If a gifted student is able to get a 5 on an AP exam such as Calculus or Computer Science without taking the class in school, how important is it to take the class in school so that it appears on his or her transcript? If the high school offers a more advanced class in the same subject, for example multivariable calculus or differential equations following single-variable calculus, maybe skipping the AP class is OK, but what if the AP class is the terminal class offered?