AP/IB

The AP (Advanced Placement) courses and the IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma Program are intensive courses that colleges like to see on high school transcripts.

The IB classes follow a curriculum, including papers and exams (internal assessments), mandated by the International Baccalaureate Program. A student must complete individual IB classes and score higher than a 4 (out of 7) on exams to earn a certificate of completion. The AP program, mandated by the College Board, uses exams graded on a scale from 1 to 5. They can be taken individually for recognition of exceptional performance. Colleges recognize both exams when considering an applicant and their potential for college credit.

The best way to prepare for AP and IB exams is developing a substantial foundation of coursework in the subject. Breaking down the material and implementing practice tests will allow students to increase subject knowledge and test scores. Remember, just because your school doesn’t teach an AP class does not mean you cannot take the exam! However, because the tests are subject based, the amount of preparation time is dependent on the student’s mastery of the content. We recommend more time for students preparing on their own.