Advance Placement, or AP courses have become a very important part of many students’ academic careers. They allow students to earn college credit while still being in high school. There are many benefits of taking an AP class such as the ability to prepare for college courses, earning a GPA boost, and possibly increasing the odds of qualifying for merit-based financial aid. To earn this credit, students will work the entire school year to prepare for the AP exam. These exams are scored on a scale of one through five, with a three and above being considered a passing score.
Here at South Oldham High School, many AP courses are offered to students. Each class varies in the amount of difficulty and coursework, though each is rigorous and requires more effort than a typical class would. Below is the ranking of the AP classes at South from 1 through 19, with 1 being the easiest and 19 being the hardest. This ranking is determined by the exam pass rate, as described by the College Board AP Score Distribution from the 2022-2023 school year.
| Class | Description | Class Ranking | Pass Rate |
| AP Seminar | This course is project-based across the entire year. The end-of-year exam is worth 40% of the overall AP score, so as long as you get the presentations and essays done on time across the year, it’s very easy to pass. It takes a lot of effort for the students to pace themselves and get writing and research done on time. (If you have trouble public speaking or presenting, then the presentation might be an area of growth!) | 1 | 88% |
| AP Research | This class centers around a year-long research project on a topic of your choosing. There is a lot of writing involved with this course. You have to be on top of deadlines and have good time management to succeed in AP Research. | 2 | 84% |
| AP 2D Art Design | The end-of-year exam for this class is a bit different than others. Students will submit a portfolio of their work, rather than sit for an exam. This is done through the skills you have learned throughout the year. | 2 | 84% |
| AP Calculus BC | This is the latter half of Calculus. BC adds new challenging concepts and extends ideas from AB. Where AB covered a semester of college-level calculus, BC covers both semesters one and two. There is a high pass rate because students who passed AB are more likely to take BC. | 3 | 78% |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Works of different genres and writing formats will be analyzed by students throughout the year. There will be a lot of short stories and classical reading. There will be writing involved in this class through essays on your analysis of certain literary works. The nationwide pass rate for the 2023 school year was 77%, however, at South, there was a 100% pass rate. | 4 | 77% |
| AP Chemistry | AP Chemistry gives you hands-on learning through many labs. Many of these labs are inquiry-based investigations that are designed to teach you about the array of topics that this class covers. There is homework almost every night. You will spend about three to five hours outside of class working on course material. | 5 | 75% |
| AP 3D Art Design | This class is formatted similarly to AP 2D Art Design. The key difference is that instead of studying skills such as photography or graphic design, you explore processes such as ceramics and metalwork. | 6 | 72% |
| AP Physics 2 | This course is similar to AP Physics 1, however, it requires more knowledge on the subject of physics. You will need to be able to memorize certain concepts, equations, and graphs, causing it to be a challenging class. | 7 | 68% |
| AP World History | This class covers everything from politics to cultures and how they helped shape the world. There is a heavy course load with AP World History and requires significant work outside of class. Depending on who your teacher is can make or break this class. | 8 | 65% |
| AP Art History | Multiple art forms and mediums will be explored through this course. There will be an analysis of these forms, individual works, and connections that can be made across history. Homework will be involved in this course and memorization will be required. | 9 | 64% |
| AP Biology | You will explore different scientific principles and processes that are present in living organisms and biological systems. When it comes to homework, the teacher, Mr. Cunningham, says “Homework is rarely mandatory, textbook reading and studying expected.” | 9 | 64% |
| AP Macroeconomics | This class is all about economics, and how the principles of economics are applied to an economic system. Charts, graphs, and data are used to explore these concepts. | 9 | 64% |
| AP Music Theory | This class is dedicated to all things music. Students will learn how to create difficult harmonious progressions. In addition to this, they will learn how to analyze musical pitch, rhythm, form, and design. Another part of the class is practicing performance, reading music, and notating it. | 10 | 61% |
| AP Psychology | AP Psychology will require you to read and analyze data from research studies. This class will also go in-depth into the study of behavioral and mental processes. There is a heavy workload, but good time management will aid in your success. | 11 | 60% |
| AP Statistics | This applied math class will teach you how to collect, analyze, and come to a conclusion based on data. Statistics has moderate homework which only picks up at the end of the year. The majority of the time, you will be given enough time to complete most assignments in class. One student states, “AP statistics was the easiest AP class I took. The content was fairly simple, and Ms. Jones was a really great teacher. Aside from this, there were a lot of resources to prepare me for the exam and it overall was fairly easy to receive a 5 on the exam.” | 11 | 60% |
| AP European History | This class is all about the different events and ideas that shaped Europe. There will be text and picture analysis involved in this class. You will also write essays about historical arguments. According to some who have taken this class, it has the potential to be hard and there can be a decent amount of homework involved. | 12 | 59% |
| AP Calculus AB | Calculus AB is the first half of the different concepts, methods, and applications of calculus. Some of the material can be challenging and difficult to learn. This class requires a big time commitment in order to get a good grade. | 13 | 58% |
| AP Language and Composition. | So…much…writing! This class hinges on your ability to crank out a half-decent essay in a short period of time, which can be, “a huge shift in thinking for most students,” according to Hunt Rock, one of the teachers for this course. There is very little homework, but some required reading outside of class. | 14 | 56% |
| AP Human Geography | AP Human is one of two AP classes open to freshmen. Compared to other AP classes, it’s pretty simple. AP Human gains a harder-than-it-is reputation because it’s usually the first AP class people take. Students ranked this class a 4/10 in terms of difficulty. There’s a lot of memorization with simple concepts. | 15 | 54% |
| AP Environmental Science | In AP Environmental Science you will study both natural and human-made environmental issues, and how they relate to the natural world. There are semi-frequent trips outside to learn about nature! This class has very little homework, as most of the content is covered in class, and is an enjoyable class for anyone who loves the outdoors. | 16 | 53% |
| AP United States Government | Students will study the political system and culture of the United States. You will analyze and discuss the United States Constitution along with other documents, in order to complete either a research or applied civics project. | 17 | 49% |
| AP United States History | This class studies the different concepts and events that helped shape the United States. There is homework on most nights if not every night. If you’re good at writing and memorizing, you will do well in this class. | 17 | 49% |
| AP Physics 1 | You will learn the foundations of physics through this course. South has just received a new physics teacher, and JCTC offers a dual credit version of the class. Many students choose other options over AP Physics, but, if you want the most in-depth version of physics possible, this is your class. | 17 | 45% |
When making your class schedule it is important to thoroughly consider which AP classes you take. Contemplate the rigor, coursework, and exam difficulty before committing to a class. To ensure you set yourself up for success, think about which classes will work best with your personal set of skills. Although these classes are more difficult, the benefits they have make the hard work worth it.
