AP Career Kickstart
AP Career Kickstart™ courses build professional career skills and are designed to accelerate high school students on their paths to in-demand careers.
What Is AP Career Kickstart?
AP Career Kickstart expands the AP Program by offering high schools a new group of career courses and exams that can be easily tailored to fit into existing career and technical education (CTE) programs of study. We’re partnering with employers, college faculty, and high school educators to design courses that can lead to college credit and employer-endorsed credentials, and prepare students for high-demand jobs.
Explore Our Career Courses
Learn about the new AP Career Kickstart courses that are launching in the 2026-27 school year or are in pilots.
Employer-Endorsed Credentials
AP Career Kickstart courses offer high school students the opportunity to earn credentials that validate professional career skills and meet industry needs.
Expand Your CTE Programs with AP Career Kickstart
AP Career Kickstart courses are designed to bring the nationally recognized college credit of AP to the applied learning of career and technical education (CTE).
AP Career Kickstart Timeline
-
2026
AP Business with Personal Finance launches
-
2026
AP Cybersecurity launches
-
2026
AP Networking pilot for the 2026-27 school year begins
-
2027
AP Business with Personal Finance, AP Cybersecurity Exams administered
-
2027
AP Networking launches
-
2028
AP Networking Exam administered
AP Career Kickstart in the News
Link
Education Week: The College Board Adds Two New AP Courses. Here’s What Makes Them Different
Learn about College Board’s new AP Career Kickstart courses that aim to make high school content more meaningful to students by connecting it to in-demand job skills.
Link
U.S. Chamber, College Board Partner to Equip Students with Career Skills
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and College Board are partnering to better equip high school students with essential business skills, fostering a career-ready workforce and strengthening tomorrow’s economy.
Link
Forbes: From Vocational Education to Career and Technical Education
Learn how AP Career Kickstart courses align with the new approach to CTE school-based programs and forge a path for more high school students to achieve academic and career success.
“I have found as a CHRO and a person who oversees learning in companies that people learn best through cases and practical application with discussion with peers. I also appreciate College Board’s corporate partnership to train entry-level candidates with these core concepts.”
Stay Informed
Complete the interest form to request information and stay updated on AP Career Kickstart courses.