AP

AP Basics

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program that offers college-level curriculum and examinations to high school students for them to prove their proficiency in certain subjects before starting college. A student who obtains a high score on their AP exam can be offered placement and course credit. In simpler words- By taking an AP course, you’re conveying to the colleges and universities that you have what it takes to succeed in particular subjects at the undergraduate level.

Indian students who are planning on pursuing their undergraduate studies in Australia, Canada, Singapore, U.K., and the U.S. and other countries are eligible to receive university credit or even considered during the admission process for the AP Exam scores.

Furthermore, by scoring successfully on an AP Exam, a student can save on college expenses- college tuition fee, textbook costs etc.

Talking about the exam: An AP program offers a total of 34 courses under the following subjects: Mathematics, Sciences, Social Sciences, Arts and World Language. However, in India, 22 different AP exam courses are available for a student to choose from.

After choosing the relevant subjects, a student needs to take the AP exam- a pencil and paper MCQ based exam- and score a minimum of 3/5 to prove a proficiency in the chosen subjects.

In order to take the AP exam, the student should be less than 21 years of age. Hence, the ideal time to take the exam would be in grade 11or grade 12 or even in grade 10.

Test Fee: The exam fee for the Advanced Placement Program is USD 143, or INR 9,281 per exam.

Depending on the subject that you have chosen, an AP exam can vary from 90 minutes to 200 minutes.

AP Syllabus: Subject Groups

Following are the subject groups from which a student can choose subjects of his/her choice from each subject group:

Arts

• History

History and Social Sciences

• Comparative Government and Politics
• European History
• Human Geography
• Macroeconomics
• Microeconomics
• Psychology
• United States Government and Politics
• United States History
• World History

Sciences

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Physics1 & 2: Algebra-Based
• Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics C: Mechanics

English

• English Language and Composition
• English Literature and Composition

Mathematics and Computer Science

• Calculus AB
• Calculus BC
• Computer Science A
• Statistics
• Computer Science Principles

Scoring: The AP tests are scored on a scale of 1 to 5

• 5 − Extremely well qualified
• 4 − Well qualified
• 3 − Qualified
• 2 − Possibly qualified
• 1 − No recommendation within reach

A score of 3 and above is considered as a good score and ensures better academic success in college.

AP Test Timelines

As mentioned earlier, a student should take the AP exam in Grade 11, 12 or even in 10- the earlier the better. The AP exam in India is conducted in the month of May- usually the second and the third week of Ma

AP Preparation

Practice is the key to ace any AP exam. Just to help you in this regard, The College Board has published official practice papers on their website for every subject group to help a student gain an idea about the structure and appraise the level of an AP exam.

Once you get an idea about the AP exam structure and pattern, there is no stopping. You need to gather as many practice resources and test papers and solve them in order to bolster your concepts. An external help from an AP tutor is recommended. At Tutela, we offer expert guidance for following courses:

• Calculus AB
• Calculus BC
• Physics C: Mechanics
• Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics 1: Algebra based
• Physics 2: Algebra based
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Environmental science
• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Statistics
• Psychology
• Computer Science A
• English Language and Composition

COURSE DURATION FOR AP at Tutela: 12 WEEKS

• Frequency: 1 class per week, Class Duration: 1.5 hours each, Batch Size: Up to 6 students
• Diagnostic Test to evaluate aptitude and test-taking skills
• A comprehensive set of study materials
• Coverage of topics and contemporary methods to increase speed and accuracy
• Intensive workshops before the actual test
• Mock Tests followed by 1-on-1 exhaustive review and evaluation
• Extended assistance even after course-completion

AP Misconceptions

Following are the common misconceptions revolving around AP which needs to be debunked

AP is all about how good you can memorize

AP does require a certain degree of memorization; however, there is also the need to think critically to get a stronger grip of the subject. It is about delving into a subject of your interest. Acing this exam cannot be achieved by mere memorization. It needs much more than that.

Taking an AP exam is not advantageous and is another headache

Getting an exceptional score on your AP exam can get you a good college credit. You can also get an AP scholar award if you perform exceptionally well in your subject. Getting a 5/5 in your AP exam can boost your college application as it proves that you are more proficient in a subject than 80-90% of the advanced students. Furthermore, getting the boost into more advanced classes can help you work through a major more quickly and let you take more advanced and more interesting courses as a freshman.

I guess we have made our point!