General Questions

How do I enroll in the AP Program?

Can I take more than one Virtual AP course at a time?

How will taking AP courses affect my college career?

How will taking AP courses impress my College Admissions Officer?

AP courses are recognized on an international basis. They will demonstrate your academic maturity and readiness for college courses. It will demonstrate the willingness of students to take demanding challenges.

If I don't get a good grade on an AP Exam, will it hurt my chances for college admission?

If you take an examination as a senior, colleges will not receive your grade before July–probably well after you have been admitted. If you choose to report AP grades obtained before your senior year, you will primarily be telling the colleges that you undertook a difficult course and that you are serious about your studies. Overall, approximately two-thirds of all AP test takers receive AP grades of at least 3. This grade is regarded as an indicator of an ability to do successful work at most colleges.

If I take an AP course will I receive a lower mark than if I took and Academic or Advanced course?

The answer to this depends on you. AP courses are designed to challenge students but students rise to the challenge and their marks usually stay the same as if they had taken academic level courses. Universities look favourably on students with courses of a challenging nature on their high school transcript.

If I take AP courses will it enhance my chance of receiving a university or college scholarship?

An increasing number of universities are giving preference to students who have AP courses on their high school transcript. There definitely is a positive benefit of having AP courses when applying for scholarships as some universities will weight AP and IB courses higher then other courses thus enhancing the student's average.

How late can I drop a course before a mark will be recorded on my transcript?

Starting in the 2009 - 2010 school year students wishing to drop an AP virtual course after the recognized drop date will have a WD placed on their transcript thus making them ineligible for honours or honours with distinction awards offered by the AVRSB schools. The drop date for virtual AP Biology, Chemistry and Human Geography is Nov. 1st. Due to the February start of the AP Calculus component of the course the drop date is February 28th. On-site AP Courses offered by schools follow the normal drop dates of that school.

How late can I enrol in an AP Virtual course?

The last date for enrolment in an AP Virtual class is two weeks after the commencement of school in September.

AP Exam Related Questions

If I take an AP course do I have to take the exam?

No, but students are strongly encouraged to take the exam. University credit will not be given unless a student writes the AP exam.

Where will I take the exam?

Virtual AP May exams are administered at Horton while on-site courses are administered in their respective schools.

When will I take the tests?

The exams are administered during the first two weeks of May. (Schedule)

How many times can I repeat an AP Exam?

You can take an AP Exam each time it is offered (AP Exams are offered once a year in May). Your grade report will include your grades for all the AP Exams you have taken, including yearly "repeats" of the same subject exam.

When are the exams given? How much time does it take to finish one?

Most of the exams take two to three hours to complete. For subjects that correspond to half-year college courses, the exam is closer to two hours in length. Your AP Coordinator will notify you of the exact exam starting time.

Will I lose points if I answer a multiple-choice question wrong? Should I guess?

The answer to the first question is "no". Prior to 2011 there was a minor deduction for wrong answers but this has changed so that starting with the 2011 exam period no deductions will occur.

The answer to the second question is a conditional "yes." Random guessing is unlikely to raise or lower your grade if you are unsure about the answer to a question, because of the formula (described above) used to deduct points for wrong answers. However, if you have SOME knowledge of the question, and can eliminate one or more answer choices, informed guessing from among the remaining choices is usually to your advantage.

What does my AP score actually mean?

5 – Extremely well qualified

4 – well qualified

3 – qualified

2 – possibly qualified

1 – no recommendation

Most individual colleges and universities accept grades of 3 or above, but each institution determines which AP exam grades to accept for credit and/or advanced placement in each subject area.

Who receives my AP Exam results?

AP Grade Reports are sent in July, by the College Board, to each student’s home, high school and any universities(s) designated by the student. At the time of the exam, students can indicate if they would like a university to receive their grade. After the exam, students can write to the AP Program and request that the grade be sent to other colleges as well. During the exam period students are given a Student Pack which contains their AP master number and info on how to apply for marks.

AVRSB Virtual Program

Does my school have the technology to be part of the virtual program?

When students from an AVRSB school register for a virtual AP course the school is equipped with the appropriate hardware and software to facilitate videoconferencing lectures over the internet.

If I have high speed internet at home can I take the class from home?

Students with high speed internet must also have a webcam and a headset in order to communicate with the instructor. This would also depend on the scheduling of the on-line lectures. This is totally optional and AVRSB staff are not responsible for setting up and maintaining home access.

When are the classes scheduled?

At the present time the class scheduling is very flexible. Most classes run prior to school, some during school and some after school. The scheduling of classes is determind so as to allow students to take multiple courses and not have conflicts. Please see the course websites on this site for information about each course.

How do I partake in labs in the science courses?

Instructors of the science courses arrange days when students go to Horton to complete a bank of labs. Some labs are completed virtually and in some cases lab kits are sent to schools so that you can complete a lab in your home school.

Will the lab activities be of an advanced nature?

The chemistry and biology instructors make use of all the technology and lab equipment available at Horton. This includes computer probeware, laptops and advanced lab kits. In most cases students are using equipment that is not available in their school.

Are there times when the virtual students are together for special activities?

The virtual science students come together at Horton to conduct lab activities and in other courses instructors conduct field trips or have special presentations where all the students take part at one location.