Sophomore Year: Spring, Step 4

Introduce yourself to AP testing or go ahead and jump right in if you think you’re ready.

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Think you have a good grasp on AP testing and AP courses? Try this on for size:

Did you know that students who never set one foot in an AP classroom are free to take as many AP tests as they feel necessary?

Maybe you don’t know everything about AP courses…

Intro to AP Courses and AP Testing

Let’s take a look at the important bits of AP classes:

• AP courses are college-level courses that can earn you college-level credit which can be used to place out of classes down the line.
• AP classes are known for their high-level thinking and student engagement.
• AP courses look great on college applications since they require a higher level of work ethic and personal responsibility.
• You can choose from 34 AP classes, but chances are not all 34 will be offered at your school.
• Since they are weighted, AP courses can give your GPA a substantial boost if/when you do well.

And of course, what you need to know about AP testing:

• AP test prep resources are common and can give you an idea of exactly what you’ll be tested on during each individual test.
• As previously mentioned, you don’t necessarily have to take the companion course to take the AP test but typically students who take the course do better than students who don’t.
• If you want to take two exams that are given at the same time, you must take one during the late-testing period which is usually in late May.
• AP test scores are reported in July, both to you and to the college or university designated before the test began.

2012 Exam Calendar

Week 1

Monday, May 7: Chemistry, Environmental Science, Psychology
Tuesday, May 8: Computer Science A, Spanish Language, Art History
Wednesday, May 9: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chinese Language and Culture
Thursday, May 10: English Literature and Composition, Japanese Language and Culture, Latin: Vergil
Friday, May 11: German Language and Culture, U.S. History, European History, Studio Art

Week 2

Monday, May 14: Biology, Music Theory, Physics B, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
Tuesday, May 15: U.S. Government and Politics, Comparative Government and Politics, French Language and Culture
Wednesday, May 16: English Language and Composition, Statistics
Thursday, May 17: Macroeconomics, World History, Microeconomics, Italian Language and Culture
Friday, May 18: Human Geography, Spanish Literature

Related Tools and Checklists

High School Sophomore Timeline and Checklist
High School Junior Timeline and Checklist

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