The Advanced Placement (AP) program is a rigorous academic program that gives motivated students the opportunity to pursue university-level studies while still in secondary/high school. The Advanced Placement Program (AP), created by the College Board in USA and Canada, is a program wherein, you can apply to enhance your chances of placement into US Universities and Colleges. The May 2018 College Board AP Exams were taken by 2,808,990 high school students from 22,612 secondary schools to the total of 5,090,324 examinations taken. In this post, we will look at the AP exam syllabus, exam pattern, exam dates in India, and preparation tips.
AP Exams Syllabus, Format, Dates, Fees, Test Centers in India, and Preparation Tips
By Parinita Gupta
Advanced Placement examinations are exams offered by the College Board and are taken by students in the month of May. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement courses. The exams, have a combination of multiple-choice and free-response questions, and are between 90-200 minutes in length, depending on the subject.
AP Exam Syllabus and Exam Format
AP Exams are standardized exams designed to measure how well you’ve mastered the content and skills of a specific AP course. Most AP courses have an end-of-year paper-and-pencil exam, but a few courses have different ways to assess what you’ve learned—for example, AP Art and Design students submit a portfolio of work for scoring. Advanced Placement is recognized in admissions around the world. Top universities around the world recognize AP when making decisions for admission. The success on the AP exams shows the readiness for university-level coursework and in fact, AP can be used in admissions in more than 60 countries.
The syllabus for AP exams corresponds with the college-level syllabus of these subjects. AP courses and syllabus are challenging, and a well- thought study plan is required for both the content and test pattern. Questions on AP tests are applicative and taking timed practice tests is a prerequisite to scoring high on your AP exams. Advanced Placement Test assesses the ability of a student to excel in a particular subject at the university level courses. The AP test syllabus includes more than 30 courses across various subject areas. The AP test syllabus contains the following subject specializations:
- Arts
- English
- History and Social Sciences
- Mathematics and Computer Science
- Sciences
- World Languages and Cultures
The further above section of the AP exam includes –
ARTS – AP Art History, AP Music, AP Studio Art 2-D Design, AP Studio Art 3-D Design, AP Studio Art Drawing
ENGLISH – AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature & Composition
HISTORY & SOCIAL SCIENCES – AP Comparative Government & Politics, AP European History, AP Human Geography, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Psychology, AP United States Government & Politics, AP United States History, AP World History
MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE – AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science A, AP Statistics
SCIENCES – AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Physics C: Mechanics
WORLD LANGUAGES & CULTURES – AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP French Language and Culture, AP German Language and Culture, AP Italian Language and Culture, AP Japanese Language and Culture, AP Latin, AP Spanish Language, and Culture, AP Spanish Literature and Culture
Read AP Exams vs SAT Subject Tests: Overview, Differences & Preparation Strategy
AP Exam Dates, Test Centers, and Fees
The tests are usually held in the month of May. The registration period is usually mid-Feb to mid-March.
The Advanced Placement examinations are administered at authorized USIEF centers and schools across 11 Indian cities:
- Ahmedabad
- Amritsar
- Bangalore
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Hyderabad
- Jaipur
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
- Rajkot
Students will be able to take exams at any of the 16 test centers spread across India. All information related to the Registration Process is available on www.ap-india.org. AP Exams are priced at Rs. 9,500 per exam (Rs. 10,000 in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi).
Timeline for AP Exams
May is a hectic month with tests, finals, and school events, so prepping for your APs early and often will ensure you’ll do your best on these important tests. Many students start preparing for AP 1 to 3 months before test day, usually gearing up by spring break. The main aim is to give yourself enough time to get used to AP question types, sit for a few practice tests, review content, and polish your test-taking strategy. If you start your preparation quite early the good news is that the hard work for your AP classes will set a great foundation for the AP test. You need to start using the old tests and quizzes to track where preparation is needed and need to beef up the required knowledge and what topics you already know well.
AP is flexible, allowing students to take as many or as few exams as they wish to, in any given year. Students usually take AP Exams in Grade 11 or 12 or both, but some take them earlier, in Grade 9 or 10. Some students also choose to take AP Exams in a gap year after completing high school, before they go to college. AP courses are taught in several schools in India, but students also have the option to self-study and take AP Exams.
AP is changing its registration timeline. Students must register by Oct-Nov 2019 for May 2020 exams. The important dates and preview of the May 2020 AP Exam schedule (not all exams are offered in India) can be found in https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/exam-dates-and-fees/exam-dates-2020
Useful Links:
FAQs for Students in India Taking AP Exams
For AP Exams in India, visit this page.
Preparation Tips for AP Exams
It’s important that you start early and make a schedule to plan your time accordingly. Many students do appear for more than one AP Exam this May and for that you should be clear with these questions:
- How much time do you have for preparing for your exams?
- Which is the best time of the day you can focus or devote for your AP Exam study?
- How much time per day you can devote to prepare for each exam?
Always remember, studying in small chunks keeps the workload/study pressure manageable, hence try devoting time every day for preparation till you appear for the exam which will make you confident enough to crack the exam. Always remember the famous saying “Practice makes a man perfect”.
Few handy tips students can use:
- Choose a good AP book – Exam preparation books/content plays a major role in preparing for AP exams. A great book will help you review essential content, introduce you to test format and question types, and help you practice for the big day.
- Expert help and self-practice – Your mentor’s job is to ensure all the subject material and content is covered before your exams however, it’s always you who needs to study and prepare. There often isn’t enough time during class to teach the material and do a thorough review. Taking time to review material on a regular basis will ensure you are ready.
- Start revising with old content – Begin by reviewing the content you have already completed in class/tuitions, this will help in revising past work. Refreshing your memory on a regular basis is the best strategy for effective learning.
- Approach new material with the AP Exam in mind – You shouldn’t forget the material once you’ve been graded on it. The AP exam will be the culmination of the entire year. As you master new material, make notes that you’ll use later for AP Exam review. Highlight the important points of each lesson while it’s still fresh in your mind, and practice the areas where you struggled.
About Parinita Gupta: Parinita is a full-time banking professional. Additionally, she is also a passionate blogger and digital marketer.
She mostly writes about the Banking & Finance, Technology, and FinTech sector. But, she also enjoys writing on other topics as well. You can follow her on Twitter.
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