"Compass offered a personalized and targeted
approach that met our daughter's busy schedule.
They not only helped with SAT and ACT,
but also with time management and strategy on
all AP Tests. Our daughter went from panic to
acceptance to her dream school!"

- Jamie R, Mother of Rebecca
12th Grader at La Cañada High School

AP^Ⓡ Tutoring

As colleges and universities put greater scrutiny on high school transcripts, students want to look for ways to stand out. Success in AP classes and on AP exams demonstrates the rigor of a student’s high school career and projects an ability to succeed at the college level.

Whether or not a student opts to submit an SAT or ACT score, strong marks in well-recognized advanced courses will make an impression on college admission readers. The University of California system, for example, considers how many AP courses a student has taken, their grades in those classes, and their AP exam scores.

Compass has one-on-one tutors ready to help you succeed on in your AP classes and on your AP exams. See the list of subjects we support below.

Talk to a director about setting up a one-on-one tutoring program that fits your needs.

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Enroll in one of our four-week group courses to prepare for the official exams in May.

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AP Class and AP Exam Tutoring Subjects

AP English Literature and Composition
AP English Language and Composition
AP U.S. History
AP European History
AP World History: Modern
AP Human Geography
AP Calculus AB
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
AP Environmental Science
AP Psychology
AP Art History
AP Music Theory
AP Macroeconomics
AP Microeconomics
AP Comparative Government and Politics
AP Calculus BC
AP Computer Science A
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Statistics
AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
AP Physics C: Mechanics
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP World Languages and Cultures: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Spanish Language and Literature

Our Tutors

Over half of our tutors have completed post-graduate work in fields of study built on the concepts taught in AP courses. From Biology to Music Theory, we have a tutor for that.

Christen O.

AP Biology and AP Chemistry

“I have a Masters in Biomedical Science and a BS in Biochemistry. Campbell Biology Textbook? I’ve nearly read through it 15 times! Okay, maybe not every page, but I’m an expert when it comes to the AP Biology material. And AP Chemistry is my favorite class to teach! I’ve been tutoring chemistry for over 10 years and have probably completed every single released AP Chem College Board FRQ.”

Muffy M.

AP U.S. History

“I love American history. (Heck, I’m called The Historian on a nationally-televised game show, but I digress.) I have a cardboard cutout of Abe Lincoln in my living room. I had a student ask me one time about the Gettysburg Address, and I pulled a copy out of my wallet. Thus, obviously, I love teaching the APUSH test. I absolutely enjoy getting to review the material and help students learn or remember obscure facts. But more than that, I enjoy pushing them to analyze rigorously and make connections in order to write effective essays. Even if the details of the history never come up again, my students leave the lessons with critical thinking skills and an appreciation for factual accuracy.”

Alex K.

AP Spanish

“My Spanish tutoring programs have yielded thoughtful and engaging discussions of everything from film/TV to sports to social justice, introducing lots of new vocabulary while getting to learn from my students about topics they are passionate about. I love tutoring AP Spanish because my students leave our lessons feeling more confident about their tests or excited about their classes.“

Zach F.

AP Music Theory

“When writing in figured bass and voice leading, after putting in the bass line as required, don’t get fancy with the other parts! College Board is primarily grading for errors, not flair. There are some points given for creativity, but very few. Start by spreading your parts as evenly as possible across the staffs. Pick a part, and stick as closely as possible to stepwise motion. When writing in your next part, again stick to stepwise motion, but avoiding voice leading errors. Fill in the final part. Finally, check carefully for voice leading errors. 9 times out of 10, this method will produce almost flawless results (if a bit boring).“

