Advanced Placement Programs
Advanced Placement (AP) in Alberta high schools offers university-level courses that challenge motivated students and enhance critical thinking, research, and problem-solving skills. AP exams may earn students post-secondary credit, while courses build on Alberta curriculum. AP helps students prepare for university and strengthens their academic profile.
ESBCHS is proud to offer AP English and AP Biology. AP Biology 20 is new for 2026-2027 and will allow students to continue to the grade 12 level in 2027-2028 with Biology 35 and Biology 30 AP.
What is Advanced Placement?
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program run by the College Board, which offers students enrichment of University-level courses in high school. The College Board is the same organization that creates the SATs.
Why take Advanced Placement?
AP has four major benefits, including enrichment and academic recognition in over 60 countries and 600 post-secondary institutions. These courses are independent of one another, meaning a student can take only 20-1 AP or 30-1AP if they wish. Teacher recommendation will be required for all courses.
- Students get to work in a challenging environment. The course progresses at a pace suitable for curious, independent and motivated students.
- Advanced Standing for Admissions – When students score in the three to five range on their AP Exam, they may get a converted GPA for their exam, replacing their course mark, for admission purposes. For example, the University of Alberta currently equates a score of five to 96 percent for admission purposes. This allows students to have a more competitive average and apply for additional scholarships in many cases.
- Post-secondary credit or Advanced Standing - Students may receive university credit or advanced standing if successful on their final AP exam. If students take both English 20AP (Language and Composition) and English 30AP (Literature and Composition), they can receive (up to or recognition for) six credits of English at their post-secondary institution. Current transfer information for Alberta post-secondary institutions can be found here: http://alis.alberta.ca/ec/ep/aas/ta/ibap.html.
- Financial Benefit - The College Board offers a number of scholarships for students who receive advanced standing. There is also a savings from tuition as students may receive credit for English 100 in high school. Therefore, the expensive university tuition is not required and your first year course-load may be lighter.
AP Exam fees: $120 for the Advanced Placement exam. The College Board does have a financial assistance program for eligible students. Students who register for AP will automatically be registered to write the exam. If a student later decides to drop the course, an exam cancellation fee will be charged by the College Board.
AP English
ESBCHS is proud to offer students the opportunity to complete two years of Advanced Placement English. Students can obtain 6 credits of university English if they complete both years and pass both AP exams.
English 20 & 30 Advanced Placement - Requires a mark of 75% in English 10-1 OR Teacher recommendation.
English 20-1 AP
Prerequisite: English 10-1 (75%+) or teacher recommendation
English 20-1AP will integrate the Alberta Learning program of studies with the Advanced Placement Language and Composition curriculum, which focuses on rhetorical analysis of nonfiction texts. Students who register for English 20-1AP are automatically registered to write the AP exam in May (additional cost) but they may opt out of the exam and choose to simply take the course for the opportunity to challenge themselves intellectually. Students will receive a mark on their high school transcript for English 20-1; however, if they succeed on the AP exam, they can also receive university credit at eligible post-secondary institutions. This is an Advanced Placement course and will be as rigorous as a university course. Course materials must be read prior to the start of the course for students to be successful.
English 30-1 Advanced Placement: Literature and Composition (5 credits)
Prerequisite: English 20-1AP or 20-1 (75%+) or teacher recommendation
English 30-1AP will integrate the Alberta Learning program of studies with the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition curriculum. The AP English Literature and Composition course engages students in the critical analysis of fiction and poetry. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, themes, figurative language, imagery, symbolism and tone. Students who register for English 30-1AP are automatically registered to write the AP exam in May (additional cost) but they may opt out of the exam and choose to simply take the course for the opportunity to challenge themselves intellectually. Students will receive a mark on their high school transcript for English 30-1; however, if they succeed on the AP exam, they can also receive university credit at eligible post-secondary institutions. This is an Advanced Placement course and will be as rigorous as a university course. Course materials must be read prior to the start of the course for students to be successful.
This is also a diploma course where students will write a government exam worth 30% of their final mark.
AP Biology
AP Biology is new for 2026-2027. Biology 20 AP requires a mark of 75% in Science 10 AND a teacher recommendation. For 2027-2028,
Biology 20 AP
Biology 20 AP is a rigorous, pre-Advanced Placement course, which bridges into 30AP, that dives deeper than standard Biology 20, focusing on advanced, inquiry-based labs and in-depth analysis of biological systems. Key units include energy exchange, ecosystems, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and human anatomy/physiology.
Biology 35 & Biology 30 AP
Students who continue in the AP Biology will be required to take both Biology 35 and Biology 30 AP in grade 12. Biology 35 AP is an advanced, university-level continuation of the Alberta Biology 30/35 curriculum, focusing on molecular biology, biotechnology, and experimental research.
Biology 30 AP builds on Alberta Biology 30 with AP content, offering an in-depth study of cellular processes, genetics, evolution, and ecology. Students may take the optional AP exam for university credit while developing critical thinking, lab, and research skills. This course will be available for 2027-2028.
Students will also write the Biology 30 diploma exam which is worth 30% of their final mark.
