Introduction
As an ambitious college-bound high school student, you need to take rigorous AP classes in order to succeed. Today, we will be guiding you through the various AP classes and ranking them on both difficulty and rigor, how to know which AP classes to take each year, how to successfully gain college credit for your AP tests, and more!
What are AP Classes?
AP, or Advanced Placement classes, are special classes that most high schools offer in order to emulate the curriculum of a college or university level class of that topic. They often times run material at the same pace of a college class, and can thus, in certain cases, give you college credit. More on that will be covered later in this article.
But why take AP classes? On top of the benefits of being able to explore challenging material at an earlier stage of high school, which we know deep down is a secondary purpose for all of you ambitious readers, you get weightage on your GPA.
For those who are unaware, colleges look at two GPAs: the weighted GPA and the unweighted GPA. AP classes, coupled with some selected few honors classes, are weighted courses meaning that rather than being out of 4 points like regular classes, they are out of 5.
This means that the more AP classes you take, the higher your weighted GPA will be. As this GPA is typically of higher precedence to admissions officers, AP classes mainly serve as a gateway for you to elevate your GPA and prove to colleges that you are capable of handling the rigorous coursework you will face there already at an early age.
Note: Although AP classes aren’t a strictly American thing, some school across the world offer other programs similar in concept, such as IB or DE courses.
What are the Hardest and Easiest AP Classes to Take?
Now that you know why to take AP classes, how should you actually decide which AP classes you should take? One pivotal factor when deciding what AP classes may be right for you is difficulty.
Yet although this tier list has been made many times across the Internet, nothing is completely objective. However, based on reports from thousands of students across the country, as well as the opinions of many students of all grade levels, interests, and academic abilities, we have compiled today a solid and relatively unbiased list that should be congruent to how many of you readers may view the such classes from your experiences with them.
Please bear in mind however while you see this that a lot of this depends on your high school and teachers themselves, and we recommend that you ask around other juniors and seniors who have taken a prospective class you bear in mind to see how they felt about it to better shape your views.
For example, at my high school, AP Computer Science A is deemed to be significantly more challenging than at most other high schools. Ultimately, you should gauge your own strengths and abilities as well. More about that will be covered in the next section.
Without further ado, here is the list:
| AP Class | Reason |
| AP Physics C E&M (Hardest) | Brutal Calculus Applications |
| AP Physics C Mechanics | Advanced Physics like E&M |
| AP United States History | Ton of Memorization and Agonizing DBQs |
| AP English Literature | Extremely Deep Poetry Analysis |
| AP Chemistry | Very wide selection of topics |
| AP Physics 1 | You NEED prior physics knowledge to succeed, most go in without it |
| AP Physics 2 | Harder material than AP Physics 1, a little more experience though |
| AP Calculus BC | Most difficult math on an AP test |
| AP Spanish Language | Immense jump in difficult from previous Spanish class, ton of memorization |
| AP Biology | One of the most memorization-heavy AP classes out there |
| AP World History | Unexpected writing portion difficulties |
| AP Calculus AB | Very similar to BC with slight adjustments to make it easier |
| AP European History | The same as AP World History minus a few elements |
| AP Computer Science A | Very math and logic heavy, easier alternative to math AP tests for non-STEM students |
| AP Art History | Unless you are passionate about the subject, it can be mind-numbingly painful to study for |
| AP Music Theory | Unless you are passionate about the subject, it can be mind-numbingly painful to study for |
| AP Macroeconomics | Some difficult concepts but is taken in senior year typically so not as bad |
| AP Microeconomics | Very similar to AP Micro, easier if you know Calculus |
| AP English Language and Composition | MUCH harder if self-studied, but one year of incessant writing and multiple choice practice eases the test significantly |
| AP Statistics | If you know how to use your calculator, you will succeed |
| AP Environmental Science | Regarded as the easiest science AP |
| AP Government and Politics U.S | Senior year class where the test can be prepared for in a semester |
| AP Psychology | Memorize a few hundred terms and you’re ready for the test- not so bad if you have a whole year to do it |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Either very difficult or very easy- depends on how intuitive the concept is to you |
| AP Research | Relatively new AP class that builds on skill that should be second nature to you |
| AP Seminar | Relatively new AP class that builds on skill that should be second nature to you |
| AP 3D Art and Design | Similar to AP 2D Art and Design, but the concepts are a bit more intricate |
| AP 2D Art and Design | If you pay attention and learn how to draw, you will be fine |
| AP Comparative Government and Politics | Anyone who takes this class willingly will be prepared for the exam |
| AP Art and Design Drawing | Highest pass rate speaks for itself |
| AP Human Geography | The “starter” AP class that eases students in to everything above |
| AP Precalculus | A class most find easy enough that college credit for it is a hoax |
| EVERY Language AP (minus Spanish) | Let’s be honest- if you are taking this exam, you already know the language. Piece of cake! |
For a tier list of what the best AP classes you can take are, not necessarily ranked by difficulty but more so on enjoyment (as that is definitely a factor you should consider), check out the video below by Harvard Undergraduate Rishab Jain:
Which AP Classes Should YOU Take?
