Benefits of AP Exams?

[Sarabunny]

Many of my teachers are teaching us to be able to take the AP (advanced placement) exams in May, as well as the IB exams of course. I don't really understand why we should take both, though. If we take the IB exams and pass them for college credit, why would we need AP exams? The only reason people take AP exams is for the credit. So why should I do both?

[mathlete94]

Many of my teachers are teaching us to be able to take the AP (advanced placement) exams in May, as well as the IB exams of course. I don't really understand why we should take both, though. If we take the IB exams and pass them for college credit, why would we need AP exams? The only reason people take AP exams is for the credit. So why should I do both?

AP is much different than IB in terms of the materials they teach. AP helps with standardized tests especially SAT subject tests. Plus IB courses are generally 2 yrs, so you wont know everything required for SAT subject tests by the time you apply to college, which is where AP comes in. Plus it looks good if you are taking both AP and IB classes.

[Emmi]

In the US it's easier to get credit for AP than IB. At many universities getting a 3 or 4 is all you need to get credit, and getting a 3 or 4 is SO much easier than getting a 6 or 7 at HL on an IB exam. Many universities will only accept scores for HL exams; I've seen only two or three US universities that give credit for SL exams. You don't need to be in an AP class to take the exam (a guy in my math class took the AP Chinese exam without ever taking a class for it).

I'd rather just take all IB exams and not have to worry about AP exams for credits I won't receive (which is why I'm in AP Calculus because I won't get credit for my 6 in SL math anywhere), but unfortunately that's not the case.