The College Board, a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to university success and opportunity, started the Advanced Placement Program (AP) in 1955.  AP enables students to pursue university-level studies while in high school.  AP is the most widespread university preparation program in the world, recognized by universities in Canada, the United States and in over 60 countries around the world. 

AP exams are administered by schools worldwide in May. The dates of these exams are determined by the College Board.  Exams are typically 2-3 hours and can include multiple choice questions, essays, short answer questions, and oral response. The exam fee for May 2027 is $170/exam. The exam fee is non-refundable and is due in October, the year prior to the exam period in May.

Based on their performance on rigorous AP Exams, students can earn transfer credit, advanced placement or both for college or university.  By participating in Advanced Placement, students may save time and university tuition fees and are much better prepared for the rigours of post-secondary education.  Exams are accepted by 90% of all North American universities and are recognized among the top institutions around the globe. These include, but not limited to, McMaster University, University of Alberta, University of Toronto, Queens University,  Yale, Stanford, MIT, Princeton, University College Dublin, University of Glasgow, University of Oxford.

Students taking an AP course will cover and be evaluated on the Ontario curriculum. The additional layer of AP material will foster a rigorous, high paced environment tailored to engage our high achieving and critical thinking student population. Students who enroll in AP courses should be motivated and academically prepared for the course content. AP courses will move at a faster pace and cover additional AP content beyond the Ontario curriculum.  Some university admissions teams view AP participation as evidence of preparedness and commitment and students are provided the opportunity to explore subjects they are passionate about at a deeper level than standard secondary courses. 

 AP courses currently offered at Nelson in 2026/27, are:

Grade 9 AP Prep Courses 

Students entering Grade 9 are encouraged to explore a variety of AP Prep opportunities based on their individual interests. There are no fees for AP Prep courses at Nelson.

• AP Prep Geography (CGC1WP)

• AP Prep English (ENL1WP)

• AP Prep French Core (FSF1DP)

• AP Prep French Immersion (FIF1DP)

• AP Prep Math (MTH1WP)

• AP Prep Science (SNC1WP)

Grade 10 AP Prep Courses

Students entering Grade 10  are encouraged to explore a variety of AP Prep opportunities based on their individual interests.  There are no fees for AP Prep courses at Nelson.

• AP Prep History (CHC2DP)

• AP Prep English (ENG2DP)

• AP Prep French Core (FSF2DP)

• AP Prep French Immersion (FIF2DP)

• AP Prep Math (MPM2DP)

• AP Prep Science (SNC2DP)

Grade 11 AP Prep & AP Courses 

Students entering Grade 11 are encouraged to pursue AP Prep opportunities reflective of their individual interests.  There are no fees for AP Prep courses at Nelson.

• AP Prep Visual Art (AVI3MP)

• AP Prep Art Installation (AWT3MP)

• AP Prep English (NBE3UP)

• AP Prep French Core (FSF3UP)

• AP Prep French Immersion (FIF3UP)

• AP Prep Biology (SBI3UP)

• AP Prep Chemistry (SCH3UP)

• AP Prep Physics (SPH3UP)

• AP Prep Psychology (HSP3UP)

* Please note for math, the courses are taken consecutively to prepare for the AP Pre-Calculus Exam.  Often, this will occur in a student’s grade eleven year, depending on their post secondary plans, so that Gr 12 Calculus and Vectors can be pursued in Gr 12, with an eye to write the AP Calculus Exam in grade 12.

Grade 12 AP Courses

• AP United States History - CHA3UP - Grade 11 American History

• AP Psychology - HHG4MP - Grade 12 Human Development through the Lifespan

• AP Calculus - MCV4UP - Grade 12 Calculus and Vectors

Review for additional AP courses and preparation for 2027–28 is underway.

At the end of the AP course, students may take the AP exam — a standardized exam delivered in May that measures how well students have mastered the university-level course work. Students who score 4 or 5 on the exam may receive credit, advanced placement, or both at most universities in Canada and the United States.

2026/27 AP Exam fee to be paid by students to participate. Please choose and pay for the correct number of exams that you intend to write. Each exam is $170.00 Canadian funds. Nelson is only offering the AP exams listed on the AP Exam Registration Google Form. This form is only open to students at Nelson who have enrolled in an AP course in the 2026-2027 school year. The exam fee is non-refundable.

IMPORTANT: Students must upload their SchoolCashOnline receipt to the AP Registration Google Form, so please provide your student with a copy of the receipt following payment. Failure to do so will result in an incomplete registration for their desired AP exam(s). The registration form can be found on the Nelson AP Students Brightspace page.

If you have any questions regarding AP registration, please contact Mrs.Grinton at grintonL@hdsb.ca.