QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Revised June 2009

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE VALUE OF TAKING ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)
COURSES DURING HIGH SCHOOL 

Q. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ENROLLING IN ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES (AP) WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL?
A. The student who completes AP courses and the end of year AP exam is sending a powerful message to colleges and universities that this student is ready for college, it very often assists the student in gaining admission, getting college credit and enabling the student to start off at college taking more advanced courses.

Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AP COURSE AND AN HONORS COURSE?
A. AP courses are designed and updated every year to reflect what is being taught in leading-edge college/university courses. Students receive an external evaluation - the AP exam - which is scored by college faculty from around the world who verifies that the student has mastered college-level studies. For some colleges, AP course grades are weighted, in other words a student who gets an A in an AP course is given 5 credits versus a student who gets an A in a standard course receives 4 credits. This is how many students are able to achieve better than a 4.0 GPA. Honors and AP courses are more difficult and comprehensive than standard high school courses; the subject matter in these courses extends beyond the standard curriculum and is approved by the University of California system.

Q. DOES THE STUDENT HAVE TO TAKE THE AP EXAM AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR?
A. A student enrolled in an AP course is expected and highly encouraged to take the AP exam. Most of the nation’s colleges and universities, plus colleges and universities in 24 other countries, grant students admission, college credit and advanced placement based on the AP Exam grades, not on the AP course grades. The AP Exam grade is viewed as a national standard. “Students who have prepared for and taken the AP Exams adapt more easily to taking college essay exams, and are especially skilled in introducing a thesis and a well developed argument” stated Robert Blackey, Professor of History CSU, San Bernardino.

Q. WHAT IS THE AP EXAM AND WHAT DO THE TEST SCORES (1 TO 5) MEAN?
A. Each May, participating schools administer AP exams. With one exception, the exam combines multiple-choice questions with a free-response section in either essay or problem-solving form. The exception is Studio Art where the exam is replaced by a portfolio assessment. Each June the free-response sections and the Studio Art portfolios are scored by the above mentioned college faculty from around the world. The scores are combined with the results of computer-scored multiple-choice questions, and converted into a grade on the AP’s five-point scale.

  • 5:  Extremely well qualified
  • 4:  Well qualified
  • 3:  Qualified
  • 2:  Possibly qualified
  • 1:  No recommendation

Q. WHAT AP COURSES ARE AVAILABLE AT HALF MOON BAY HIGH SCHOOL?
A. Half Moon Bay High School strives to offer a broad range of AP courses that address the many interests the students have. Half Moon Bay High School also offers select on-line advanced placement courses through an arrangement with the University of California. Following is a list of courses offered at the high school campus:

  • 10th Grade AP World History
  • 11th Grade AP US History
  • 12th Grade AP Government
  • 12th Grade AP English
  • 11th/12th Grade AP Statistics
  • 11th/12th Grade AP Calculus AB
  • 11th/12th Grade AP Biology
  • 11th/12th Grade AP Spanish Language
  • 11th/12th Grade AP Spanish Literature
  • 12th Grade AP French Language
  • Studio Art AP Drawing/2D Art

Q. HOW MANY STUDENTS TAKE AP COURSES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL?
A. A total of 358 AP exams were taken during the 2008-09 school year by 203 students. The number of AP exams administered in 2008-09 was 24% greater than three years ago, as our students have been encouraged to better appreciate the value that colleges place on both AP course participation and exam scores.

Q. WHAT IS AN AP SCHOLAR, AN AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR, AN AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION OR
A NATIONAL AP SCHOLAR?
A. Each year, the AP program recognizes students who have performed exceptionally well on AP examinations. Exams are taken in May and awards are usually granted in the following November. The following designations can be earned:

AP Scholar Awards
Designation Criteria
AP Scholar Grades of 3 or better on three or more AP exams.
AP Scholar with Honor Grades of 3 or better on four or more AP exams and an average of 3.25 on all* AP exams taken.
AP Scholar with Distinction Grades of 3 or better on five or more AP exams and an average of 3.5 on all* AP exams taken.
National AP Scholar Grades of 4* or better on eight or more AP exams and an average of 4 on all* AP exams taken.
AP State Scholar Top male and female student in each U.S. State (and the District of Columbia) ranked first by the greatest number of exams with a grade 3 or higher and then by highest average on all* AP exams taken.

Note: *"All AP exams taken" refers to all AP exams taken in any year. It is not restricted to the year the award is issued in.

Q. HAVE ANY HALF MOON BAY STUDENTS EARNED THESE DISTINGUISHED AWARDS?
A. Yes, in the last three years 67 students have been awarded AP Scholar status, 46 students have been awarded AP Scholar with honor status, and 28 students have been awarded the most prestigious designation AP Scholar with Distinction.