There are many reasons to encourage high school students to complete advanced coursework and several options for how to do so. College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) exams are one popular option. But, how many AP courses is enough?
A recent research summary put out by the College Board sheds some light on the most impactful number of courses for a student to take. 1 According to the associated research study based a sample of 400,000 college transcripts, increasing AP participation from zero to one AP exam and from one to two AP exams showed the biggest predicted boost in first-year grades and on-time bachelor’s degree attainment.2 Said another way, encouraging a student to take just one exam had a significant connection with their freshman grades and finishing college in 4 years. This held for moving a student from taking one exams to two and two to three.
Interestingly it also should be noted that taking and performing well on more than four AP exams did not markedly alter predicted first-year college grades and on-time bachelor’s degree attainment rates.2 So depending on the student’s goals more AP courses might not necessarily be better. This may be helpful for showing which students might receive the most impact from counseling related to coursework decisions. One might would imagine that a student that takes 4 or more AP courses probably did not need much outside coaxing to do so. However, for a student who is on the fence about taking their first AP course are likely to benefit from this experience.
In conclusion, taking one or two AP exams can provide a significant boost in first-year grades and on-time bachelor’s degree attainment rates. Iowa school professionals looking to expand the options available to their students may consider Iowa Online AP® Academy (IOAPA) provides free access to nearly 30 online advanced courses for Iowa students who would not otherwise have access to these courses in their schools. Keep an eye out for our upcoming announcements related to AP exam scholarships and Fall 2024 registration.
If you have any questions about your Iowa school’s eligibility for IOAPA courses, email us at ioapa@belinblank.org.
Source(s)
1. Summarizing Research on the Relationships Between the Number of APs,
AP Performance, and College Outcomes
2. Studying the Relationships Between the Number of APs, AP Performance, and College Outcomes
Belin-Blank Center 