About The AP® Audit
> Background on the AP Audit
> Benefits of the AP Course Audit for Teachers
> Benefits of the AP Course Audit for Admissions Officers
and College Faculty
Background on the AP Audit
The AP Course Audit was created at the request of secondary school and college members of the College Board who sought a means for the College Board to:
- provide teachers and administrators with clear guidelines on curricular and resource requirements that must be in place for AP courses; and
- help colleges and universities better interpret secondary school courses marked "AP" on students' transcripts.
Over the course of a year, more than 800 college faculty members conducted a thorough examination and comprehensive review of more than 130,000 syllabi submitted by dedicated AP teachers in more than 13,000 secondary schools worldwide. Those syllabi that were found to include the essential and required college-level course elements are the only courses authorized to carry the AP label on student transcript.
As a result of the audit, everyone with a vested interest in AP can have a renewed level of assurance in the rigor of courses on student transcripts that carry the AP label.
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Benefits of the AP Course Audit for Teachers
For AP teachers at all levels of experience, the audit provides:
- A clear definition of elements required in a college-level course.
- Support materials for developing or refining a college course syllabus, such as sample syllabi that illustrate the variety of ways a course can meet the curricular requirements of the course.
- Validation of curriculum through external review by college faculty.
- A means for AP teachers to receive updates, new materials, and the latest information about course/exam updates.
- Leverage to ensure students have the resources, such as college-level textbooks, that the course requires.
- Defense of college/university admissions benefits for AP students. As the AP Program expands and more schools recognize AP courses as examples of rigorous college-level coursework, some schools applied the "AP" designation without following the official AP Course Description or without ever intending to offer AP Exams. Other schools applied the "AP" designation to courses not developed by the AP Program. To ensure the quality of AP courses, College Board needed to provide a way to prevent such misuses. Through the AP Course Audit, it is possible to ensure that the "AP" designation on a student's transcript remains meaningful to colleges and university admissions officers and faculty.
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Benefits of the AP Course Audit for Admissions Officers and College Faculty
As a result of the AP Course Audit, admissions officers and college faculty can have a renewed level of assurance in the rigor of college-level courses on student transcripts that carry the AP label.
FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS:
The Ledger is highly valuable in helping admissions offices develop richly informed school and student profiles throughout the selection process. Admissions officers can see, at a glance, the full range of authorized AP courses offered at an applicant’s school and gain valuable insight into how the student chose to respond to these academic opportunities.
FOR COLLEGE FACULTY:
The Ledger can be used to confirm for faculty that students with AP experience participated in college-level courses with objectives that were established by college faculty experts and led by authorized AP instructors.
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