# AP courses: a guide for teachers and students

Verified against the official College Board course directory and course pages on **16 September 2026**, for planning in **2026–27**.

This guide covers all **42 courses** listed in the directory. “AP Computer Science Program” and “AP Career Kickstart” are program links, not additional courses. Each summary condenses the current framework into important topics, assessed skills, and an original classroom example. These summaries are independent explanations, not College Board publications or predictions of particular exam questions. The full CED and its corrections govern the course; the short topic lists are not exhaustive checklists. Official unit sequencing is flexible. No language is prescribed for CSP; CSA uses Java.

The document audit covers the public PDFs directly linked in the main content of each official AP Students course page and its AP Central teacher course page. It does not claim to collect every historical released exam, secure AP Classroom resource, or PDF on every linked subpage. Identical files shared across courses remain in each relevant folder. Changed bytes mean an update, not necessarily a curricular change.

Start with the overview, then use the unit outline and source links for lesson planning. Teachers can turn each “what students should be able to do” into an assessment target; students can use the examples to check whether they can apply the ideas.

## Changes that matter for 2026–27

- Statistics: revised five-unit course and revised exam tasks.
- Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish Language and Culture: revised courses, including a project supporting Project Presentation and Project Q&A tasks.
- U.S. Government: four additional required foundational documents in the fall 2026 corrections.
- European, U.S., and World History: consult current May 2027 exam choices and task structures.
- Art and Design: fall 2026 framework and updated portfolio guidance; consult corrections before assigning submission requirements.
- Business with Personal Finance and Cybersecurity: new courses effective fall 2026.
- CSA remains the four-unit fall 2025 framework; Latin uses Pliny and Vergil. Precalculus Unit 4 is outside the AP Exam.


---

# AP 2-D Art and Design

**How can a flat image communicate a powerful idea?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Composition: organize line, shape, color, texture, space, and contrast on a surface.
- Visual inquiry: develop a question that can sustain a series of images.
- Experimentation: test materials, processes, and layouts, then revise deliberately.
- Presentation: select work and explain how visual decisions express your ideas.

## What students should be able to do

Build a portfolio that shows both accomplished work and evidence of investigation; explain decisions using specific visual evidence.

## Picture the learning

Investigate how a neighborhood changes at night through a series of photographs or designs, documenting revisions.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Portfolio assessment, not a timed written exam. The current CED is effective fall 2026.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Big Idea 1: Investigate Materials, Processes, and Ideas
- Big Idea 2: Make Art and Design
- Big Idea 3: Present Art and Design

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-2-d-art-and-design)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-art-and-design-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 55 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-art-and-design-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP 3-D Art and Design

**How do objects and spaces shape what people experience?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Form and space: work with volume, mass, balance, proportion, and positive and negative space.
- Materials and construction: explore structure, surface, and how viewers move around a work.
- Sustained inquiry: connect a series of three-dimensional works to an evolving question.
- Documentation: use views and written explanations that make spatial decisions visible.

## What students should be able to do

Demonstrate three-dimensional design skills, purposeful experimentation, and synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas.

## Picture the learning

Create a series of small sculptures exploring shelter; compare how open and enclosed spaces change their meaning.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Portfolio assessment. Photographs document three-dimensional work; the work itself must demonstrate spatial design.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Big Idea 1: Investigate Materials, Processes, and Ideas
- Big Idea 2: Make Art and Design
- Big Idea 3: Present Art and Design

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-3-d-art-and-design)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-art-and-design-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 55 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-art-and-design-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Drawing

**How can marks, light, and surface express observation and imagination?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Mark-making: control line, gesture, value, light, shade, and surface.
- Space and composition: create depth, structure, and visual emphasis.
- Inquiry: develop an idea through drawing, painting, printmaking, or other media that demonstrate drawing skills.
- Revision and explanation: connect experiments to artistic choices and meaning.

## What students should be able to do

Present a sustained investigation and selected works showing drawing skills; explain how practice and revision develop ideas.

## Picture the learning

Draw the same familiar object using different lighting and marks to investigate memory or mood.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Portfolio assessment; drawing skills, rather than a particular medium, distinguish this course from 2-D design.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Big Idea 1: Investigate Materials, Processes, and Ideas
- Big Idea 2: Make Art and Design
- Big Idea 3: Present Art and Design

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-drawing)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-art-and-design-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 55 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-art-and-design-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Art History

**What can an artwork reveal about the people who made and used it?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2020 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Global traditions: study works from prehistory through contemporary art across ten geographic and historical units.
- Visual analysis: connect form, materials, technique, and subject matter.
- Context: explain patronage, religion, politics, function, and audience.
- Comparison and attribution: use visual evidence to compare traditions or interpret an unfamiliar work.

## What students should be able to do

Identify and analyze required works, support interpretations with visual and contextual evidence, and write comparisons.

## Picture the learning

Compare how two monuments from different societies express political or religious authority.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 BCE
- Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 BCE–300 CE
- Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 CE
- Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 CE
- Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 6: Africa, 1100–1980 CE
- Unit 7: West and Central Asia, 500 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 9: The Pacific, 700-1980 CE
- Unit 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-art-history)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-art-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2020, 368 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 328
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-art-history-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Music Theory

**How does music create structure, tension, and resolution?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Musical language: read pitch, scales, keys, rhythm, meter, and texture.
- Harmony: recognize triads, seventh chords, chord function, cadences, and progressions.
- Voice leading: connect parts coherently and harmonize melodies or figured bass.
- Listening and form: hear melodic and harmonic patterns, embellishments, secondary functions, and larger structures.

## What students should be able to do

Read and analyze scores, notate music heard, write harmonies, and sight-sing.

