AP Capstone, officially known as the Advanced Placement Capstone Diploma Program, is a 2-year program for high school students developed by the College Board that consists of two courses: the AP Seminar and AP Research. [1] Students who successfully complete the program and obtain scores of 3 or higher on at least four other AP exams receive either an AP Capstone Diploma or an AP Seminar and Research Certificate. [1]
The predecessor to the current AP Capstone program, the AP/Cambridge Capstone Program, was initially offered in 17 high schools worldwide. With the launch of the full AP Capstone by the College Board in fall 2014, the program has expanded to now being offered in 1100 schools. [2] Over 100 colleges and universities support the AP Capstone program. [3]
AP Seminar is the foundation course taken in 10th or 11th grade. It provides students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and prepare for university. Students explore real-world issues such as innovation, sustainability and technology. The assessment culminates in 2 through-course tasks and a final written exam. [1] The through-course tasks are the following
The final written exam is taken during the two weeks of AP testing in May. The exam consists of two sections. In the first section, students are given an article selected by the College Board. Students must evaluate the central claim, line of reasoning, and the evidence of the article. In the second section, students are given four stimulus materials and are expected to create an argumentative essay. Students are allotted two hours for the final exam.
| Score | 2015 [4] | 2016 [5] | 2017 [6] | 2018 [7] | 2019 [8] | 2020 [9] | 2021 [10] | 2022 [11] | 2023 [12] | 2024 [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4.9% | 6.6% | 6.7% | 7.9% | 7.1% | 6.4% | 11.1% | 11.6% | 11.4% | 9% |
| 4 | 11.7% | 12.6% | 15.1% | 16.7% | 15.1% | 14.5% | 19.5% | 19.2% | 19.7% | 20% |
| 3 | 58.3% | 53.8% | 65% | 57.6% | 58.9% | 59.8% | 54.5% | 51.8% | 53.9% | 60% |
| 2 | 21.6% | 21.8% | 11.6% | 15.4% | 16.6% | 17.0% | 10.7% | 11.8% | 11.2% | 10% |
| 1 | 3.5% | 5.2% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 4.3% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 1% |
| % of Scores 3 or Higher | 74.9% | 73% | 86.8% | 82.2% | 81.1% | 80.7% | 85.0% | 82.6% | 85.0% | 89% |
| Mean Score | 2.93 | 2.94 | 3.14 | 3.12 | 3.08 | 3.06 | 3.22 | 3.19 | 3.24 | 3.26 |
| Standard Deviation | 0.81 | 0.90 | 0.76 | 0.85 | 0.83 | 0.81 | 0.93 | 0.98 | 0.93 | 0.80 |
| Number of Students | 5,288 | 12,308 | 19,943 | 30,964 | 43,441 | 52,562 | 53,076 | 56,766 | 73,334 | |
After successful completion of AP Seminar, students may participate in AP Research. [14] In AP Research students design, plan and conduct a year-long research-based investigation on a personally-chosen subject. The assessment culminates with a 5,000-word academic thesis paper, as well as a public presentation. Students must obtain a final score of 3 or higher to be able to receive AP certification. [1]
As of the 2017–18 school year, AP Research papers are graded using a holistic rubric. The two central elements that move a paper from a 2 to a 3 are the middle two rows, which assess the methodology and conclusion. The rubric can be seen here.
More specifically, a replicable methodology and a new understanding are required to pass.
| Score | 2016 [15] | 2017 [16] | 2018 [17] | 2019 [18] | 2020 [19] | 2021 [10] | 2022 [11] | 2023 [12] | 2024 [13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 11.6% | 16.8% | 11.4% | 10.7% | 8.8% | 13.7% | 12.6% | 13.3% | 12% |
| 4 | 16.3% | 18.1% | 23.7% | 22.2% | 32.1% | 25.4% | 25.8% | 26.4% | 26% |
| 3 | 39.3% | 35.4% | 40.1% | 43.0% | 31.5% | 42.4% | 44.3% | 44.7% | 47% |
| 2 | 30.8% | 27.3% | 19.8% | 19.5% | 25% | 14.2% | 13.3% | 12.5% | 12% |
| 1 | 2.0% | 2.5% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 4.3% | 4.0% | 3.1% | 3% |
| % of Scores 3 or Higher | 67.2% | 70.3% | 75.2% | 75.9% | 72.5% | 81.5% | 82.7% | 84.4% | 85% |
| Mean | 3.05 | 3.20 | 3.17 | 3.15 | 3.20 | 3.30 | 3.30 | 3.34 | 3.32 |
| Standard Deviation | 1.01 | 1.09 | 1.03 | 1.00 | 0.99 | 1.01 | 0.98 | 0.96 | 0.94 |
| Number of Students | 2,842 | 5,787 | 9,640 | 15,724 | 20,055 | 24,021 | 26,947 | 28,402 | |
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board. AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain qualifying scores on the examinations.
