Advanced Placement

What Is Advanced Placement (AP)?

The AP Program offers college-level courses and exams that you can take in high school:

Earn College Credit

• Your AP score could earn you college credits before you even set foot on campus.

Earn Advanced Placement 

• Your AP score can let you skip introductory courses in college.

Save Money and Time

• Earning credit or placement can open up time on your schedule or even let you graduate early.

Stand Out to Colleges 

• “AP” on your high school transcript shows colleges you’ve tackled college-level work.

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AP Course Difficulty

AP courses are usually more demanding than regular high school classes. Most AP courses are similar to first-year college courses. They aren't easy, but you can succeed in them if you put in time and effort.

Enrolling in an AP Course

Begin by talking with a school counselor, an AP teacher, or the school AP Coordinator. Find out if taking an AP course would be a positive experience for you. It’s important to make sure you understand and can handle the workload.

AP Exam

When you take an AP course, you have the opportunity to take the AP Exam in that subject. AP Exams are given in May. They are two- to three-hour tests made up of multiple-choice and free-response questions. The exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5.

You must pay a fee to take an AP Exam. If you can’t pay the fee, you can ask your school counselor or school AP Coordinator (if your school has one) about a fee reduction. 

AP Capstone Programs in PVSchools

AP Capstone Information

We currently have three of our high school campuses offering the AP Capstone Program.  The contact person for each school is listed below.

Horizon – Rachel Prince - 602-449-6000

Paradise Valley – Jackie Clayton - 602-449-7000

Pinnacle – Shannon Wood - 602-449-4000