Advanced Placement

IMPORTANT!
Registration for the 2020 AP Exams is now!

Deadlines and Fees (per exam):

Fall Registration (by 10/14/19):
$105

Late Registration (11/16/19 - 03/13/20):
$145 ($105 + $40 late fee)

Cancellation (after 11/15/19 - day of the exam):
$40 fee (refund = amount paid - $40)

Register for AP Exams by logging into myap.collegeboard.org

See the AP Exam Calendar for specific dates and times for each exam.
_______________________________________

Half Moon Bay High School offers advanced placement (AP) courses in English, mathematics, social studies, science, foreign languages, and art. This AP program challenges students academically and prepares them to take AP tests that allow them to earn college credits while in high school. For a complete list of courses offered at Half Moon Bay High School, see the Student Planning Guide.

AP COURSE LISTING

English Department

  • Junior: AP English Language & Composition
  • Senior: AP English Literature & Composition

AP Studio Art

  • AP Drawing
  • 2-D Design
  • 3-D Design

Mathematics

  • AP Statistics
  • AP Calculus AB
  • AP Calculus BC

Science

  • AP Environmental Science
  • AP Biology
  • AP Physics B
  • AP Chemistry

Social Science

  • AP Human Geography
  • AP World History
  • AP United States History
  • AP Government/Economics
  • AP Psychology

World Languages Department

  • AP Spanish IV Language and Culture
  • AP Spanish V Literature and Culture
  • AP French IV Language and Culture


PLEASE NOTE: For students enrolled in AP courses, HMBHS recommends that you take three or less AP classes due to the workload involved with each course. 

Q&A

Q. What are the advantages of enrolling in advanced placement courses (AP) while in high school?
A. The student who completes AP courses, and the end-of-year AP exam, is sending a powerful message to colleges and universities that this student is ready for college. A passing score may earn the student college credit and enable the student to start off at college taking more advanced courses.

Q. Does the student have to take the AP exam at the end of the school year?
A. A student enrolled in an AP course is expected and highly encouraged to take the AP exam. Most of the nation's colleges and universities, plus colleges and universities in 24 other countries, grant students admission, college credit and advanced placement based on the AP Exam grades, not on the AP course grades. The AP Exam grade is viewed as a national standard. "Students who have prepared for and taken the AP Exams adapt more easily to taking college essay exams, and are especially skilled in introducing a thesis and a well developed argument" stated Robert Blackey, Professor of History CSU, San Bernardino.

Q. What is the AP exam and what do the test scores (1 to 5) mean?
A. Each May, participating schools administer AP exams. With one exception, the exam combines multiple-choice questions with a free-response section in either essay or problem-solving form. The exception is Studio Art where the exam is replaced by a portfolio assessment. Each June the free-response sections and the Studio Art portfolios are scored by high school and college educators from around the world. The scores are combined with the results of computer-scored multiple-choice questions, and converted into a grade on the AP's five-point scale.

5: Extremely well qualified
4: Well qualified
3: Qualified
2: Possibly qualified
1: No recommendation