## Picture the learning

Listen to a short phrase, write its melody and bass, and explain why its cadence sounds finished.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Music Fundamentals I: Pitch, Major Scales and Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, and Expressive Elements
- Unit 2: Music Fundamentals II: Minor Scales and Key Signatures, Melody, Timbre, and Texture
- Unit 3: Music Fundamentals III: Triads and Seventh Chords
- Unit 4: Harmony and Voice Leading I: Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase
- Unit 5: Harmony and Voice Leading II: Chord Progressions and Predominant Function
- Unit 6: Harmony and Voice Leading III: Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices
- Unit 7: Harmony and Voice Leading IV: Secondary Function
- Unit 8: Modes and Form

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-music-theory)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-music-theory-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 274 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 220
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-music-theory-ced-clarifications-and-corrections.pdf)

---

# AP English Language and Composition

**How do writers persuade an audience?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Rhetorical situation: identify audience, purpose, context, and a writer’s choices.
- Claims and evidence: judge whether examples and sources support a defensible argument.
- Reasoning and organization: trace a line of reasoning, qualify claims, and address counterarguments.
- Style and synthesis: explain effects of language and build your own argument using multiple sources.

## What students should be able to do

Analyze nonfiction, revise writing, and compose synthesis, rhetorical-analysis, and argument essays.

## Picture the learning

Explain how a speech’s examples and sentence choices persuade its audience, then construct your own evidence-based position.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

The nine units revisit and deepen rhetorical skills; they are not nine prescribed historical periods or reading lists.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1
- Unit 2
- Unit 3
- Unit 4
- Unit 5
- Unit 6
- Unit 7
- Unit 8
- Unit 9

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-language-and-composition)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-english-language-and-composition-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 149 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 5
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 26
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 115
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-english-language-and-composition-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)
- Unavailable supplementary link: [english-lang-frq1-source-synthesis.pdf](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/english-lang-frq1-source-synthesis.pdf). See UPDATE_REPORT.md.

---

# AP English Literature and Composition

**How do literary choices create meaning beyond the plot?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Character and setting: explain motivations, conflicts, relationships, and the role of place.
- Narration and structure: examine perspective, sequence, contrast, and development.
- Poetry and figurative language: analyze imagery, symbolism, comparisons, and ambiguity.
- Literary argument: develop an interpretation supported by precise textual evidence.

## What students should be able to do

Close-read poetry, short fiction, and longer fiction or drama; write poetry analysis, prose analysis, and a literary argument.

## Picture the learning

Explain how a narrator’s limited understanding changes what readers believe about a character.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Short Fiction I
- Unit 2: Poetry I
- Unit 3: Longer Fiction or Drama I
- Unit 4: Short Fiction II
- Unit 5: Poetry II
- Unit 6: Longer Fiction or Drama II
- Unit 7: Short Fiction III
- Unit 8: Poetry III
- Unit 9: Longer Fiction or Drama III

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-literature-and-composition)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-english-literature-and-composition-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 176 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 25
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 140
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-english-literature-and-composition-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP African American Studies

**How have African American communities shaped history, culture, and ideas?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- African origins: understand diverse African societies and the formation of diasporic connections.
- Enslavement and resistance: examine the slave trade, community formation, resistance, and abolition.
- Freedom after emancipation: study Reconstruction, Jim Crow, migration, organizing, and cultural movements.
- Modern movements: connect civil rights, debates, arts, and contributions across disciplines.

## What students should be able to do

Analyze historical, literary, visual, and data sources; develop evidence-based arguments and complete an individual research project.

## Picture the learning

Use a migration map and an artwork to explain how the Great Migration reshaped Black communities and cultural expression.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

The individual student project is part of assessment; preparation extends beyond memorizing historical events.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora (~900 BCE–16th century)
- Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement, and Resistance (16th century–1865)
- Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom (1865–1940s)
- Unit 4: Movements and Debates (1940s–2000s)

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-african-american-studies)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-african-american-studies-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 442 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 30
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 412
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-african-american-studies-course-and-exam-description-clarification.pdf)

---

# AP Comparative Government and Politics

**Why do governments work differently across countries?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Systems and legitimacy: compare democracy, authoritarianism, state power, and political change.
- Institutions: examine executives, legislatures, courts, and relationships among them.
- Participation: study political culture, parties, elections, and civil society.
- Development: connect economic policies, globalization, and political or social change.

## What students should be able to do

Apply concepts and compare the six required countries: China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom; interpret data and build arguments.

## Picture the learning

Compare how electoral rules in two required countries affect political representation.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments
- Unit 2: Political Institutions
- Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation
- Unit 4: Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organizations
- Unit 5: Political and Economic Changes and Development

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-comparative-government-and-politics)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-comparative-government-and-politics-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 183 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 6
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 158
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-comparative-government-and-politics-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP European History

**How did Europe change from the Renaissance to the present?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Ideas and authority: Renaissance, Reformation, scientific thought, Enlightenment, and state building.
- Revolutions and industry: political upheaval, industrialization, class, reform, and nationalism.
- Empire and conflict: imperial competition, world wars, totalitarianism, and genocide.
- Postwar Europe: Cold War divisions, decolonization, integration, migration, and contemporary change.

## What students should be able to do

Explain causation, comparison, and continuity or change; analyze sources and write document-based and long-essay arguments.

## Picture the learning

Use competing primary sources to explain why industrialization produced different demands for reform.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

 The linked fall 2026 corrections revise aspects of the May 2027 history exams; use the current exam overview for question choices and task structure.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Renaissance and Exploration
- Unit 2: Age of Reformation
- Unit 3: Absolutism and Constitutionalism
- Unit 4: Scientific, Philosophical, and Political Developments
- Unit 5: Conflict, Crisis, and Reaction in the Late 18th Century
- Unit 6: Industrialization and Its Effects
- Unit 7: 19th-Century Perspectives and Political Developments
- Unit 8: 20th-Century Global Conflicts
- Unit 9: Cold War and Contemporary Europe

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-european-history)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-european-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 297 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 5
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 32
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 243
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-european-history-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Human Geography

**Why are people, activities, and opportunities distributed unevenly across space?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2020 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Spatial thinking: use maps, geographic data, scale, and models.
- People and culture: analyze population, migration, language, religion, and cultural diffusion.
- Power and land: explain borders, political organization, agriculture, and rural patterns.
- Cities and development: study urban form, industry, infrastructure, inequality, and globalization.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret maps and data, apply geographic models, and explain processes at local, national, and global scales.

