Advanced Placement (AP) Classes
All students at Ames High School who fulfill the prerequisites can enroll in AP classes. Many colleges and universities grant college credit for AP courses based on exam scores. Since each institution has its own policies regarding these exams, it is important to check their websites for specific details.
A student does not need to be dual enrolled to be able to take AP exams at Ames High School (keep in mind that dual enrollment IS required to take the course at the high school). If there is an AP course that a student desires to take that is not proctored at Ames High School, then CollegeBoard will notify the student of the nearest high school which administers the exam. By mid-March, when registration is open, the high school needs to be notified that you wish to take the exam at their high school.
No application is required for AP classes.
AP Exam Registration deadlines (will be sent in Parent Square emails).
- Late October for full-year courses
- March 1 for 2nd semester only AP classes
AP Courses offered at Ames High
Art History
Students will develop an understanding and knowledge of diverse historical and cultural contexts of architecture, sculpture, painting and other media. Students examine and critically analyze major forms of artistic expression from the past and the present. This course engages students at the same level as an introductory college art history survey and will prepare students to take the AP exam.
Biology
This course is an in-depth study of the field of biology. It is designed to prepare students for successful completion of the College Board exam. Areas of emphasis include energy pathways; cell, genetics and genetic engineering; and organisms and their environments.
Calculus AB
This course is roughly equivalent to a college Calculus I course devoted to topics in differential and integral calculus, including concepts and skills of limits, derivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
Chemistry
This course covers the basics of chemistry at the college level. Students may elect to take the national AP Chemistry exam for college credit in the spring. Areas of emphasis include atomic structure, molecular bonding, thermochemistry, kinetics, and chemical equilibrium.
English Language & Composition
The course will engage students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes.
English Literature & Composition
Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills through the study of complex literature and writing numerous literary analysis.
Physics 1
Students taking this class should have a strong interest in the practical applications of mathematics to real-life scenarios. Areas of emphasis include; experimental design, kinematics, newton’s laws, gravitation, electricity, and waves.
Psychology
Areas studied: history and approaches, states of consciousness, biological bases of behavior, cognition, testing and individual
differences, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, abnormal psychology and treatment, and social psychology. College level work is expected, as this is a college level course.
U.S. Government
U.S. History
This course is designed to prepare students for success on the Advanced placement United States History exam. Students will participate in reading primary and secondary history materials, lectures research projects, and group and individual presentations. College level work is expected in this survey course which covers the full range of United States history from the earliest European explorations to the present.
European History
This core social studies course will enhance a student’s understanding of European history, years 1450 to present. It concentrates on areas of the historical, political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual past of Europe and its impact on Western Civilization. These areas are studied from a variety of perspectives in order to provide a balanced view of history. Students are required to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate historical sources, in addition to memorizing facts. All these skills will be applied toward writing free-response, essays, and class discussions. This course requires a rigorous amount of reading, writing, and demands higher-order thinking skills.
Art History
Students will develop an understanding and knowledge of diverse historical and cultural contexts of architecture, sculpture, painting and other media. Students examine and critically analyze major forms of artistic expression from the past and the present. This course engages students at the same level as an introductory college art history survey and will prepare students to take the AP exam.
Biology
This course is an in-depth study of the field of biology. It is designed to prepare students for successful completion of the College Board exam. Areas of emphasis include energy pathways; cell, genetics and genetic engineering; and organisms and their environments.
Calculus AB
This course is roughly equivalent to a college Calculus I course devoted to topics in differential and integral calculus, including concepts and skills of limits, derivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
Chemistry
This course covers the basics of chemistry at the college level. Students may elect to take the national AP Chemistry exam for college credit in the spring. Areas of emphasis include atomic structure, molecular bonding, thermochemistry, kinetics, and chemical equilibrium.
English Language & Composition
The course will engage students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes.
English Literature & Composition
Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills through the study of complex literature and writing numerous literary analysis.
Physics 1
Students taking this class should have a strong interest in the practical applications of mathematics to real-life scenarios. Areas of emphasis include; experimental design, kinematics, newton’s laws, gravitation, electricity, and waves.
Psychology
Areas studied: history and approaches, states of consciousness, biological bases of behavior, cognition, testing and individual
differences, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, abnormal psychology and treatment, and social psychology. College level work is expected, as this is a college level course.
U.S. Government
U.S. History
This course is designed to prepare students for success on the Advanced placement United States History exam. Students will participate in reading primary and secondary history materials, lectures research projects, and group and individual presentations. College level work is expected in this survey course which covers the full range of United States history from the earliest European explorations to the present.
European History
This core social studies course will enhance a student’s understanding of European history, years 1450 to present. It concentrates on areas of the historical, political, social, economic, cultural, and intellectual past of Europe and its impact on Western Civilization. These areas are studied from a variety of perspectives in order to provide a balanced view of history. Students are required to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate historical sources, in addition to memorizing facts. All these skills will be applied toward writing free-response, essays, and class discussions. This course requires a rigorous amount of reading, writing, and demands higher-order thinking skills.
The Exam:
All AP Exams are administered in the first two weeks of May.
Deciding which AP Exams to take:
Please note that many colleges want students to take their courses and will not honor AP courses if the subject is highly related to their major. For instance, a student pursuing a Physics degree may find that the college requires them to take the Physics course offered at the college or university and may grant credit for their AP Physics qualifying score, but may not substitute for a qualifying Physics course.
Find out more about credit policies at various universities.
NOTE: If there is an AP EXAM you would like to sit for which AHS does not offer, the exam can be ordered for you so long as you are an AMES HSAP student.