The College Board, styled as CollegeBoard, is an American not-for-profit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a membership association of institutions, including over 6,000 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations.
Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.
Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program in the United States.
Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography is an Advanced Placement social studies course in human geography for high school, usually freshmen students in the US, culminating in an exam administered by the College Board.
Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language and Culture is a course and examination offered by the College Board in the United States education system as part of the Advanced Placement Program.
Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics is a college-level high school statistics course offered in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement program. This course is equivalent to a one semester, non-calculus-based introductory college statistics course and is normally offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school.
Advanced Placement (AP) United States Government and Politics is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students through the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. This course surveys the structure and function of American government and politics that begins with an analysis of the United States Constitution, the foundation of the American political system. Students study the three branches of government, administrative agencies that support each branch, the role of political behavior in the democratic process, rules governing elections, political culture, and the workings of political parties and interest groups.
Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Literature and Culture is a high school course and examination offered by the College Board's Advanced Placement Program.
Advanced Placement (AP) examinations are exams offered in United States by the College Board and are taken each May by students. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are typically offered at the high school level. AP exams have a multiple-choice section and a free-response section.
The College Board offers several awards to selected students who take Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
Advanced Placement (AP) Comparative Government and Politics is an Advanced Placement comparative politics course and exam offered by the College Board. It was first administered in 1987.
Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science is a course and exam offered by the American College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students interested in the environmental and natural sciences. AP Environmental Science was first offered in the 1997–1998 school year.
Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory is a course and examination offered in the United States by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students who wish to earn credit for a college-level music theory course.
Advanced Placement (AP) Latin, formerly Advanced Placement (AP) Latin: Vergil, is an examination in Latin literature offered to American high school students by the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. Prior to the 2012–2013 academic year, the course focused on poetry selections from the Aeneid, written by Augustan author Publius Vergilius Maro, also known as Vergil or Virgil. However, in the 2012–2013 year, the College Board changed the content of the course to include not only poetry, but also prose. The modified course consists of both selections from Vergil and selections from Commentaries on the Gallic War, written by prose author Gaius Julius Caesar. Also included in the new curriculum is an increased focus on sight reading. The student taking the exam will not necessarily have been exposed to the specific reading passage that appears on this portion of the exam. The College Board suggests that a curriculum include practice with sight reading. The exam is administered in May and is three hours long, consisting of a one-hour multiple-choice section and a two-hour free-response section.
Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 1: Algebra Based is a year-long introductory physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It is intended to proxy a one-semester algebra-based university course in mechanics. Along with AP Physics 2, the first AP Physics 1 exam was administered in 2015.
Advanced Placement (AP) Physics 2 is a year-long introductory physics course administered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. It is intended to proxy a second-semester algebra-based university course in thermodynamics, electromagnetism, optics, and modern physics. Along with AP Physics 1, the first AP Physics 2 exam was administered in 2015.
Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles is an AP Computer Science course and examination offered by the College Board under the Advanced Placement program. The course is designed as an equivalent to a first-semester course in computing. Assessment for AP Computer Science Principles is divided into two parts: a Create Performance Task due during the course, as well as an AP exam.
Advanced Placement (AP) International English Language is an AP Examinations course managed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) with the sponsorship of the College Board in New York. It is designed for non-native speakers to prepare for studying in an English-speaking university, particularly in North America. The course also gives students a chance to earn college credit. The three-hour exam assesses four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The test paper has two sections: multiple-choice questions and free-response questions. APIEL committee consists of high school and university English teachers from Belgium, China, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States.
Advanced Placement (AP) Precalculus is an Advanced Placement precalculus course and examination, offered by the College Board, in development since 2021 and announced in May 2022. The course debuted in the fall of 2023, with the first exam session taking place in May 2024. The course and examination are designed to teach and assess precalculus concepts, as a foundation for a wide variety of STEM fields and careers, and are not solely designed as preparation for future mathematics courses such as AP Calculus AB/BC.
