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AP Business with Personal Finance Credential

The AP Business with Personal Finance Credential validates skills that will help students launch new ventures and thrive in established organizations.

As an AP Career Kickstart™ course, AP Business with Personal Finance offers students the opportunity to earn an employer-endorsed credential in the business field.

The AP Business with Personal Finance Credential validates key skills in business management, entrepreneurship, marketing, and finance. Emerging professionals demonstrate proficiency in developing goods and services in various markets through iterative testing, setting and monitoring progress towards strategic goals, developing key elements of a marketing campaign, practicing good financial stewardship, and engaging in systematic decision making to capitalize on opportunities and solve problems.

High school students earn the credential after taking a yearlong AP Business with Personal Finance course and then achieving a qualifying score on the end-of-year exam and full-year Business Canvas Project.

Technical Skills

The AP Business with Personal Finance Credential certifies that a student has the following skills:

Applying an entrepreneurial design-thinking process to generate and validate a new business or product idea:

Identifying and evaluating market opportunities through primary- and secondary-source research
Formulating and testing business hypotheses to improve the desirability, viability, and feasibility of product ideas
Analyzing individual and enterprise decisions to manage risk and gain competitive advantage in diverse markets

Analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative financial data to support informed decision making:

Assessing the financial health of individuals or businesses
Creating financial and nonfinancial key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress toward strategic goals
Determining potential sources of capital for a business and product pricing strategies
Developing or evaluating a strategy to grow savings, build and protect access to credit, and make informed personal financial decisions

Developing and presenting a marketing and branding concept for a business or product:

Segmenting markets to identify target customers and improving product design to meet their needs
Designing marketing campaigns and sales tactics tailored to specific audiences and purposes
Developing a pitch to prospective investors for a product idea

How the Credential Can Be Applied

An AP Business with Personal Finance Credential supports student progression into multiple postgraduation career and education options.

Join the Workforce

Early Career Development: Course knowledge and skills can prepare students to excel in internships and apprenticeships that prioritize job shadowing and mentorship, collaboration with industry professionals, and meaningful contributions to strategic initiatives.

Career Connections: The AP Business with Personal Finance Credential prepares students with qualifying skills for high-demand, high-growth jobs, such as:

Visit Big Future to explore additional careers in business, finance, and marketing.

Pursue a Degree or Certificate

Students with a qualifying score on the AP Business with Personal Finance Exam could earn credit to apply to a relevant community college degree, four-year degree, or certificate program.

Employer-Endorsed Credentials

Students who earn the AP Business with Personal Finance Credential can later “stack” other employer-endorsed credentials throughout their education and professional development that align with the subfield of their choice, including (but not limited to): Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Pragmatic Certified Product Marketer, or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

U.S. Chamber of Commerce and College Board Partnership

Starting with the AP Business with Personal Finance course, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is partnering with College Board to endorse and ensure AP credentials equip students with the skills needed to excel in their future careers as entrepreneurs and business leaders. Through its broad network of state and local chambers, this partnership ensures that credential holders are distinguished among their members for early career development opportunities and identified as emerging talent with career skills that will fuel economic growth at scale.

Learn More About Our Partnership

AP Business with Personal Finance Advisory Committees

The AP Business with Personal Finance course and credential are developed with faculty and industry experts.

Meet Our Higher Education Advisors

Scott Alessandro, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
David Anderson, Centre College, Danville, Ky.
Aliaa Bassiouny, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va.
Richard Bliss, Babson College, Boston, Mass.
Timothy Calkins, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
Sherad Cravens, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.
Victoria Crittenden, Babson College, Boston, Mass.
Ezenwayi Amaechi Ejiribe, Johnson and Wales University, Providence, R.I.
Daniel George, Avila University, Overland Park, Kan.
Steven Malter, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.
Marie Mayes, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
Aaron McDaniel, University of California—Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif.
Ian Norris, Berea College, Berea, Ky.
Jen Riley, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
Scott Stern, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
Bridget Stomberg, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.

Meet Our Industry Advisors

Natalia Alikhashkina, Director, Omni Programs, Albertsons, Boise, Idaho
Charles Banks, VP and Manager of Information Security Services, U.S. Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio
Carter Bradley, Co-Founder and CEO, Veris Insights, Washington, D.C.
Paul Cheek, Executive Director, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship and Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
Philip Freeman, Founder and CEO, Murphy’s Naturals, Inc., & The Loading Dock, Raleigh, N.C.
Carol Kim, Director of Technology, Data, & AI, IBM, Armonk, N.Y.
Yvonne Rouse, Executive Director, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., New York, N.Y.
Dr. Cynthia Sutherland, CISSP Chief Information Security Officer (Former) Joint Chiefs of Staff
Amber Turley, Vice President, Omni Convenience & Commerce Partnerships, Sephora, San Francisco, Calif.