AP, or Advanced Placement, classes are college-level classes taught in high school in compliance with the College Board. At the end of the school year in May, all students in AP classes are required to take the AP test, on which they can earn a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. If a student scores 3 or higher, they have the potential to earn college credit for that class.

Cathedral offers 31 AP classes, the most popular of which include AP Psychology, AP English Literature and Composition, AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History and AP United States Government. These classes have the equivalent weight of an honors class in terms of GPA.

According to Vice Principal of Academic Support and AP Coordinator Mr. Brett Blondi, “Students typically do better in college by taking AP classes, and then on top of that, if they score a 3 or higher, that class can count as college credit.”

The 2023 AP exams are rapidly approaching, as they will occur on May 1-5 and May 8-12. In order to prepare for the exam, students can access review videos on the College Board website.

Additionally, some teachers, such as social studies teacher Mr. Gregory Smith, are holding study sessions during office hours to help students review material from the entire school year.

Sophomore Sophia Beeson, who earned a 5 on the AP World History exam her freshman year, said “I started to review information a month in advance by reading chapters in my Princeton review guide, annotating as I went. I also watched many of the Heimler’s History videos (on YouTube) and attended every morning review session with Mr. Darnold outside of that, even if I didn’t necessarily have a question to ask him about the content. One of the most important ways I prepared was by practicing the multiple choice questions. They helped me learn the content and understand the format of the test.”

Students should also check their email, as Mr. Blondi will be letting them know where they’ll take their AP test.

In regards to preparing for the exams, Mr. Blondi said, “What you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it. You need to prioritize and manage your time and take the time to study, in addition to eating correctly, sleeping correctly and maintaining hydration. If you take the time to learn the material and take care of yourself, you’ll generally have a good chance to do well on your exam.”