An Introduction to the �Advanced Placement Program^®

Normal Community High School

Advanced Placement ^®: The Basics

• AP® courses are college-level courses offered in high school.
• Courses reflect what is taught in top introductory college courses.
• Students can take optional AP Exams at the end of the course, measuring their mastery of college-level work (scoring is on a scale from 1-5).
• A score of 3 or higher on an AP Exam can typically earn students college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college (at participating colleges – students need to research the AP policy at their respective colleges). Some colleges require a score of 4 or 5 to award certain credit. AP Credit policy search: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-credit-placement/search-policies
• Illinois state schools are required (by law) to award college credit for any AP score of a 3 or higher. All other colleges and universities have their own policies and score requirements.

Our AP^® Courses

• English: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition
• History and Social Sciences: Comparative Government and Politics, Human Geography, Psychology, United States Government and Politics
• Mathematics and Computer Science: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Statistics
• Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics
• World languages: French Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Spanish Language and Culture
• Music: Music Theory
• Art: Art Studio 2-D Design & Art History are always offered during course selection, but we have never had enough students request the courses to be able to offer them.

AP®: The Benefits

AP^®: The Benefits

• Students learn rigorous college-level content and skills
• Taking AP is valued in the college admission process, as it is seen as rigorous coursework.
• AP courses are interesting and rewarding academic experiences
• Opportunity to earn valuable credit and placement in college

AP^®: Skills & Advantages that Last a Lifetime

• Taking an AP course helps students build critical thinking skills, confidence, and the essential time management and study skills needed for college success
• Nationally, research shows that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically earn higher grade point averages in college and have higher graduation rates than their non-AP peers*

*2009, The College Board, “The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes"

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AP^® Expands Students’ Options

When students earn college credit through AP Exams, their options and opportunities expand:

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• Move to upper-level college courses sooner
• Pursue a double major
• Gain time to study and travel abroad

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AP® Exams

AP^® Exams

AP Exams are administered by schools worldwide on set dates in May each year.

• Exams are typically 2.5 - 4 hours and include:
• Multiple-choice questions
• Free-response items such as essays, problem solving, ��document-based questions and oral response
• Listening and Speaking sections are given during World Languages and Music
• Most exams are digital. Some are a hybrid model of digital and paper. You can get specific information on the format from your AP teacher or the AP coordinator.
• For more exam specific information please visit the CB website: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page

AP^® Exams at NCHS

• In 2025, 323 students took 672 AP exams at NCHS.
• 82% of NCHS students scored a 3 or above on their AP Exams in 2025.
• Over the last 5 years at NCHS, consistently, at least 80% of students have scored a 3 or higher.
• In 2025, 112 students achieved AP Scholar status with an average score of 3.84 on their exams.
• The AP Program offers several AP Scholar Awards to recognize high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams.
• Includes AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, AP Scholar with Distinction, and National AP Scholar awards. Information is calculated using the student’s average AP exams. National AP Scholar award is top honor with an average AP score of 4.68.
• https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap/the-rewards/scholar-awards

AP^® Exam Fees

• The current exam fee is $100 per exam. The cost could increase in coming years with College Board’s changing fees.

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• Assistance is available for eligible students with financial need:
• Free/Reduced Lunch Status students will mark the financial need box within the Total Registration website
• Free/Reduced Lunch Status lowers the exam fee, considerably.

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Exam Registration Information

Exam Registration Information

Registration steps and payment are completed online:

https://normalcommunity.unit5.org/counselors/counseling-office/ap-exams-advanced-placement�

• Registration for semester 1 and full year AP courses runs from October 1^st through October 31^st every year.
• Registration for semester 2 only classes (select social studies courses) runs from February 1^st through February 28^th every year.
• No Late registrations are allowed.
• Full payment and 2 registration steps must be fully complete by deadline or exam will be cancelled.
• 1. Total Registration process/payment
• 2. Join the AP Classroom using a join code in your myAP College Board account.

Exam Registration Information

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• Students must register with their own full legal name, address, and date of birth – NOT the parent’s info. ☺�
• Students should use an email in Total Registration that they check OFTEN! All exam communication will take place via email. They will receive test schedules, locations, maps, and any emergency information through their email only!
• For College Board accounts, it is best to use a personal email, as students lose access to their school email upon graduation.

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NCHS Specific AP Exam Information

AP Exam Locations

AP Exam Locations:

• Heartland Community College
• Eastview Christian Church
• ISU Bone Student Center

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• NCHS
• late exams and/or students with special testing accommodations only (must be pre-approved)
• Some accommodations exams may be given off campus, depending on space.
• Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from each AP exam.

Individualized Student Exam Information

In April, students who have registered for AP exams will receive the following VIA EMAIL ONLY:

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• Testing schedule individualized to them
• Location/Parking Maps & Information
• What to bring on exam day
• What NOT to bring on exam day

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It is important to practice your transportation route ahead of time to make test day less stressful. Pay attention to the names of the buildings and classroom numbers where the testing will occur. No late students are allowed in the test room.

AP Exam Procedures

• Students should arrive 20-30 minutes early for their exams. We open the doors 15-20 minutes early and begin filling out preliminary information before the 8:00 AM testing window begins.
• Late students cannot be admitted per College Board guidelines.
• Some students will have more than one AP exam day on a given day.
• If there are conflicts with the exam schedule, I will contact you directly. If you have 2 exams in one day, bring a snack/lunch for the quick break between exams. You are expected to take both on the same day per College Board.
• If your student misses their exam for a verified reason or emergency, they will need to discuss options with me directly.
• Some late AP exam reasons require the student to pay an additional fee of around $40.
• Late AP exams are scheduled on specific national test days and cannot be rescheduled. The Late AP exam schedule is provided on the College Board’s AP website. The coordinator makes the final decision on when a late exam will be allowed or not. If a student misses due to illness, a doctor’s note is required.
• If a student is interested in taking an exam that Unit 5 does not offer, they are responsible for finding another testing site and registering with that school separately. Unit 5 only offers exams for courses that we offer.

Exam Scores

AP Exam Scores

AP Exam Scores are released in July directly to the student’s College Board account.

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To send scores to colleges, students will submit their request through their College Board accounts. College Board charges a fee to send scores per school.

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If your student has trouble accessing their College Board account, contact College Board directly as NCHS counselors have no information or access to student accounts.

Credit and Placement Opportunities

Each college and university has its own policies regarding AP^® credit and placement. The College Board offers information about AP credit at thousands of college and universities at www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy. This link is available on the NCHS Counselors website under the AP tab.

• Search by school name or alphabetically
• Data for each school includes a direct link to that school’s Web page detailing AP credit and placement policies
• A statement from the college or university about its AP policy