Advanced Placement

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES

What is Advanced Placement?  The AP Program offers college-level courses and exams that students can take in high school. Taking AP courses and exams is beneficial to students planning to attend college after high school. 

AP Exam:  AP exams are uniformly scheduled during the first and second weeks of May. Each exam consists of two sections.  The first section is made up of multiple-choice questions.  The other section consists of free-response questions in various formats:  essays, audio taped responses, analysis of historical documents, extended problem solving, etc.

AP Scoring:  The AP exam scoring is as follows:

        5   Extremely Well Qualified

4   Well Qualified

3   Qualified (*Passing) 

2   Possibly Qualified

1   No Recommendation

Students will receive a score report in July. Most colleges and universities recognize AP scores of 3 or above in some way.

Cost of Exams:  Students pay for each AP exam taken. The cost of the AP exam varies by school year.   Wisconsin Statutes 120.12(22) requires your school district to pay the fee for taking Advanced Placement exams for students who qualify for free and reduced priced lunches.  

Benefits of AP Courses / Exams: Research consistently shows that AP students are better prepared for college than students who don’t take AP, regardless of their exam score. They’re more likely to enroll and stay in college, do well in their classes, and graduate in four years. 

Your AP score could earn you college credits before you even set foot on campus. In fact, most AP students who enroll in four-year colleges start school with some credit. Earning credit or placement can open up time on your schedule or even let you graduate early.

“AP” on your high school transcript shows colleges you're motivated to succeed, and taking the exam demonstrates your commitment to tackle and complete college-level work.

Studying a subject in depth could give you new insights and even put you on the path to a career.

AP Courses offered at Whitewater High School:

AP Calculus AB AP Language & Composition AP Physics AP US Government

AP Computer Science A AP Literature & Composition AP Psychology AP US History

AP Human Geography AP Music Theory AP Statistics

In some cases, students may opt to take AP exams for courses not offered at Whitewater High School.  Interested students should contact Ms. Kate McNulty (kmcnulty@wwusd.org).