## Picture the learning

Use a city map and population data to explain suburban growth and its effects on transport and inequality.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Thinking Geographically
- Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
- Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes
- Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes
- Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes
- Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes
- Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-human-geography)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-human-geography-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2020, 185 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 25
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 162
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-human-geography-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Macroeconomics

**What makes an entire economy grow, slow down, or experience inflation?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Economic foundations: scarcity, opportunity cost, comparative advantage, and market coordination.
- Measurement: interpret GDP, unemployment, inflation, and the business cycle.
- National output: use aggregate demand and supply to explain recessions and price changes.
- Policy and finance: analyze money, banking, interest rates, fiscal and monetary policy, and long-run growth.
- Global links: connect exchange rates, capital flows, and international trade.

## What students should be able to do

Draw and interpret economic models, calculate changes, and explain chains of cause and effect in words.

## Picture the learning

Predict how an interest-rate increase affects investment, output, and inflation, using a correctly labeled model.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts
- Unit 2: Economic Indicators and the Business Cycle
- Unit 3: National Income and Price Determination
- Unit 4: Financial Sector
- Unit 5: Long-Run Consequences of Stabilization Policies
- Unit 6: Open Economy—International Trade and Finance

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-macroeconomics)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-macroeconomics-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 182 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 27
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 136
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-macroeconomics-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Microeconomics

**How do households, firms, and markets make choices?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Market choices: scarcity, marginal decisions, supply and demand, elasticity, and surplus.
- Firm behavior: production, costs, revenue, profit, and competitive output decisions.
- Market structure: compare perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly.
- Factor markets: explain demand for labor and other productive inputs.
- Market failures: analyze externalities, public goods, inequality, and government responses.

## What students should be able to do

Use graphs and calculations to predict behavior, compare efficiency, and evaluate policy effects.

## Picture the learning

Explain how a tax changes market price, quantity, and total surplus, and identify who bears more of the burden.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts
- Unit 2: Supply and Demand
- Unit 3: Production, Cost, and the Perfect Competition Model
- Unit 4: Imperfect Competition
- Unit 5: Factor Markets
- Unit 6: Market Failure and the Role of Government

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-microeconomics)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-microeconomics-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 182 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 27
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 128
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-microeconomics-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Psychology

**How do scientists explain thought, behavior, and well-being?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2025 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Biological bases: brain, nervous system, heredity, sensation, and related processes.
- Cognition: perception, memory, thinking, intelligence, and decision making.
- Development and learning: explain change across life and how experience shapes behavior.
- Social life and personality: analyze influence, attitudes, individual differences, and behavior in groups.
- Health: study stress, psychological disorders, treatment, and well-being.

## What students should be able to do

Apply psychological concepts, analyze research methods and data, and justify claims with evidence; practice article-analysis and evidence-based responses.

## Picture the learning

Evaluate whether a study supports a causal claim about sleep and memory, identifying a design limitation.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Use the current five-unit framework and research-focused free-response tasks, rather than older nine-unit review plans.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Biological Bases of Behavior
- Unit 2: Cognition
- Unit 3: Development and Learning
- Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality
- Unit 5: Mental and Physical Health

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-psychology)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2025, 186 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 28
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 154
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP United States Government and Politics

**How is power allocated, contested, and limited in U.S. government?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Foundations: constitutional principles, federalism, democracy, and founding debates.
- Institutions: Congress, the presidency, courts, bureaucracy, and checks and balances.
- Rights: civil liberties, civil rights, and constitutional interpretation.
- Beliefs and participation: public opinion, ideology, elections, parties, interest groups, and media.

## What students should be able to do

Apply required foundational documents and Supreme Court cases, analyze data, compare cases, and write evidence-based arguments.

## Picture the learning

Explain how a constitutional principle and a required court case could apply to a new dispute.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Fall 2026 corrections add four required documents: the Emancipation Proclamation, Federalist No. 39, the Gettysburg Address, and core principles from Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. Use the updated required-document list.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy
- Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
- Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
- Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
- Unit 5: Political Participation

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-united-states-government-and-politics)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-us-government-and-politics-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 202 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 25
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 174
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-us-government-and-politics-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP United States History

**How did the United States develop, and whose experiences shaped that development?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- 1491–1754: Indigenous societies, European contact, colonization, and Atlantic systems.
- 1754–1877: revolution, constitutional government, expansion, slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction.
- 1865–1945: industrialization, migration, reform, imperialism, depression, and world wars.
- 1945–present: Cold War, rights movements, social change, conservatism, and globalization.

## What students should be able to do

Analyze sources, contextualize events, compare developments, and defend historical arguments in short answers, a DBQ, and a long essay.

## Picture the learning

Assess how far Reconstruction changed political and social opportunities, using documents and outside evidence.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

The four topic groups here condense the official nine chronological units; consult the unit outline for full period boundaries. The linked fall 2026 corrections revise aspects of the May 2027 history exams; use the current exam overview for question choices and task structure.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Period 1: 1491–1607
- Unit 2: Period 2: 1607–1754
- Unit 3: Period 3: 1754–1800
- Unit 4: Period 4: 1800–1848
- Unit 5: Period 5: 1844–1877
- Unit 6: Period 6: 1865–1898
- Unit 7: Period 7: 1890–1945
- Unit 8: Period 8: 1945–1980
- Unit 9: Period 9: 1980–Present

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-united-states-history)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 562 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 31
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 504
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-us-history-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP World History: Modern

**How have societies become connected and transformed since about 1200?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- 1200–1450: regional states, belief systems, and trade networks.
- 1450–1750: land and maritime empires, oceanic exchange, and changing social hierarchies.
- 1750–1900: revolutions, industrialization, imperialism, and migration.
- 1900–present: global wars, Cold War, decolonization, globalization, and environmental change.

