What does AP stand for? In high school, AP stands for Advanced Placement, a national program of college level courses that students take while still in high school. Each course ends with an exam in May, and a strong score can earn college credit or let a student skip an intro class.
Outside school the same two letters mean other things. A newsroom uses AP for a large news agency and its writing style, an office uses it for accounts payable, and an IT team uses it for a wireless access point. The setting nearly always makes the meaning clear, as the sections below show.
Quick facts
Stands for (school)
Advanced PlacementType
Initialism, said A PExam scores
1 to 5Exam month
MayOther meanings
Associated Press, accounts payable, access point, assistant principalRelated terms
Honors, IB, dual enrollment, GPAPlural
APs, as in "she took four APs"
What does AP stand for in high school?
On a class schedule, a course called AP Biology or AP U.S. History is an Advanced Placement class. The program is run by a national nonprofit testing organization, and schools follow a shared course outline so that an AP class in Ohio covers about the same material as one in Oregon. There are more than 30 subjects, from calculus and chemistry to art history and languages.
- Advanced means the work is harder than a regular class.
- Placement means a good result can place you into a higher course in college.
Students can take the class, the exam, or usually both. Many schools give AP classes extra weight when they figure a student's GPA, so an A in an AP class can count for more than an A in a regular class.
How AP scores work
| Score | Label |
|---|---|
| 5 | Extremely well qualified |
| 4 | Well qualified |
| 3 | Qualified |
| 2 | Possibly qualified |
| 1 | No recommendation |
A 3 is often called a passing score. Each college sets its own rules, though. One school may give credit for a 3, another may want a 4 or 5, and some use the score only for placement. Check the college's credit policy before you count on it.
AP abbreviation in other fields
| Field | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| News and writing | Associated Press | "Follow AP style for numbers and dates" |
| Accounting | Accounts payable | "Send the vendor invoice to AP" |
| Networking | Access point | "Add an AP in the back office for better wireless" |
| School staff | Assistant principal | "Go see the AP about your schedule" |
| Video games | Ability power or action points | "This build stacks AP" |
Accounts payable is the money a business owes, the mirror image of accounts receivable. In a school hallway, though, "the AP" can mean the assistant principal, so listen for whether people say "the AP" or "an AP class."
AP vs honors, IB and dual enrollment
- Honors: a harder version of a regular class set by the school or district. There is no national exam.
- IB: International Baccalaureate, a separate program with its own courses, exams and diploma.
- Dual enrollment: a real college course taken in high school, with credit from that college.
- AP: a national course outline and exam, with credit decided by each college.
A counselor's email: "Sign up for AP Calc by Friday. The exam is in May, and most state colleges give credit for a 4 or higher." Here AP is the course name, and the 4 is the exam score.
How to say and write AP
Say the letters, "A P." Write them in capitals without periods in school use. Use an before it because it begins with a vowel sound: "an AP class," "an AP exam." The plural is APs, with no apostrophe.
- "He is taking three APs junior year."
- "My AP Lit teacher assigns a novel every month."
- "She scored a 5 on the AP exam."
- "Our paper uses AP style, so spell out numbers under 10."
Related tests include the PSAT, SAT and ACT. For more letters from report cards and course guides, see the school acronyms section.
Questions people ask
What does AP stand for in school?
It stands for Advanced Placement. AP classes are college level courses taught in high school that end with a national exam.
Is an AP class worth it?
It can help with college credit, placement and a weighted GPA, but it adds work. Many students pick the subjects they enjoy most rather than taking as many as possible.
What is a passing AP score?
A 3 is often treated as passing, but each college decides what it accepts. Some need a 4 or 5 for credit.
What does AP stand for in a newspaper?
In news it usually means the Associated Press, a large news agency. AP style is the writing guide many newsrooms follow.
Can you take an AP exam without the class?
In many cases, yes, students can register for the exam on their own. Ask your school's AP coordinator how to sign up.