The Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Available in a range of subjects, the AP exams allow high school students to demonstrate their readiness for college-level work.
The exam results can be released to colleges for consideration in the admissions process as well as for fulfillment of college credit requirements.
Students may take an AP exam regardless of whether they have taken the corresponding AP course at school.
We offer programs to help students prepare for 34 of the 37 Advanced Placement exams listed at the bottom of this page.

Test Calendar

The AP exams are offered once a year, in May.
In general, high school students are free to take and retake the exams any year. However, students usually take AP's in their junior or senior years, when they are most prepared for college-level work.

Test Format

An AP exam usually lasts two to three hours.
The exams employ a variety of formats depending on their subject matter. A common test format, for example, includes one hour of multiple-choice questions followed by two hours of "free-response" essay composition.

Test Scoring

Scores range from 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest.
Students can release their scores to colleges if they wish, for application or placement purposes.
Most high schools support the student's decision not to release a score to colleges if the score would not be considered an asset to the student's application.

Our Approach

Content of Program

Students who intend to prepare for an AP exam start by taking a full-length diagnostic test. Over the course of the program, tutors expose students to the material they will encounter on the AP and develop disciplined strategies for approaching each section. We emphasize learning the material thoroughly and thinking critically. Weekly meetings and homework assignments help students develop a deeper understanding of concepts and refine their test-taking techniques. Practice tests during the several months leading up to the official test help students to implement and master their individualized approaches to the test, while allowing tutors to gauge progress, identify remaining gaps, and assess scores.

Length of Program

The precise length of our AP program depends on several factors:

when the student begins working with us
the student’s goals, including whether the test results are likely to be used for college admission
the student’s tutoring needs, as demonstrated by the diagnostic test and other academic gauges
the amount of AP-tested material the student has covered at school or through independent work
the number of meetings the student has with the tutor each week.

In general, students should begin preparing for an AP test several months before they take the official test in May.

Further Information

For additional information about preparing and registering for the AP exams, please follow the link below to the official website:
http://www.collegeboard.com.

Available AP Exams

Art History
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Chinese Language and Culture (first offered in May 2007)
Computer Science A
Computer Science AB
Economics: Macro
Economics: Micr
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
Environmental Science
European History
French Language
French Literature
German Language
Government and Politics: Comparative
Government and Politics: U.S.
Human Geography
International English Language
Italian Language and Culture (first offered in May 2006)
Japanese Language and Culture (first offered in May 2007)
Latin Literature
Latin: Vergil
Music Theory
Physics B
Physics C
Psychology
Spanish Language
Spanish Literature
Statistics
Studio Art: Drawing
Studio Art: 2-D Design
Studio Art: 3-D Design
US History
World History