## What students should be able to do

Compare societies, explain causation and continuity or change, analyze sources, and construct document-based and long-essay arguments.

## Picture the learning

Compare how two empires used religion or administration to maintain authority.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

The current downloaded framework is effective fall 2026; use it with any linked corrections. The linked fall 2026 corrections revise aspects of the May 2027 history exams; use the current exam overview for question choices and task structure.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: The Global Tapestry
- Unit 2: Networks of Exchange
- Unit 3: Land-Based Empires
- Unit 4: Transoceanic Interconnections
- Unit 5: Revolutions
- Unit 6: Consequences of Industrialization
- Unit 7: Global Conflict
- Unit 8: Cold War and Decolonization
- Unit 9: Globalization

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-world-history-modern)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-world-history-modern-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 260 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 29
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 202
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-world-history-modern-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Calculus AB

**How can mathematics describe instantaneous change and accumulated quantities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2020 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Limits and continuity: describe behavior near a point and justify when functions behave smoothly.
- Derivatives: calculate rates using differentiation rules, including composite and implicit functions.
- Applications of derivatives: analyze motion, related rates, graphs, and optimization.
- Integrals: connect area and accumulation to antiderivatives through the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
- Differential equations and applications: model growth, use slope fields, and calculate areas and volumes.

## What students should be able to do

Connect graphs, tables, formulas, and words; calculate accurately and justify conclusions with calculus.

## Picture the learning

Given water flowing into and out of a tank, determine when its volume is greatest and justify your answer.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Limits and Continuity
- Unit 2: Differentiation: Definition and Fundamental Properties
- Unit 3: Differentiation: Composite, Implicit, and Inverse Functions
- Unit 4: Contextual Applications of Differentiation
- Unit 5: Analytical Applications of Differentiation
- Unit 6: Integration and Accumulation of Change
- Unit 7: Differential Equations
- Unit 8: Applications of Integration

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-calculus-ab)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-calculus-ab-and-bc-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2020, 230 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 23
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 203
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-calculus-ab-bc-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Calculus BC

**How far can calculus take us when motion, curves, and infinite processes become more complex?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2020 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- AB foundation: limits, derivatives, integrals, differential equations, and their applications.
- Additional methods: extend integration and differential-equation techniques, including BC-specific topics within shared units.
- Curves and motion: work with parametric equations, polar coordinates, and vector-valued functions.
- Infinite series: test convergence and use power and Taylor series to represent functions and estimate error.

## What students should be able to do

Solve and justify calculus problems across symbolic, graphical, numerical, and verbal representations, including all AB content.

## Picture the learning

Use a Taylor polynomial to approximate a function value and justify an error bound.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

BC is not just Units 9–10 added to an unchanged AB course; shared units also contain BC-only content.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Limits and Continuity
- Unit 2: Differentiation: Definition and Fundamental Properties
- Unit 3: Differentiation: Composite, Implicit, and Inverse Functions
- Unit 4: Contextual Applications of Differentiation
- Unit 5: Analytical Applications of Differentiation
- Unit 6: Integration and Accumulation of Change
- Unit 7: Differential Equations
- Unit 8: Applications of Integration
- Unit 9: Parametric Equations, Polar Coordinates, and Vector-Valued Functions
- Unit 10: Infinite Sequences and Series

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-calculus-bc)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-calculus-ab-and-bc-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2020, 230 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 23
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 203
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-calculus-ab-bc-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Computer Science A

**How do you build reliable programs in Java?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2025 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Using objects and methods: work with values, expressions, Strings, constructors, method calls, and APIs.
- Selection and iteration: control a program with Boolean logic, conditionals, loops, and standard algorithms.
- Class creation: design classes with fields, constructors, methods, and encapsulation.
- Data collections: process arrays, ArrayLists, and two-dimensional arrays; search, sort, and reason about algorithms.

## What students should be able to do

Trace Java code, locate errors, explain behavior, and write methods, classes, and collection-processing code.

## Picture the learning

Write a method that scans a list of scores and returns how many meet a target; then design a class to manage those scores.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Use the four-unit framework effective fall 2025. Its multiple-choice unit weights are 15–25%, 25–35%, 10–18%, and 30–40%.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Using Objects and Methods
- Unit 2: Selection and Iteration
- Unit 3: Class Creation
- Unit 4: Data Collections

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-a)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-computer-science-a-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2025, 194 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 24
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 152
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-computer-science-a-course-and-exam-description-clarification.pdf)

---

# AP Computer Science Principles

**How does computing work, and how does it change people’s lives?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2023 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Creative development: design, collaborate, test, and improve a computing solution.
- Data: represent information in bits, compress it, and use data to discover patterns.
- Algorithms and programming: use variables, lists, decisions, loops, procedures, and abstraction.
- Systems and networks: explain the internet, routing, protocols, redundancy, and computing systems.
- Impact: evaluate privacy, security, bias, access, intellectual property, and social consequences.

## What students should be able to do

Analyze algorithms and computing scenarios, develop a program for the Create task, and explain program design, testing, data, and procedures.

## Picture the learning

Design a study-planning app, explain how a list simplifies its code, and evaluate what user data it should collect.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

No single teaching language is required. The Create task includes program code, a video, and a Personalized Project Reference; related written responses occur on exam day.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Big Idea 1: Creative Development
- Big Idea 2: Data
- Big Idea 3: Algorithms and Programming
- Big Idea 4: Computer Systems and Networks
- Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-computer-science-principles-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2023, 266 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 27
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 170
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-computer-science-principles-course-and-exam-description-clarification.pdf)

---

# AP Precalculus

**Which function best models a changing quantity?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2023 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Polynomial and rational functions: interpret rates, zeros, end behavior, and asymptotes.
- Exponential and logarithmic functions: model growth and decay and solve inverse relationships.
- Trigonometric and polar functions: model cycles, connect graphs and equations, and describe polar relationships.
- Representations: move between tables, graphs, formulas, and real contexts and justify a model’s suitability.

