New Hampshire AP test takers were among the highest performing in the nation last year, state education officials recently announced.
The AP, or Advanced Placement, exams test students’ knowledge of college-level curriculum and can in some cases be used to obtain college credit. They’re scored on a scale of 1 to 5, and 3 or higher is generally considered a passing grade.
Out of all AP test takers in New Hampshire’s class of 2023, around 71% got at least a 3. According to the College Board, which administers the AP tests, the next closest state was South Dakota, where around 70% of students got at least a 3.
Patricia Ainsworth is the principal and AP coordinator at White Mountains Regional High School in Whitefield. At her school, about a quarter of the class of 2023 took AP exams.
“I think that the students that are taking AP courses in these smaller high schools haven't had access to some of the resources that students might have, in an area where there are more resources, more people, bigger schools, more adults in the building and in the schools to support them,” Ainsworth said.
