AP exams: a parent guide to Advanced Placement courses and tests

Published October 17, 2026 · Last reviewed October 17, 2026 · By the Tutoring Path team

Advanced Placement (AP) courses let high school students take college-level classes, and a good score on the AP exam can earn college credit or placement at many colleges. They are also demanding, so it helps to plan which ones to take and how to prepare.

The basics

AP exams are run by the College Board and are held each May.
Each exam is scored from 1 to 5. Colleges set their own rules for which scores earn credit or placement.
Students usually take the exam at the end of the matching AP course, though the course is not strictly required.

Exam dates and formats change by year and subject. Check the College Board’s AP site for the current schedule.

Choosing AP courses

Pick subjects your child is genuinely interested in or strong at, rather than as many as possible.
Check the workload of each course with teachers or older students.
Look at what the colleges your child is considering accept for credit.

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Preparing for the exam

Keep up during the year. AP courses move fast, and falling behind in the fall is hard to recover from in spring.
Practice the real format. Released free-response questions and official practice show what graders look for.
Start review early. Begin structured review in March or April rather than the week before.

When tutoring helps

Tutoring is most useful when a student is falling behind in the course itself, or needs help with the written free-response sections. Ask a tutor whether they have taught or prepared students for that specific AP subject.

Need help with an AP course?

Tell us your child’s grade, ZIP code and the subject that feels hardest. Wherever you live in the U.S., we’ll search for a tutoring provider near you. Families near Bay Ridge, Brooklyn can connect with Huntington Learning Center.

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Sources and further reading

This guide is general information for parents, not professional, medical or legal advice.