Common AP Questions

First of all, since Cistercian doesn’t offer AP courses, colleges do not expect our students to take AP exams. Many students graduate from Cistercian never having taken a single AP exam. These students matriculate to selective colleges where they are very successful. National research has shown that the single biggest predictor of college success is a student’s academic performance in high school (and colleges know this!)

That said, strong performance on an AP exam can

• demonstrate college-level achievement while still in high school,
• provide further evidence of college preparation during the admission process
• earn a student college credit at the campus they choose to attend with a qualifying score allow for recognition from the CollegeBoard if multiple tests are taken where scores are achieved that meet a certain criteria for recognition

Students who do well on AP exams can self-report their scores during the application process their senior year, but they do not have to report exams with poor performance and neither will colleges see these scores unless volunteered by the student.

AP exams are scored from 1-5, with 1 being the lowest, and 5 being the highest. A score of 3 will earn college credit at state universities in Texas.

Most private colleges will require scores of 4 or 5 to in order to grant credit (either one semester or two semesters, depending on the exam and the college). The report of a score does not affect the college grade point average, but it does affect placement.

There may be good reasons for a student to choose to not accept the credit (e.g. if the subject matter in a Biology exam is directly in line with their college major, then taking Biology again at the university may position a student for a better overall performance in their major coursework).

Cistercian will order and proctor any AP Exam for which students register.

A student who has performed well in these classes and is truly interested in the subject matter may choose to spend a modest amount of time studying independently throughout the year or in the months preceding, in order to sit for an AP exam. There is no magic formula, but students usually need about 20 hours of extracurricular work to prepare well for an AP Exam that overlaps with a current class. For instance, some students choose to take AP Exams after taking an elective in Statistics or Latin.

We strongly discourage students from taking an AP exam if extensive independent preparation is required (especially if at the detriment of their coursework). Students are better served by focusing on the material being tested in their classes as this will appear as a grade on their transcript. To be clear, a strong AP test score will not compensate for a lower GPA.

Typically, the most popular exams taken at Cistercian are Biology in Form V, English Language and Composition in Form VI, and English Literature and Composition in Form VII. The popularity of an exam is not a good indicator for any particular student. Instead, a conversation with teachers and a close look at one’s available time, interest, and goals will help determine which exams are right for him to take.

On average each year

• 30 Freshmen take Biology
• 31 Sophomores take English Language
• 19 Sophomores take World History
• 12 Sophomores take European History
• 21 Juniors take US History
• 21 Juniors take English Literature and Composition
• 9 Seniors take Calculus BC

Our school profile reports that 90% of Cistercian students typically take at least one AP exam over the course of their four years, and 93% of those students score a 3 or better in over 30 different subject areas; 65% of scores are a 4 or 5

If you have performed well in a class that covers a portion of the material on the AP exam and you can set aside about 20 hours to supplement your classwork with independent study, it could be a good idea to take the exam.
Remember: at no time should AP exam preparation take precedence over your coursework!

It may well be true that considerable effort and time in independent learning would be needed in order to score well. Again, speak to your teacher about this if you desire to take an exam.

Colleges do not expect Cistercian students to take AP exams because our school does not offer AP classes. The AP curriculum is specified, rigid, and standardized by the CollegeBoard, while Cistercian’s curriculum is flexible, varied, and typically exceeds the intellectual demands, critical thinking skills, and depth of understanding required in an AP course.

Cistercian made the deliberate and thoughtful decision years ago to remain independent of the AP curricula; the college representatives with whom we work are well aware of this and recognize the rigor of Cistercian’s program.

In addition, each transcript sent as part of a college application is accompanied by the school’s profile, which states in greater detail that Cistercian does not offer AP courses, and communicates our all-advanced honors curricular philosophy which states that the quality of discourse and study is profoundly rigorous while also being profoundly thoughtful.

Get an internship, do volunteer work, hold a job, learn a new language/sport/musical instrument/skill…. Students who use their free time to follow – or develop – their own unique passions, make very interesting college applicants!

It depends. In Texas, House Bill 1992 requires universities in the state to award college credit for AP scores of 3 or higher, offering a cost-saving advantage to students looking to graduate early: Law Allows More College Credits for High Schoolers

Some colleges award credit for strong AP scores, or allow students to skip introductory-level classes but do not award credit. Many selective colleges do not recognize AP performance towards their coursework in any way. Here is an interesting article on this topic from a few years ago but the sentiments are the same:  Colleges Vary on Credit for AP, IB, Dual Classes

Sometimes the college credit you earn will place you out of a class for which you might actually benefit from re-taking, because it is in your major. For instance, if you are a Biomedical Science major, and haven’t taken biology since freshman year of high school, but then receive AP credit for the introductory Biology college course, you might start your college freshman year in a challenging sophomore-level course, not having taken Biology for three years.