## What students should be able to do

Analyze functions, build models, and explain reasoning with and without a graphing calculator.

## Picture the learning

Choose a sinusoidal model for seasonal daylight and interpret its amplitude, period, and vertical shift.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Official Unit 4 covers parameters, vectors, and matrices but is not assessed on the AP Exam. Exam preparation focuses on Units 1–3.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions
- Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
- Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions
- Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-precalculus)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-precalculus-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2023, 178 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 133
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-precalculus-ced-clarification-and-guidance.pdf)

---

# AP Statistics

**What can data tell us, and how certain should we be?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- One-variable data and collection: formulate questions, describe distributions, sample fairly, and design experiments.
- Probability: simulate chance, analyze random variables, and use binomial and normal models.
- Proportions: use sampling distributions, confidence intervals, tests, and categorical-data methods.
- Means: estimate and test population means and differences, checking conditions.
- Regression: examine quantitative relationships, correlation, least-squares models, and predictions.

## What students should be able to do

Choose and justify a statistical method, calculate correctly, check assumptions, and interpret results in context.

## Picture the learning

Design a fair comparison of two study methods and explain what the data allow you to conclude about their effectiveness.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27: five units. Do not use the previous nine-unit sequence as the current exam blueprint.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Exploring One-Variable Data and Collecting Data
- Unit 2: Probability, Random Variables, and Probability Distributions
- Unit 3: Inference for Categorical Data: Proportions
- Unit 4: Inference for Quantitative Data: Means
- Unit 5: Regression Analysis

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-statistics)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-statistics-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 244 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 20
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 161

---

# AP Biology

**How do living systems store information, use energy, and change over time?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2025 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Chemistry and cells: connect water, macromolecules, membranes, and organelles to function.
- Energy and regulation: explain enzymes, respiration, photosynthesis, signaling, and cell division.
- Inheritance and genes: connect meiosis, genetics, DNA, gene expression, and biotechnology.
- Evolution: explain natural selection, population change, common ancestry, and speciation.
- Ecology: analyze populations, communities, energy flow, and ecosystem change.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret experiments and models, analyze data, design investigations, and support biological claims with evidence.

## Picture the learning

Use enzyme-rate data to explain a temperature effect and propose a controlled follow-up experiment.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
- Unit 2: Cells
- Unit 3: Cellular Energetics
- Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle
- Unit 5: Heredity
- Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation
- Unit 7: Natural Selection
- Unit 8: Ecology

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-biology)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-biology-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2025, 240 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 204
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-biology-ced-clarifications-and-corrections.pdf)
- Unavailable supplementary link: [AP_Bio_Quantitative_Skills_Guide-2ndPrinting_lkd.pdf](https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/AP_Bio_Quantitative_Skills_Guide-2ndPrinting_lkd.pdf). See UPDATE_REPORT.md.

---

# AP Chemistry

**How do particle structure and energy explain chemical behavior?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Structure and properties: connect atoms, bonding, molecular geometry, forces, and bulk properties.
- Reactions: use moles, stoichiometry, solutions, and representations of chemical change.
- Rates and equilibrium: explain mechanisms, changing reaction rates, and competing forward and reverse processes.
- Acids and bases: interpret pH, buffers, titration, and acid-base equilibria.
- Energy and electrochemistry: connect heat, entropy, free energy, redox, and cells.

## What students should be able to do

Combine calculations, particle-level explanations, data analysis, and experimental reasoning.

## Picture the learning

Explain a titration curve and calculate an unknown concentration, linking the graph to particle behavior.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Properties
- Unit 2: Compound Structure and Properties
- Unit 3: Properties of Substances and Mixtures
- Unit 4: Chemical Reactions
- Unit 5: Kinetics
- Unit 6: Thermochemistry
- Unit 7: Equilibrium
- Unit 8: Acids and Bases
- Unit 9: Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-chemistry)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-chemistry-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 238 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 24
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 212
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-chemistry-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Environmental Science

**How do Earth’s systems and human choices affect one another?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Ecosystems and biodiversity: explain energy flow, nutrient cycles, ecological change, and resilience.
- Population and resources: connect human growth, land use, agriculture, water, and Earth systems.
- Energy: compare fossil fuels, nuclear power, and renewable sources and their tradeoffs.
- Pollution: analyze air, water, and soil contamination and possible controls.
- Global change: evaluate climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental solutions.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret environmental data, carry out calculations, design investigations, and justify solutions with tradeoffs.

## Picture the learning

Use watershed data to explain a fish die-off and evaluate two ways to reduce nutrient runoff.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems
- Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity
- Unit 3: Populations
- Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources
- Unit 5: Land and Water Use
- Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption
- Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution
- Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
- Unit 9: Global Change

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-environmental-science)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-environmental-science-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 252 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 230
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-environmental-science-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based

**How do forces, motion, and energy explain everyday physical systems?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Translation: connect position, velocity, acceleration, forces, and Newton’s laws.
- Conservation: use work, energy, power, impulse, and linear momentum.
- Rotation: explain torque, angular motion, rotational energy, and angular momentum.
- Oscillations: model repeating motion such as springs and pendulums.
- Fluids: analyze pressure, buoyancy, and fluid behavior.

## What students should be able to do

Use algebra, diagrams, graphs, and experiments to build and test physical explanations.

