Teaching AP for the First Time?
Welcome to the AP Program! You’re taking on an important role in helping students challenge themselves and grow.
As you prepare to teach your AP course for the first time, follow these steps to learn about course requirements and how to access AP resources. With each step, you’ll gain the tools and confidence you need to start strong.
1. Explore the course and exam pages for your course.
Select your course on the AP Courses and Exams menu and you’ll find course resources, such as the course and exam description—the core document for your subject—exam dates, AP Classroom information, and professional learning opportunities to support your teaching throughout the year.
2. Complete the AP Course Audit (required).
The AP Course Audit is the required course authorization process that provides teachers and administrators with guidelines and requirements for offering AP courses. This process also ensures you gain access to AP Classroom and receive important emails from the AP Program.
Once you create your AP Course Audit account, you can complete the Course Audit process and have your administrator approve your Course Audit form. This enables access to all AP resources, including those in AP Classroom, to inform your course planning.
Among the resources you might want to review immediately are the Syllabus Development Guide, sample syllabi, and recommended textbook list. These resources are available on the Course Audit page for your course and in the Resources section of your AP Course Audit account.
3. Sign in to AP Classroom.
AP Classroom is an online platform that provides flexible support resources to help you plan and teach your course and adjust instruction as needed.
In AP Classroom, you’ll find unit guides with resources for every topic and skill, progress checks, and a question bank so you can build your own tests using every AP question relevant to your course. You’ll also find AP Practice Exams that you can securely assign to students as they prepare for the AP Exam.
AP Classroom opens for the upcoming school year on July 1 each year for teachers who’ve completed the AP Course Audit. To assign AP Classroom resources to students, you or your AP coordinator will need to set up your class sections in the platform and share join codes with the students.
4. Participate in AP professional learning opportunities.
AP professional learning opportunities provide strategies and support to help you strengthen your instructional approach all year long. For the most thorough professional learning available for AP educators, you can attend an AP Summer Institute before the start of the school year (funding is available). You can also register for online workshops (all courses) and teacher support sessions (select courses) during the school year.
5. Join the AP Community.
The AP Community is a collaborative online space for new and experienced teachers to ask and answer questions, share lessons, suggest materials, and more. This space is a great source of support as you launch your course and includes an extensive resource library.
6. Learn about AP Score Reports.
Go to AP Score Reports to learn how to access the AP Score Reports for K–12 Educators site and to explore the types of reports available to help you analyze your students’ exam data and measure your success.