Bottom line: you take AP tests because it might give you options later on in college. Since you can’t know what those options are as of yet, you have to understand that one possible end result of this process is that you take and score well on several AP exams, but that you end up not being able to use, or choosing not to use the credit. Here’s one more link that shows the AP credit by examination policy at 100 popular colleges.

Yes! Cistercian offers dual enrollment credit with Dallas College for English, Science (Bio, Chem, or Physics), one semester of U.S. Government, and one semester of Calculus. Seniors taking advantage of this credit will have a college transcript with 21 credit hours towards a degree.

Additionally, the College Board also offers the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) where students can take a computer-based, multiple-choice (no writing) exam in 34 different subject areas for $93 each.  The exams are scheduled at any time convenient for you, take half the time of an AP exam, and many colleges will award credit. Similar to AP exam scores, each school has their own policy for what score will count for credit and for which classes they will accept the CLEP exam.

For the schools you’re interested in, do a web search for “credit by examination” with the college’s name to read their policies.

Yes, but not many:

• Students who are considering applying to overseas universities may need to prepare, and sit for, several AP exams. A number of European schools require qualifying scores on several AP exams. We suggest you investigate the requirements of the schools in which you might be interested by visiting their websites and searching for “international entry qualifications” to learn more about what tests you will need.
• Students who may not earn automatic admission into business colleges due to a lower unweighted GPA may have to take a series of courses as a freshman to qualify as an applicant into the business program as a sophomore. In these cases, independently studying micro and macroeconomics as a second semester senior could earn credit for coursework making the application to the business school easier.
• Some colleges do not weigh our Advanced Honors courses as equivalent to AP-level rigor when they recalculate transcripts using their own internal weighting scale. However, if a student receives a 3 or higher on the AP exam for our similar course, the university could increase that course’s classification in their internal calculation, resulting in additional weight to the student’s grade in that course for their overall weighted GPA at that college (the University of Arkansas is the only known school to do this for Cistercian).

• Register online at collegeboard.org using your CB account
• Use the join code(s) provided each year to choose an exam
• The cost of each exam is $98
• Additionally, changes made after the November deadline (either adding or removing an exam) incur a $45 late fee
• All fees will be added to FACTS accounts in May

A student must have advanced approval from the CollegeBoard for accommodations. See Ms. Dow if you believe you should have them.

Since Cistercian does not follow an AP curriculum in the classroom, students must prepare for an AP exam outside of regular class time.

Most students purchase AP Study Guide books (CollegeBoard, Kaplan, Barron’s, etc.). Kahn Academy also offers tutorials for many AP subjects and the Bluebook app has practice questions.

Some teachers offer study guides of material they do not cover in addition to lunchtime study sessions to convey some material for interested students (per their availability).

Please note that AP exams take place during the school day in the beginning of May and generally last for 2-3 hours. By registering for these exams, you understand that you might be missing valuable class time before final exams.

AP exams are used to show college-level achievement while students are in high school, which is why students can often earn college credit for strong performance on an AP exam. AP exams are not a requirement for college admission.

The SAT and ACT are tests of educational development that measure how much the student has already learned or can reason through.  All colleges will accept either the ACT or SAT for consideration. Some colleges are test-optional and do not use scores to evaluate applicants.

CLEP exams test intro-level college course material and were created to help individuals with prior knowledge in a college course subject earn their degree efficiently and inexpensively. The tests are computer based, can be taken at anytime, and last 90-120 minutes. Each college has their own policy regarding course credit for these exams.

AP scores are sent to a college once a student has made a final matriculation decision.  Similar to SAT/ACT score self-reporting, colleges do not ask for official verification of AP scores during the application process. If you have strong AP results that you would like to share during the application process, you can self-report them on your application or within your resume.

Once you know where you will be enrolling, you can log into your CollegeBoard account and send scores to the college of your choice.

If you do poorly on an exam and don’t wish to report your results, you do not have to – they are not a requirement for college admission. You decide which scores you want to share with your college.

That said, when you designate a college/university to receive your scores, they will receive your entire score report from all AP Exams you have taken throughout high school unless you have requested scores be withheld or canceled (request must be in writing, $10 per score withheld).

• AP exams are offered during the first two weeks of May and each exam takes between 2-4 hours to complete.
• Morning exams begin at 8:30 a.m., and afternoon exams begin at 1:00 p.m.
• Please plan accordingly; you will be responsible for notifying your teachers and coaches if you miss class or practice and making up any missed work, quizzes, or tests.
• Students will not be allowed to leave exams early under any circumstances.
• Schedules and room assignments will be posted in each Form Room at the end of April.