## Picture the learning

Predict which rolling object reaches the bottom of a ramp first and justify the prediction using energy.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

The current eight-unit course includes fluids. Older outlines may place fluids in Physics 2 instead.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Kinematics
- Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
- Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
- Unit 4: Linear Momentum
- Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
- Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
- Unit 7: Oscillations
- Unit 8: Fluids

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-physics-1-algebra-based)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-1-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 220 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 20
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 177
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-1-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based

**How do heat, fields, waves, and quantum ideas explain the physical world?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Thermodynamics: relate heat, work, temperature, and energy transfer.
- Electricity: analyze electric force, fields, potential, and circuits.
- Magnetism: explain magnetic forces and electromagnetic effects.
- Optics and waves: study rays, lenses, interference, sound, and wave behavior.
- Modern physics: connect atomic, nuclear, and quantum models to evidence.

## What students should be able to do

Apply algebra-based models, connect representations, analyze data, and design or evaluate experiments.

## Picture the learning

Predict how moving a lens changes an image, then design measurements to test the prediction.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Official numbering continues from Physics 1: Units 9–15.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 9: Thermodynamics
- Unit 10: Electric Force, Field, and Potential
- Unit 11: Electric Circuits
- Unit 12: Magnetism and Electromagnetism
- Unit 13: Geometric Optics
- Unit 14: Waves, Sound, and Physical Optics
- Unit 15: Modern Physics

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-physics-2-algebra-based)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-physics-2-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 230 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 20
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 189
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-2-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

**How can calculus model electric and magnetic fields?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Electrostatics: analyze charge distributions, electric fields, Gauss’s law, and potential.
- Conductors and capacitors: relate fields, geometry, stored charge, and energy.
- Circuits: apply current, resistance, circuit laws, and time-dependent behavior.
- Magnetism: explain fields produced by currents and forces on moving charges.
- Induction: connect changing magnetic flux to induced voltage and current.

## What students should be able to do

Use calculus, symmetry, field diagrams, circuit models, and experimental reasoning.

## Picture the learning

Choose a Gaussian surface for a symmetric charge distribution and derive the electric field.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Official numbering runs from Units 8–13, continuing the Physics C sequence.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 8: Electric Charges, Fields, and Gauss’s Law
- Unit 9: Electric Potential
- Unit 10: Conductors and Capacitors
- Unit 11: Electric Circuits
- Unit 12: Magnetic Fields and Electromagnetism
- Unit 13: Electromagnetic Induction

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-physics-c-electricity-and-magnetism)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-physics-c-electricity-and-magnetism-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 189 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 20
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 145
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-c-electricity-and-magnetism-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Physics C: Mechanics

**How does calculus describe motion and mechanical systems?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Kinematics and forces: use derivatives and integrals to connect motion and Newton’s laws.
- Work and energy: analyze variable forces, power, and conservation.
- Momentum: investigate collisions, impulse, and systems of particles.
- Rotation: connect torque, rotational dynamics, energy, and angular momentum.
- Oscillations: model periodic motion and relate restoring forces to energy.

## What students should be able to do

Build calculus-based models, derive relationships, interpret graphs, and evaluate experimental evidence.

## Picture the learning

Determine the work done by a position-dependent force and use it to predict a particle’s speed.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Calculus is part of the course; the current framework has seven units.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Kinematics
- Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics
- Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power
- Unit 4: Linear Momentum
- Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics
- Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems
- Unit 7: Oscillations

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-physics-c-mechanics)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-physics-c-mechanics-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 214 PDF pages
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 20
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 171
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-physics-c-mechanics-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Chinese Language and Culture

**How can you communicate meaningfully in Chinese and understand Chinese-speaking communities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- People and identity: discuss families, communities, language, and culture.
- Creative life: interpret art, creativity, and cultural products and practices.
- Science and daily life: explain technology, contemporary life, and their effects.
- Global contexts: explore shared challenges and different cultural perspectives.
- Communication: interpret authentic texts and audio, interact in writing and speech, and present supported ideas in Chinese.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret meaning in context, communicate clearly and appropriately in Chinese, and connect specific cultural evidence to perspectives; prepare the course project for the speaking tasks. Written free responses include story narration and an email response.

## Picture the learning

Compare how a festival is practiced in two Chinese-speaking communities and explain what those practices reveal.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27, with a course project supporting the exam-day Project Presentation and Project Q&A. Do not assume the previous speaking-task format still applies.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Families and Communities
- Unit 2: Language and Culture
- Unit 3: Art and Creativity
- Unit 4: Science and Technology
- Unit 5: Contemporary Life
- Unit 6: Global Contexts

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-chinese-language-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-chinese-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 175 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 108

---

# AP French Language and Culture

**How can you communicate meaningfully in French and understand Francophone communities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- People and identity: discuss families, communities, language, and culture.
- Creative life: interpret art, creativity, and cultural products and practices.
- Science and daily life: explain technology, contemporary life, and their effects.
- Global contexts: explore shared challenges and different cultural perspectives.
- Communication: interpret authentic texts and audio, interact in writing and speech, and present supported ideas in French.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret meaning in context, communicate clearly and appropriately in French, and connect specific cultural evidence to perspectives; prepare the course project for the speaking tasks. The writing free-response task is an argumentative essay.

## Picture the learning

Investigate how a Francophone community supports sustainable transport and present a culturally grounded explanation.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27, with a course project supporting the exam-day Project Presentation and Project Q&A. Do not assume the previous speaking-task format still applies.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Families and Communities
- Unit 2: Language and Culture
- Unit 3: Art and Creativity
- Unit 4: Science and Technology
- Unit 5: Contemporary Life
- Unit 6: Global Contexts

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-french-language-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-french-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 167 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 96

---

# AP German Language and Culture

**How can you communicate meaningfully in German and understand German-speaking communities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- People and identity: discuss families, communities, language, and culture.
- Creative life: interpret art, creativity, and cultural products and practices.
- Science and daily life: explain technology, contemporary life, and their effects.
- Global contexts: explore shared challenges and different cultural perspectives.
- Communication: interpret authentic texts and audio, interact in writing and speech, and present supported ideas in German.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret meaning in context, communicate clearly and appropriately in German, and connect specific cultural evidence to perspectives; prepare the course project for the speaking tasks. The writing free-response task is an argumentative essay.

