Advanced Placement at PPS 
Details and FAQs

What is the Advanced Placement (AP) program?

AP courses are college-level courses that are offered during high school. These courses were created by university professors to reflect what is being taught in first-year college classes.  This is a great opportunity to possibly earn college credit by passing the AP test. 

• Click here to see the AP Credit Policies at Oregon State University, Portland State University, Portland Community College, University of Oregon and virtually all other colleges. 

What are the AP exams?
The Advanced Placement examinations allow high school students to demonstrate mastery of college-level course material and to even potentially earn college credit with qualifying exam scores.  AP tests measure students' mastery of knowledge and skills from AP courses such as:

• Social Studies: US History, US Government, World History, Human Geography and Psychology

• The Arts: Studio Art: 2D Design, Studio Art: Drawing and Music Theory

• Math: Calculus AB, Calculus BC and Statistics

• English: Language and Literature

• Science: Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science

• Languages: Spanish Language, Spanish Literature, Chinese and Japanese

Each high school offers different AP classes, and AP course availability is often flexible. If you would like to see an additional class offered at a specific school, please get in touch with the counselor or principal.

What are the benefits of AP classes?

• AP lets students pursue college-level studies in high school.  They get the opportunity to earn college credit and/or placement into more challenging classes.

• Taking AP courses shows the college admission officers that a student wants to take the most challenging courses available.  Having AP classes on a transcript can help tremendously with both college admissions and in receiving scholarships.

• AP classes help students develop analytical abilities as well as communication, research and time-management skills.  

• All students, even those who score below a 3, are more likely to graduate college on time.

• Students who score a 3 or higher are likely to save time and money in college by earning college credits.

How many college credits can I earn?

The tests are graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with a 3 or higher considered mastery.  Students who receive test scores of 3 or higher can earn college credit and/or placement into more advanced classes depending on a college's policies. Depending on the number of tests passed, a student can save thousands of dollars in college tuition fees.   

To find the credit policy of a specific university, visit www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy.

For more information about Oregon state schools and AP credits, read the AP Oregon State Credit Table.

What if I want to know more about this program?

Advanced Placement for Parents

College Board: Videos about AP for Parents and Students