Schools and students celebrate Advanced Placement (AP) success

Students in American and international schools around the world are sharing their AP programme results after the results became available on 8 July.

Relocate Editorial

21 July 2024

Developed and administered by the College Board, the AP course of study enables high school students to take college-level courses and exams before they enter higher education, earning them college credit for US and Canadian colleges and the opportunity to hone higher-level study skills.The AP has gained in popularity over the last decade in public schools in the US. According to the latest figures from the College Board, the number of public high school graduates nationally who have taken an AP exam increased from 31.5% of the class of 2013 to 34.7% of the class of 2023.

TASIS England

This year, at TASIS England, AP candidates achieved an 86% exam pass rate and an impressive average mean score of 4 out of a maximum of 5, significantly higher than the world averages of 65% and 3.2, respectively.The 179 students students took a total of 416 AP exams and 92% achieved a passing grade on at least one exam. Given that 55 of these students were either in Grades 9 or 10, this is an exceptional performance.In addition, 87 of the students were recognised as AP scholars. This is awarded to those who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more exams. Of these, 43 were named AP Scholars with Distinction (achieving a mean score of 4.34) and 20 are AP Scholars with Honour (with a mean score of 4.18).Seven TASIS England students also achieved AP International Diploma status (with a mean score of 4.34). This globally recognised certificate acknowledges the exceptional achievement of candidates who score 3 or higher on five or more AP exams covering four content areas.Over a third (36%) of the exams taken by TASIS students this year scored the maximum of 5 and 65% were awarded a score of 4 or higher.Head of School, Bryan Nixon, commented, “The excellent scores earned by our students are once again well above global results. This success reflects a resolute commitment to learning by our students, purposeful teaching by our faculty, and excellent support from our parents.“We are grateful to our dedicated teachers and proud of our determined students. As we celebrate their achievements, we also encourage them to continue to fully engage in their learning journey and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, whether here at TASIS England or in their new learning communities and universities.”

ACS International Schools

AP courses are offered as a post-16 option at ACS Cobham and ACS Hillingdon. Students can gain AP qualifications as part of their ACS High School Diploma (US) alongside the DP and/or High School courses, or as an additional diploma.The 243 students taking the US College Board AP courses this year achieved an average point score of 3.6 out of 5 across 25 different subjects. AP courses are scored from 1-5, with a score of 3 or ‘qualified’ indicating that a student is capable of doing the work of an introductory-level course at university.More than 90% of AP students achieved a score of 3 or higher at the international school group, with 58 students achieving AP Scholar recognition for consistent academic success.In addition, students at ACS Cobham were recognised as 29 AP Scholars with Honour, and 34 AP Scholars with Distinction. Seven students were awarded the prestigious AP Capstone Diploma and one student attained the AP International Diploma, a globally recognised certificate awarded to students who display exceptional achievement across a wide range of disciplines.The AP is recognised as a prestigious post-16 qualification by universities in the UK and around the world. This as demonstrated by AP student and ACS Hillingdon graduate Kamil, who accepted an offer to study at the University of Tokyo. He said: “The skills I have developed at ACS Hillingdon will prove critical in an increasingly connected, globalised world – not only to understand and to be open to the viewpoints of others, but also to remain curious as I continue into the world.” Martin Hall, head of school at ACS Hillingdon, said: “We are delighted to announce another excellent set of results achieved by our students at ACS Hillingdon. Our broad and varied curriculum has given our students the opportunity to pursue their individual passions and apply their creativity to find innovative solutions to problems during their time with us. Our graduates leave as confident, caring, effective citizens who are ready for the future.”Robert Crowther, incoming head of school at ACS Cobham and former head of senior school, said: "We are incredibly proud of the impressive achievements of this year’s students, and we congratulate them on securing places to pursue their chosen fields of study at a host of institutions around the world. This cohort has demonstrated their passion for and commitment to learning, and I am delighted to see so many of them moving confidently on to the next chapter of their lives equipped with the future-ready skills and open-mindedness that define our students at ACS Cobham.”

The International School of Kuala Lumpur

With the chance to combine individual IB, AP and High School Diploma courses to create a personalised study programme, 80% of ISKL's 108 AP candidates scored either 4 or 5, indicating they are 'very well qualified' or 'extremely well qualified', respectively. The average AP subject score at ISKL was 4 out of a maximum of 5.Congratulating students, ISKL’s Head of School, Mr Rami Madani, said, “We are delighted to see another year of impressive results. ISKL is an inclusive school, and we celebrate the achievements of all our students. Each one experiences a different learning journey, and these results reflect their hard work and tenacity."We also thank and acknowledge our IB and AP teachers, our team of High School counsellors and administrators, who have done an outstanding job in both delivering high-quality learning and nurturing the wellbeing of our students.”ISKL’s High School academic programme is distinguished by its flexibility, offering students the IB Diploma Programme and the bespoke Pursuits Programme, which allows students to combine individual IB, AP, and High School Diploma courses. The success of this approach is evident in the 280 offers and acceptances the Class of 2024 has received from universities in 16 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Qatar, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.

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