## Picture the learning

Compare approaches to apprenticeships or education in German-speaking communities using authentic sources.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27, with a course project supporting the exam-day Project Presentation and Project Q&A. Do not assume the previous speaking-task format still applies.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Families and Communities
- Unit 2: Language and Culture
- Unit 3: Art and Creativity
- Unit 4: Science and Technology
- Unit 5: Contemporary Life
- Unit 6: Global Contexts

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-german-language-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-german-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 169 PDF pages
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 96

---

# AP Italian Language and Culture

**How can you communicate meaningfully in Italian and understand Italian-speaking communities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- People and identity: discuss families, communities, language, and culture.
- Creative life: interpret art, creativity, and cultural products and practices.
- Science and daily life: explain technology, contemporary life, and their effects.
- Global contexts: explore shared challenges and different cultural perspectives.
- Communication: interpret authentic texts and audio, interact in writing and speech, and present supported ideas in Italian.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret meaning in context, communicate clearly and appropriately in Italian, and connect specific cultural evidence to perspectives; prepare the course project for the speaking tasks. The writing free-response task is an argumentative essay.

## Picture the learning

Explore how food traditions connect family, identity, and contemporary life in an Italian-speaking community.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27, with a course project supporting the exam-day Project Presentation and Project Q&A. Do not assume the previous speaking-task format still applies.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Families and Communities
- Unit 2: Language and Culture
- Unit 3: Art and Creativity
- Unit 4: Science and Technology
- Unit 5: Contemporary Life
- Unit 6: Global Contexts

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-italian-language-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-italian-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 167 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 96

---

# AP Japanese Language and Culture

**How can you communicate meaningfully in Japanese and understand Japanese-speaking communities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- People and identity: discuss families, communities, language, and culture.
- Creative life: interpret art, creativity, and cultural products and practices.
- Science and daily life: explain technology, contemporary life, and their effects.
- Global contexts: explore shared challenges and different cultural perspectives.
- Communication: interpret authentic texts and audio, interact in writing and speech, and present supported ideas in Japanese.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret meaning in context, communicate clearly and appropriately in Japanese, and connect specific cultural evidence to perspectives; prepare the course project for the speaking tasks.

## Picture the learning

Investigate how a local Japanese festival connects community life, tradition, and change.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27, with a course project supporting the exam-day Project Presentation and Project Q&A. Do not assume the previous speaking-task format still applies.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Families and Communities
- Unit 2: Language and Culture
- Unit 3: Art and Creativity
- Unit 4: Science and Technology
- Unit 5: Contemporary Life
- Unit 6: Global Contexts

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-japanese-language-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-japanese-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 177 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 108

---

# AP Latin

**How can you read Latin closely and interpret Roman voices?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2025 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Language in context: read prose and poetry using vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and comprehension.
- Pliny’s letters: study the eruption of Vesuvius and letters on apparitions, public life, and personal relationships.
- Vergil’s Aeneid: interpret selected passages, poetic language, characters, and Roman perspectives.
- Interpretation and comparison: connect literary choices with cultural context and support an argument from Latin evidence.
- Broader reading and project: encounter teacher-selected prose and poetry and complete the course project.

## What students should be able to do

Read familiar and unfamiliar Latin, translate accurately, analyze language and literary effects, and explain interpretations.

## Picture the learning

Explain how Pliny constructs an eyewitness account, supporting your interpretation with details from the Latin.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Use the framework effective fall 2025: Pliny and Vergil, not an older Caesar-and-Vergil syllabus.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Teacher’s Choice—Latin Prose
- Unit 2: Pliny’s Letters: Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
- Unit 3: Pliny’s Letters: Ghosts and Apparitions, Letters to Trajan and Calpurnia, and Teacher’s Choice—Latin Prose
- Unit 4: Teacher’s Choice—Latin Poetry and Vergil’s Aeneid, Excerpts from Books 1 and 2
- Unit 5: Vergil, Aeneid, Excerpts from Books 4, 6, 7, 11, and 12
- Unit 6: Course Project and Teacher’s Choice—Latin Poetry

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-latin)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-latin-course-and-exam-description-effective-fall-2025.pdf) · effective Fall 2025, 344 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 38
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 232
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-latin-course-and-exam-description-clarification.pdf)

---

# AP Spanish Language and Culture

**How can you communicate meaningfully in Spanish and understand Spanish-speaking communities?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- People and identity: discuss families, communities, language, and culture.
- Creative life: interpret art, creativity, and cultural products and practices.
- Science and daily life: explain technology, contemporary life, and their effects.
- Global contexts: explore shared challenges and different cultural perspectives.
- Communication: interpret authentic texts and audio, interact in writing and speech, and present supported ideas in Spanish.

## What students should be able to do

Interpret meaning in context, communicate clearly and appropriately in Spanish, and connect specific cultural evidence to perspectives; prepare the course project for the speaking tasks. The writing free-response task is an argumentative essay.

## Picture the learning

Compare how two Spanish-speaking communities use public art to express local identity.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Revised for 2026–27, with a course project supporting the exam-day Project Presentation and Project Q&A. Do not assume the previous speaking-task format still applies.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Families and Communities
- Unit 2: Language and Culture
- Unit 3: Art and Creativity
- Unit 4: Science and Technology
- Unit 5: Contemporary Life
- Unit 6: Global Contexts

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-spanish-language-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-spanish-language-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 167 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 96

---

# AP Spanish Literature and Culture

**How does literature in Spanish express changing identities, societies, and ideas?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2023 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Literary history: move from medieval works and the Golden Age to nineteenth-century movements and modern writing.
- Twentieth-century voices: study poetry, drama, the Latin American Boom, and contemporary U.S. and Spanish writing.
- Themes and techniques: analyze identity, power, time, relationships, gender, and literary self-reflection.
- Comparisons: connect required texts to each other, visual art, and their historical and cultural contexts.

