AP and Honors Classes

Hi Isabela,

First, on AP courses; classes that emulate college-level rigor in a subject. You can expect content similar to an undergraduate course when you take the class in university. Thus, many colleges offer credit for AP classes if your pass the AP exam, which is essentially a final test given by CollegeBoard to gauge your learning throughout the year. A 3,4, or 5 on the AP exam yields a "pass", meaning it is eligible for credit. Some high schools or colleges also give you an increased GPA boost if you take an AP class in recognition of the effort required. For University of California GPA calculations, an A in an AP class counts for a 5.0 GPA, whereas an A in a regular class merits a 4.0.

Honors classes vary by school, but are not based on a CollegeBoard curriculum nor do they have an AP exam at the end of the school year. Some specific ones may have special conditions, again depending on your school. University of California colleges, for example, give some honors classes the extra GPA boost similar to AP classes, but this can't be generalized to all honors classes.

In summary, both AP and Honors classes contain heightened rigor and speed compared to a normal course, but AP courses come with the (optional but highly recommended) AP exam at the end, a weighted GPA boost, and potential college credit. Hope this helped!

Do you have community colleges in your country? If so, then dual enrollment is a great substitute option for AP and honors!

Hello Isabela,

Honors classes are supposed to be an advanced level of learning, while AP classes are similar to college credit classes where you earn college credit in high school. Both have a weighted GPA scale of 4.5 and can also be very challenging for some people.