Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Advanced Placement (AP) courses offer you a chance to try college-level work in high school and gain valuable study habits.

To get started, you'll want to talk to an AP teacher or the AP coordinator at your school about any course you want to take. Be sure to discuss the course’s workload and any preparation you might need.

If you're a home-schooled student or attend a school that doesn’t offer AP, you can still participate. Each year hundreds of students participate through independent study. The College Board’s AP student site offers numerous resources, including current information on AP courses and exams and a section on exam preparation.

View the Course Equivalency Chart

  • Course credit earned through AP exams will count toward graduation as though you had passed the course. Note: It does not count toward the resident credit requirement. 
  • AP credit is only awarded to enrolled students and will be awarded based on the college policy in effect at that time.
  • To award AP credit requires that Kirkwood assess the scores themselves. Therefore, AP credit awarded by other institutions cannot be transferred to Kirkwood. Contact the College Board to have your scores sent to Kirkwood.
  • AP credit is awarded as “credit by exam.” Kirkwood awards a maximum of 18 credits by exam per student. Students with more than 18 credits by exam from CLEP, AP, alternative credit and departmental test-out exams must meet with their advisor to select which 18 credits will be awarded.
  • AP credit appears on the transcript with a letter grade of T.
  • You can purchase the exam on the College Board site. To receive credit, be sure to specify that the AP Score Report be sent to the Associate Registrar at Kirkwood Community College.
  • Kirkwood’s Institution Code for the College Board is 6027.
  • Some colleges and universities place limits on the number of exam credits that they will accept from a transferring student; these limits may include the number of AP credits.
  • If you intend to transfer AP credits, consult the college or university to which you wish to transfer about their policies concerning credit by examination.
  • Kirkwood cannot and does not assume responsibility for the transferability of AP credit to other colleges and universities.

Questions?

If you have any questions, contact Enrollment Services:

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Phone: 319-398-7600 or 1-877-386-9101
Fax: 319-398-4928
Email: Enrollment - enrollment@kirkwood.edu

FAFSA School Code: 004076

Location: 3rd Floor Iowa Hall

Mailing Address:

Kirkwood Community College
Enrollment Services
6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404