To offer an AP course or not....that is the question

AP courses can vary in the level of content material and how it is taught at the high school level. In the past decade, the number of high school students taking AP courses has grown exponentially that there is questioning on if it rigorous enough to meet college standards. As a result, teachers teaching AP courses need to submit their syllabus and course information to the College Board, who administers the exams on a yearly basis to students that hope that they can gain college credit before they go off to higher education.

When I was in high school, I took one of the AP exams and it was tough. I felt that I was not ready to take the rigorous AP Biology exam. I did not think that anyone in the class was fully prepared to meet the demands of the test. Even though I took the course, that does not mean that I automatically get college credit unless I got a certain score on the test.

As admissions into higher education becomes more competitive, AP courses may offer information that the student might be ready for college. But this is not always the case. I think that AP courses need to meet standards that are relatively similar to a college level course.