Who is eligible?

AP opportunities at John McCrae are for Grade 12 students. Students in lower grades can only take an AP exam if they are taking the JMSS course in that subject (i.e. a student in grade 11 who is taking grade 12 Chemistry in class at JMSS in the 2024/25 school year can choose to register for the May 2025 AP Chemistry exam.)

Do you have the same AP courses every year?

The AP subjects that are supported by mentor teachers can change from year to year. What we offer depends on both staff availability and student interest. We cannot guarantee that what we have this year will be offered next year. 

Can I do AP at JMSS if I live outside of the school's catchment area?

OCDSB policy does not consider AP a criteria for granting cross-boundary transfers.

How are AP exams marked?

AP exams are evaluated by the College Board in the U.S.  All exams written at JMSS are shipped to the U.S. where they are assessed. Marks are communicated to students in July via their online accounts.

Are AP courses weighed more heavily? Are AP students marked differently?

AP exam marks are not considered in a student's Ontario course marks and do not appear on their school transcripts. AP exam marks do not contribute to acceptance considerations in Canadian universities. Students who choose to engage in AP coursework are not given extra marks or a topped-up percentage grade. 

Why are deadlines, dates and options different on the AP website than at JMSS?

AP is an American product and is largely designed to work with the enrollment and calendar typical of high schools in the United States. The scale of AP is dramatically larger - there are entire school boards that have adopted AP as the curriculum and where students' final exams are the AP exams. JMSS does not have the infrastructure or timelines that can support the options available to students in those AP schools.  We are only able to run one registration session (February) and one exam session (first two weeks of May). March registration and alternate-date exams are not possible. 

AP Calculus AB special considerations:

Please note that JMSS is no longer hosting the Calculus BC exam.

How does my university find out my AP exam results?

There is a section on the AP exam where a student indicates which university they will be attending and that they would like their results to be shared with their chosen university. If the destination is undetermined, or if they change their mind about sharing results, a student can contact AP to make the arrangements to send or cancel the sharing of results. Neither JMSS Guidance nor Ms. Barbour can do this - it must be done by the student directly with AP.

Do I have to take the AP exam?

No. Engaging in the experience of learning the course material  and skills is the most valuable element of AP. Taking the exam is optional. If you are interested in earning a transfer credit to use in university, however, you must take the exam; being in the AP-designated course is not sufficient for earning an equivalent university credit.

Can I take the exam for a subject that isn't offered at JMSS?

No. JMSS is not able to facilitate exams for subjects other than those we offer.  If you need a specific AP credit (eg. to gain entry to a certain program in an International school) you can look online for private test centers that facilitate AP exams.

Can I take an AP exam if I'm not in Grade 12 yet?

Yes, you can register for an AP exam if you are in grade 11 IF YOU ARE TAKING THE JMSS IN-CLASS COURSE FOR THE SUBJECT. For example, if you are in Grade 11 and are taking ENG4U (grade 12 English) in the JMSS classroom during the 2024-25 school year, you can register for the May 2025 AP English Literature exam.  Resources to help you prepare are available in the JMSS library and study guides are available through the Ottawa Public Library and the AP website.  We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you have a conversation with your subject teacher before embarking on AP exam preparation.

I don't go to JMSS. Can I write AP exams at JMSS?

JMSS is not an AP test center, but OCDSB students who don't go to JMSS can write AP exams at our location if we are hosting the exam in the subject you would like to take, and if you are in Grade 12. Note that it is possible that not all exams in the subjects we offer will be run each year - it depends on numbers of JMSS registrants. You cannot write an AP exam at JMSS if your own school offers the exam in the same subject.