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Advanced Placement(AP) Tests
Registering and Paying for AP Exams
Spring AP Exam Registration is OPEN!
Payment Deadline: Friday, February 26thSemester 2 - Only Classes
Exam Registration and Payment
January 9th - February 26th
AP Exam Cost is $101 or $15 for students who receive free/reduced lunchLate Registration for Full-Year and Sem 1 Class
Late Exam Registration and Payment
January 9th - February 26th
AP Exam Cost is $141 or $55 for students who receive free/reduced lunch
Cost per exam includes a $40 late fee from College BoardYou must join your teacher’s AP Classroom and complete payment in Total Registration for an exam to be ordered
Make Payments on Total Registration
www.totalregistration.net/ap/445565The Benefits of AP
The Advanced Placement (AP) Program of The College Board enables students to complete college level studies at Plano Senior High School. The "academic bridge" helps smooth the transition from high school to college. The primary goals of the AP Program are to enrich the secondary school experience of students ready to apply themselves to college level courses and to provide the means by which colleges may grant credit or placement, or both, to students with satisfactory AP test scores.
Each AP course stands alone, on its own merit. AP allows students to explore their area of interest. For example, a student who is strong in math may choose to take AP Calculus, whereas a student whose strength lies in the humanities may select one of the many history options.Students who want to experiment with a college level course may enroll in just one AP class. Students who are ready to face the challenge of a college level curriculum may enroll in as many as six AP courses.
Students who earn college credit through AP exams save on college tuition and expenses. Some students start with sophomore standing, saving the cost and time of one year of college.
Enrolling in AP
Plano offers one of the largest range of AP courses in the nation for students. Students entering high school need to plan with their counselors to insure that all prerequisite courses are scheduled early enough to allow them to take the AP course of their choice at the senior high level. Most AP courses are one hour in length, the exceptions being AP Studio Art, AP Biology, and AP Chemistry, which require two-hour blocks of time. All AP courses earn advance placement grade points.
PSHS offers the following AP courses:
Art History
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Chinese: Language & Culture
Comparative Government
Computer Science A
English Language & Composition
English Literature & Composition
Environmental Science
European History
French Language
German Language
Government & Politics
Macroeconomcs
Microeconomics
Music Theory
Physics 1 / 2
Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism
Physics C:Mechanics
PsychologySpanish: Language & Literature
Statistics
Studio Art: Drawing
Studio Art: 2D & 3D
United States HistoryAP Exams
The examinations are structured to measure three areas- depth of knowledge, completeness of thought, and synthesis of ideas. Approximately 1,200 institutions award credit based on the student's AP exam scores. Exams are graded on a five-point scale with credit usually given for scores of 3 or higher. College credit is generally awarded upon a student's enrollment, although some institutions award sophomore standing only after a student has completed satisfactory work on campus. The score requirement and number of college credit hours varies among higher education campuses.
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ASVAB
The ASVAB Career Exploration Program helps you identify your skills and interests, explore jobs, and develop after high school plans. For more information, please visit https://www.asvabprogram.com/
The ASVAB will be given at Plano Senior High School on Wednesday, September 25th, 2024. Please visit the following link to sign up: https://forms.gle/8SCGhYwDKbVRqXC36
Reach out to Michelle Mendoza for questions.
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National Exams: SAT/Subject Tests & ACT
PSHS School Day SAT Information: Click for information
Two of the most common and most important high school national exams are the SAT and the ACT Assessment. These standardized tests not only measure a student's academic capabilities, but they also act as a major influence in college admissions.
Plano Senior High School provides an SAT free of charge to all 11th graders every Spring during the school day.
What is the difference between taking the SAT and ACT - and should you take both?
The tests you take will probably be determined by the requirements of the colleges you would like to attend. Most accept either test, the SAT or the ACT. Some colleges prefer one or the other, so check the catalog or admission procedure section of the college or university information book to make sure you know exactly what tests you are required to take. If you take the exam more than once, most colleges will consider your best score and not be concerned about how often you took the test, although we recommend you not take the test more than three times - and never without doing some preparation before each new test. Just re-testing without preparation will not usually increase your score, and it could go down.
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PSAT Exam
JUNIORS - REGISTER FOR THE PSAT on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024!
It will be during the school day at Plano Senior.
The cost is $18 , $11 F/R
Benefits include:
- A High PSAT score can lead to a National Merit Scholorship.
- Your PSAT score can indicate future SAT performance.
- You gain exposure to the Test Environment.
- Doing well on the PSAT can give you a confidence boost.
The PSAT is now digital!
Juniors are strongly encouraged to Sign up using this LINK
Registration must be completed by August 30th to take the test.
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State Exam: Accuplacer
If you are planning to attend a Texas Public University, you will need to meet the Texas State Initiative (TSI) Standards. If a student is not exempt then they must take the Accuplacer exam at the college/university they plan on attending. The test cannot be taken until a student has been admitted so contact the college about the exam administration. Although it is not used for admission, there are many schools which use it as a form of placement. Some students are exempt from taking Accuplacer - your counselor will be able to tell you if you need to take the test.
If you plan on taking coursework at Collin College during the summer, you will not be permitted to register unless you complete the TSI requirements.
TSI Exemption
Students may be exempt from the TSI:
- Student is exempt on the basis of SAT scores (less than 5 years old) with a minimum qualifying score of 1070 composite, with 500 Critical Reading and 500 Math.
- Student is exempt on the basis of the ACT (less than 5 years old) with a minimum qualifying score of 23 composite, with 19 English and 19 Math.
The College Board redesigned SAT in the spring of 2016 may affect the TSI exemptions.
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TSI
All students planning to attend a college or university in Texas (including community colleges such as Collin College) are required to take the TSI Assessment to determine their readiness for college-level coursework. Based on how the student performs on the TSI, they may either be allowed to enroll in college level courses or placed in a developmental course to help improve their skills.
In some cases, your SAT or ACT scores may qualify you to be exempt from all or part of the TSI Assessment.
TSI Exemptions:
ACT: Composite 23 (A score of 19 on ACT Math will exempt you from TSI Math. A score of 19 on ACT English will exempt you from TSI Reading and TSI Writing.)
SAT: A score of 530 on SAT Math will exempt you from TSI Math. A score of 480 on SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing will exempt you from TSI Reading and TSI Writing.
Need to take the TSI? You can test here at Plano Senior High, any other school in Plano ISD that offers it, or at Collin College