## What students should be able to do

Read and analyze literature in Spanish, explain literary techniques, and write text-based comparative arguments.

## Picture the learning

Compare how two required works from different periods portray power, using precise textual evidence.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

The required reading list contains 38 texts. This course is distinct from AP Spanish Language and Culture.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: La época medieval
- Unit 2: El siglo XVI
- Unit 3: El siglo XVII
- Unit 4: La literatura romántica, realista y naturalista
- Unit 5: La Generación del 98 y el Modernismo
- Unit 6: Teatro y poesía del siglo XX
- Unit 7: El Boom latinoamericano
- Unit 8: Escritores contemporáneos de Estados Unidos y España

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-spanish-literature-and-culture)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-spanish-literature-and-culture-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2023, 210 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 32
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 184
- Unavailable supplementary link: [ap-spanish-literature-ced-clarifications-and-corrections.pdf](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-spanish-literature-ced-clarifications-and-corrections.pdf). See UPDATE_REPORT.md.

---

# AP Research

**How can you investigate a question that existing research has not fully answered?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2023 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Inquiry: narrow a research question and locate a defensible gap in existing work.
- Literature and ethics: evaluate sources, situate your study, and address ethical responsibilities.
- Method: choose and carry out an appropriate investigation, analysis, or creative inquiry.
- Communication: explain findings, limitations, and implications in an academic paper and oral defense.

## What students should be able to do

Conduct a sustained independent investigation, document the research process, write an academic paper, and present and defend the work.

## Picture the learning

Design a feasible study of a local question, justify the method, and distinguish your findings from what earlier research already established.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

No end-of-course written exam. Assessment uses the academic paper and presentation/oral defense. AP Seminar is the prerequisite.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Big Idea 1: Question and Explore
- Big Idea 2: Understand and Analyze
- Big Idea 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
- Big Idea 4: Synthesize Ideas
- Big Idea 5: Team, Transform, and Transmit

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-research)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-research-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2023, 86 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 6
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-research-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Seminar

**How can you build a convincing argument about a complex real-world issue?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2024 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Question and explore: develop focused questions and find credible evidence.
- Analyze: examine claims, reasoning, assumptions, and source quality.
- Perspectives: compare explanations and evaluate competing viewpoints.
- Synthesize and communicate: combine evidence into arguments, collaborate, and present and defend conclusions.

## What students should be able to do

Complete team and individual research/presentation tasks and analyze and synthesize arguments on the end-of-course exam.

## Picture the learning

Investigate an issue such as public transport access from economic and social perspectives, then defend a proposed response.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

Topics vary by teacher and stimulus materials; transferable inquiry and argument skills define the course.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Big Idea 1: Question and Explore
- Big Idea 2: Understand and Analyze
- Big Idea 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
- Big Idea 4: Synthesize Ideas
- Big Idea 5: Team, Transform, and Transmit

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-seminar-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2024, 148 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 6
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-seminar-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Business with Personal Finance

**How can you make sound decisions for a business and your own financial future?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Business ideas: analyze markets, competition, entrepreneurship, ethics, and the business environment.
- Marketing: research customers and make decisions about product, price, distribution, and promotion.
- Finance: explain saving, borrowing, credit, business costs, financial statements, and sources of capital.
- Management: evaluate leadership, organization, strategy, and performance.
- Personal plans: connect budgeting, taxes, insurance, saving, and investing to household goals.

## What students should be able to do

Apply concepts to realistic cases, interpret financial information, recommend actions, and develop and explain project work.

## Picture the learning

Test a small-business idea, justify its customer and revenue model, and recommend a financial plan for a fictional household.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

New course effective fall 2026. Unit 3 has two parts. Unit 5 is assessed through the Financial Advisor Project; the Business Canvas Project also supports exam-day assessment.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Businesses, Competition, and New Ideas
- Unit 2: Marketing
- Unit 3: Part 1: Personal Saving and Borrowing
- Unit 3: Part 2: Business Finance and Accounting
- Unit 4: Management and Strategy
- Unit 5: Personal Goals, Budgeting, and Investing

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-business-personal-finance)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-business-personal-finance-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 302 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 247
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-business-personal-finance-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)

---

# AP Cybersecurity

**How do defenders identify risk, protect systems, and detect attacks?**

Checked 16 September 2026 · CED effective Fall 2026 · Prepared for teachers and students

## Important topics

- Security foundations: recognize social engineering, adversaries, authentication weaknesses, and the role of AI.
- Physical security: identify vulnerabilities in spaces and choose controls and detection methods.
- Networks: apply segmentation, firewalls, wireless security, and log analysis.
- Devices: use authentication, anti-malware, and other defenses and recognize evidence of compromise.
- Applications and data: use access controls and cryptography and identify signs of common attacks.

## What students should be able to do

Analyze risk, select and justify mitigations, interpret evidence and logs, and collaborate on practical defense tasks. Practice the Device Security Analysis free-response task using supplied policies, configurations, permissions, and logs.

## Picture the learning

Given a small organization’s network and event logs, identify a likely compromise and justify a prioritized response.

*This is an original illustrative classroom task, not an official AP question.*

## Planning note

New course effective fall 2026. Activities should use authorized classroom systems and supplied scenarios.

## Official unit / big-idea outline

- Unit 1: Introduction to Security
- Unit 2: Securing Physical Spaces
- Unit 3: Securing Networks
- Unit 4: Securing Devices
- Unit 5: Securing Applications and Data

## Sources

- [Official student course page](https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-cybersecurity)
- [Current CED](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-cybersecurity-course-and-exam-description.pdf) · effective Fall 2026, 192 PDF pages
- Contents / framework map: physical PDF page 4
- Course at a Glance: physical PDF page 25
- Exam overview: physical PDF page 153
- [Official corrections](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-cybersecurity-course-and-exam-description-clarifications.pdf)