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AP (Advanced Placement) Exams

By Allen Grove, About.com

Definition: The College Board offers 37 AP (Advanced Placement) exams in 22 different subject areas. These exams measure a students mastery of college-level material. Students can earn college course credit by receiving high scores on AP exams. The exact score required varies from school to school, but often a 4 or 5 is needed. A few schools will accept 3s, and a few will accept 5s only. A student does NOT need to take an AP course to take an AP exam, but the preparation tends to be more rigorous than traditional high school classes.

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