2023 AP Exam Schedule

Date	Morning (8 a.m. Local Time)	Afternoon (12 p.m. Local Time)
Monday, May 1, 2023	United States Government and Politics	Chemistry Spanish Literature and Culture
Tuesday, May 2, 2023	Chinese Language and Culture Environmental Science	Psychology
Wednesday, May 3, 2023	English Literature and Composition	Comparative Government and Politics Computer Science A
Thursday, May 4, 2023	Human Geography Macroeconomics	Seminar Statistics
Friday, May 5, 2023	European History United States History	Art History Microeconomics
Monday, May 8, 2023	Calculus AB Calculus BC	Computer Science Principles Italian Language and Culture
Tuesday, May 9, 2023	English Language and Composition Japanese Language and Culture	Physics C: Mechanics Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism (starts at 2 p.m. Local Time)
Wednesday, May 10, 2023	Spanish Language and Culture	Biology
Thursday, May 11, 2023	French Language and Culture World History: Modern	Physics 1: Algebra-Based
Friday, May 12, 2023	German Language and Culture Music Theory	Latin Physics 2: Algebra Based

What Do AP Scores Mean?

What do AP scores mean? The College Board defines 3 as “qualified” to receive college credit, 4 as “well qualified,” and 5 as “extremely well qualified.” Ultimately, however, the answer varies from college to college. Some schools give credit for a 3, while others require a 5. Some of the most selective schools don’t give credit for any score. The one generalization we can make with confidence is that failing to post a 3 or better is likely to place a student in the bottom half to bottom third of his or her peers nationwide.

2021 AP Exams Score Distribution

AP Test	Tests Taken	% at 5	% at 4	% at 3	% at 2	% at 1	% at 3 / higher
ALL EXAMS	4,578,302	12.7	19.1	24	23.7	20.5	55.8
ART: HISTORY	20,633	12	19.6	23.8	30.1	14.6	55.3
BIOLOGY	230,527	7.4	19.4	32.4	30	10.8	59.2
CALCULUS AB	251,639	17.6	14.1	19.3	25.3	23.7	51
CALCULUS BC	124,599	38.3	16.5	20.4	18.2	6.6	75.2
CHEMISTRY	135,997	11.2	16.4	23.7	24.7	23.9	51.3
CHINESE LANG. & CULTURE	13,122	57.2	15.5	15.5	4.6	7.1	88.2
COMPUTER SCIENCE A	74,676	23.9	21.9	19.3	12.1	22.8	65.1
COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES	116,466	12.4	21.7	32.5	19.9	13.6	66.5
ECONOMICS: MACRO	124,436	18	19.6	13.7	15.7	32.9	51.3
ECONOMICS: MICRO	80,199	18.5	24	16.6	17	23.9	59.1
ENGLISH LANG. & COMP	518,548	9.1	22.9	25.8	29.3	12.9	57.7
ENGLISH LITERATURE	321,029	4.9	12	26.9	37.3	18.8	43.9
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE	160,771	7	24.9	18.5	27.6	22.1	50.3
EUROPEAN HISTORY	84,237	10.6	19.4	24.7	32.5	12.9	54.6
FRENCH LANG. & CULTURE	18,408	12.6	23.3	35.4	22.2	6.5	71.3
GERMAN LANG. & CULTURE	4,315	18	19.5	27.6	23.5	11.4	65.1
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS COMP	19,292	16.6	24.5	30.7	14.9	13.3	71.8
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS U.S.	283,353	12	11.6	26.9	25.8	23.8	50.4
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY	211,735	14.4	19.7	18.3	15.1	32.4	52.5
ITALIAN LANG. & CULTURE	2,102	20.6	22.6	29.2	18.6	9	72.4
JAPANESE LANG. & CULTURE	2,204	47.5	9.2	17.6	7.9	17.7	74.3
LATIN	4,889	10	16.9	29.9	25.3	17.9	56.8
MUSIC THEORY	16,271	19.9	18.1	23.2	23.2	15.6	61.2
PHYSICS 1	137,229	6.9	16.3	18.9	26.4	31.4	42.1
PHYSICS 2	18,736	15.4	17.9	32	27	7.6	65.3
PHYSICS C: ELEC. & MAGNET.	20,471	32.6	23.1	13.8	18	12.5	69.5
PHYSICS C: MECHANICS	48,803	23.5	28.6	21.3	14.9	11.6	73.5
PSYCHOLOGY	288,511	14.1	21.2	18	15.2	31.5	53.3
RESEARCH	24,021	13.7	25.4	42.4	14.2	4.3	81.5
SEMINAR	53,076	11.1	19.5	54.5	10.7	4.3	85
SPANISH LANG. & CULTURE	148,486	17.3	29.7	33	16.5	3.5	80
SPANISH LITERATURE	21,796	7.8	20.8	36.3	25.5	9.6	64.9
STATISTICS	184,111	16.2	19.9	21.8	17.2	24.9	57.9
STUDIO ART: DRAWING	18,096	14.2	37.7	34.3	12.4	1.4	86.2
STUDIO ART: 2-D DESIGN	34,509	10.2	34.7	42.3	12.5	0.4	87.1
STUDIO ART: 3-D DESIGN	4,573	6.5	28.6	36.3	24.9	3.7	55.3
US HISTORY	454,204	10.1	15.9	21.2	21.6	31.2	47.2
WORLD HISTORY	302,232	9.7	18.5	24	28.9	19	52.2

