Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of university/college level courses and exams for high school students. For students who successfully complete external AP exams (with a minimum score of 4 on a 5 point scale), they may, upon admission to university/college, be granted credit and/or placement at most post-secondary institutions around the world. (Some institutions will also grant credit for a score of 3.) Grade 11 Honours courses, in particular, help prepare students who intend to take AP courses at the grade 12 level but these are not available in all schools. General information on the AVRSB program can be found in the promotional powerpoint developed by the AVRSB.
AP Teachers
AVRSB Advanced Placement teachers are dedicated to providing AP students with the best possible preparation for their AP exam and post-secondary studies. For a listing of the current AP teachers, please check out our Contacts page.
Writing the Advanced Placement Examination
Students enrolled in AP courses are strongly encouraged to write the external AP examination in May. There is no fee for taking an AP course but there is a fee for writing this AP examination which is currently covered by the province. Regardless of whether or not the student writes the AP exam in May, the fact that they completed an AP course is acknowledged on their official NS Ministry of Education transcript. However, if the student wants to earn advanced placement credit at a post-secondary institution, they must write the AP exam and forward their results to their institution(s).
Credit for University/College
Students who successfully complete an AP exam with a minimum score of 4 on a 5 point scale (some insititutions only require a score of 3) may, upon admission to the university, be granted credit and/or placement at most post-secondary institutions around the world. For more detailed information about colleges and universities, click here.
Advanced Placement students, when placed in advanced courses in university, tend to outperform other students. About 80% of these students receive As or Bs in subsequent course work even at the most selective institutions. They usually have higher grade point averages and are more likely to graduate with honours from university having had less of an adjustment to university work. As the universities see the performance of AP candidates after they leave high school, they become more interested in recruiting these students to their campuses.
AP International Diploma
In order to earn the Advanced Placement International Diploma (APID) students must earn a grade of 3 or higher in five specified subjects. One of these subjects must be chosen from the AP global course offerings: AP World History, AP Human Geography, or AP Government and Politics: Comparative.
The APID is aimed at students who wish to attend university in a foreign country. More information on the APID may be found at the College Board website.
Annapolis Valley Regional School Board