However, difficulty is not the only factor that should be on your mind when you decide what AP classes to take. You also need to considered relevance and balance.
If you are interested in STEM, then don’t pile on a thousand humanities APs just to boost your overall weighted GPA. Conversely, if you are interested in pursuing humanities after high school, don’t pile on a thousand STEM APs because everyone else is as well. You absolutely MUST prioritize AP classes that pertain to your major.
That doesn’t mean to ignore all AP classes that don’t relate to your major. In fact, some of those classes may actually be required by your high school (not the AP versions of them, but still). Moreover, these classes can also give you necessary college credit and real-world experiences and skill that could be relevant at any point in your life, and should not be shrugged off altogether.
Additionally, you must consider balance. Although the MIT and Harvard students all make it seem seamless, piling on 7 or 8 of the most difficult AP classes you can all in one year of high school is a recipe for disaster. Rather, choose about 4-5 that you truly feel impassioned towards and gravitate towards taking, and take some of those other ones you are also interested in the following year.
This way, you are not only still able to take everything that you want, but you spread it out over many years and balance out your schedule as to not burn out and demolish your mental health. Remember: At the end of the day, as superhuman as you want to feel, these are difficult classes that require carefully manufactured attention and care, and cannot be taken lightly along with too many others.
Trust yourself, know your limits, and ensure your success is multi-faceted.
How Can YOU Get College Credit for your AP Classes?
Ok, now for the coveted moment in this article that you readers have been so patiently waiting for- how to get college credit for your AP classes! Let’s break it down.
- What is ācreditā and āadvanced placementā?
- Credit: Most U.S. colleges offer some degree of credit for qualifying AP scores. Credits recognize the accomplishment of your score, and are almost always only granted based on the passing of the test rather than the passing of the class. Typically, you needĀ 120 creditsĀ to earn a bachelorās degree, an additional 30 credits for a master’s degree, and 60 credits for an associates degree, so AP classes made a small dent in that.
- Advanced Placement: Some colleges recognize that your AP scores demonstrate knowledge in certain courses they offer. They allow you to skip those courses, granting you advanced placement options (ironic, I know). This can free up space in your schedule for other pursuits or more difficult classes.
- Earning College Credit:
- AP Exam Scores: To earn college credit, you must of course the corresponding AP exam. Most colleges require a minimum score (usually 3 or higher) for credit, and are typically stringent about extending this requirement.
- Subject Areas: Many colleges accept a score ofĀ 4 or 5Ā on an AP exam as college credit in that subject area. This means that if you are pursuing a math major, then a 3 likely won’t cut it on the AP Calculus BC exam, so prepare extra diligently for it.
- Check College Policies: Research your collegeās AP credit policy.Ā Some colleges have specific requirements or deadlines for receiving scores. This is more so important following the the AP test but before receiving your score, which is done over the summer a couple months after the test is taken in April/May.
- Transferring Credits:
- New College Admissions: If you plan to transfer to a different college than originally intended, check your new collegeās AP credit policy. Find out if they grant credit for your AP scores or not- try to do before registering for an AP test so that you know whether to take it or not. Remember: College Board schedules exam registration at the beginning of the school year with no refunds, so be very careful when deciding what to take. You can still take an AP class but opt out of the test if you don’t receive AP credit for it, as is a popular option for most seniors.
- Score Reporting: Use the College Boardās score reporting system to send your AP scores to your new college.Ā Unfortunately, thereās no direct transfer of credits between colleges, but you can try to bypass this by figuring out in advance if which colleges you want to apply to/attend and try to meet in the middle if some of them have different policies.
Overall, knowing which AP tests give you college credit and which ones don’t can be crucial when preparing in high school, especially in senior year when AP tests have no impact on your college admissions whatsoever and are purely there either for cosmetics value or university credits.
Finally, AP tests aren’t free. In fact, they are typically around $120 plus taxes as of 2024, and in the near future inflation could have taken that number exorbitantly high. Don’t be afraid to save money, time, and energy when you can. Good luck.
Resource: How Else Can I Get Accepted into Top 20 Universities?
Congratulations! By making it to the end of this article, you have paved the path for yourself towards success by carving out the perfect AP classes for your future. However, there is more to be said than just course rigor when it comes to being competitive for highly selective universities.
Check out this FREE blog below to find out what else you should aim for when trying to get into the Ivy Leagues and beyond:
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