Advanced Placement (AP) is a program created by the College Board to offer college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Faculty who teach an AP class are trained in the curriculum, which is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in that field of study. For a high school course to have the AP designation, the course must be audited by the College Board to ensure that it satisfies the AP curriculum.

Students enrolled in AP courses take an AP examination as the culmination of the course. Testing takes place in May and students are responsible for the test fee (which averages around $90/exam). American colleges and universities often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations, typically scores of 4 of 5 on the scale of 1-5.