dead languages like Latin and Greek are accepted. Not dead languages like American Sign Language or Indigenous languages are also accepted. Languages other than English courses taken in seventh or eighth grade also fulfil the requirement, only if the high school you are going to attend accepts those languages to be equivalent to a high school class. “AP or IB Examination

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam in Chinese Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, Spanish Language, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture or Latin; score of 5, 6 or 7 on an IB HL language B exam.

College courses

Grade of C or better in any transferable course(s) (excluding conversation) held by the college to be equivalent to two years of high school language. Many colleges list the prerequisites for their second course in language as "Language 1 at this college or two years of high school language." In this case, Language 1 clears both years of the requirement,” according to the University of California website

F

To fulfil the F requirement, you must finish a Visual and Performing Arts course (VAPA). You can do a one-year-long course from the following categories: theatre (drama), music (orchestra, band, etc.), dance, visual arts, or interdisciplinary arts. “AP or IB Examination

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Art History, Art and Design (2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design or Drawing) Music Theory exam; score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Dance, Film, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts

College courses

Grade of C or better in any transferable course of 3 semester (4 quarter) units that clearly falls within one of four visual/performing arts disciplines: dance, drama/theater, music or visual art,” according to the University of California website

G

To fulfil the G requirement, you must fulfil one year of a college-preparatory elective. According to hs-articulation.ucop.edu, a college-preparatory elective can be “...political science, economics, geography, humanities, psychology, sociology, anthropology, journalism, speech or debate, computer science, computer programming and others or will be interdisciplinary in nature, drawing knowledge from two or more fields.” and many more classes. “AP or IB Examination

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on any one AP exam in Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Psychology, U.S. Government or Comparative Government.

Score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Computer Science, Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, or Social and Cultural Anthropology.

College courses

Grade of C or better in transferable college courses of at least 3 semester (4 quarter) units beyond those listed above as clearing any of the "A-F" requirements, according to the University of California website.

AP? IB? What’s that?

In this article, every single requirement has examination and coursework that can fulfill the requirement is quoted. The quotes all say something about AP and IB. AP stands for Advanced Placement, and IB stands for International Baccalaureate. They are rigorous classes that high schools offer. More specifically, high schools that offer IB offer the IB Diploma Programme. Brea Olinda High School does not offer IB, but it offers AP. If you want to do the harder program, International Baccalaureate, you have to transfer to a different school. You do have to pass each AP exam with a 3, 4, or 5. An AP exam is the big exam you can take optionally after you have finished an AP class. For the 2026 AP examinations, the cost per exam is $99. For IB, you have to pass the IB HL exam with a 5, 6, or 7. You will not be able to receive the required years if you take a Standard Level class; you can only receive credit for Higher Level classes. The IB HL examinations cost $123 per IB class, but some schools do offer them for $110. If you would like to know more about AP at BOHS, you can go here: BOHS AP. If you want to know more about Advanced Placement in general, you can go to: CollegeBoard AP. Also, if you would like to know more about International Baccalaureate, you can go to: International Baccalaureate. By the way,y IB schools around us are Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton Union High School, Sonora High School, Troy High School, Canyon High School, and Valencia High School. If you are interested in taking International Baccalaureate classes, just know that at most high schools, you can usually only take them in your junior and senior years of high school. 

Written By: Noah Lee

Edited By: Matias Gonzalez