Learn more about schools’ credit and placement policies here.

Success Stories

“

We reached out to Compass to get tutoring for AP® Computer Science A. Our tutor was detailed, patient, and strategic in his approach to coaching my daughter. She’s a good student, but needed someone to provide structure and hold her accountable. The tutor struck a perfect balance with her, and he was very encouraging and supportive. I’m happy to report that my daughter got a 5 on the AP, and is a happy freshman at a top university! We already signed up with Compass for our younger daughter. Need I say more?
Grace W, Mother of a 12th Grade Student at Great Neck North High School (NY)

“

As both my husband and I were educated outside of U.S., we reached out to Compass to help support our son's preparation for ACT and SAT. We worked together to find the right tutor for his needs. Our son and his tutors worked through questions and test taking strategies which boosted his confidence. He achieved the score he was very happy with! We also engaged with Compass to help our son get a head start on AP Calculus and AP Physics during the summer holidays. He achieved perfect scores which are reflections of his hard work and Compass's tailored tutoring support. Thank you, Compass!
Sung L, Mother of Joshua, 12th Grader at Waterford School (UT)

“

We began working with Compass when our oldest daughter was a sophomore to get her more prepared for the SAT. From the start, they and their tutors have exceeded all expectations. My daughter enjoyed meeting with the tutors and gained more tools, tips, and practice than we could ever have hoped for. We were so pleased that we engaged Compass to work with our younger daughter and in both cases their scores and confidence improved immensely! My opinion of Compass and their tutors is so high that when my daughter sought help for her AP Calc BC class, I immediately reached out to Compass, and they connected us with the perfect tutor. They have proven to vastly differentiate themselves from any other tutoring or SAT prep organization. They are worth every penny and I can’t recommend them more highly!
Susan T, Mother of Sasha, 11th Grader at Palos Verdes High School

“

We are so grateful for all you did to help Crystal understand how to study with dyslexia and be the best student she could be. Your tutors were exceptional and so caring about Crystal's needs and challenges. The good news - she has gone on to graduate with honors and will attend her first-choice university. Thank you so much!
Jen T, Mother of Crystal, 12th Grader at St. Francis High School

“

Our three kids each attended different high schools and had unique strengths and challenges. We used Compass for tutoring for the ACT for all three kids, and also for some supplemental math tutoring for our daughter. Each of our kids' ACT scores improved dramatically as a direct result of the Compass tutors’ guidance. And our daughter’s understanding and achievement in her school math class also improved noticeably. Perhaps best of all, Compass managed to match our kids with tutors who perfectly fit each of our kids’ unique personalities and learning needs, in addition to being talented, courteous, and reliable. And the Compass directors and office staff were always accessible, attentive and responsive. A 100% pleasant and positive experience all the way around.
Jan L, Mother of Andrea, 12th Grader at Marin Catholic High School

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APⓇ Tutoring