Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion How early can kids take AP exams?

Hi everyone,

I hope this is the right forum to discuss this. I anticipate my DD HG+ to be able to pass AP Music in a few years, perhaps when she is middle school, and definitely by the time she's a freshman in high school.

Has anyone had any experience with this? She's taking at music school in Chicago that is giving her a great education. But will she be allowed to take AP Music at such a young age -- say 12 or 13?

Thanks,

Lucijane/Loving Mom

I don't believe there's any age or grade requirement at the College Board level; you do have to find a school willing to proctor the exam, if you aren't enrolled in a school that already offers AP testing. Because the test day is a school day (as opposed to the SAT, which is a Saturday test), if you aren't homeschooling, you'd need to make arrangements to be absent for the test period.

She also would need a valid ID. (Our school accepts school photo ID or state-issued driver's licenses; I can't imagine they wouldn't accept a state-issued ID card.)

If I remember correct, some college only accept scores that are within the 3 years previous to the enrollment date... I'd definitely do some investigating before taking the exams very early.

There is a forum published by the College Board about the AP exam. There are kids who start taking the AP exams in 8th grade. There are rare kids who take 16 or more AP exams.