AP Career Kickstart

AP Career Kickstart™ courses build professional 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 set of career courses and exams. 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.

Career Kickstart director

Career Courses and Credentials

AP will launch new career courses in business with personal finance, cybersecurity, and networking. We’re exploring additional courses in health sciences, information technology, and more. 

Employer-Endorsed Credentials

AP Career Kickstart courses will offer high school students the opportunity to earn credentials that validate professional skills and meet industry needs. 

Learn More About Our Credentials
A male educator in a suit smiles brightly

“These courses offer me an opportunity to learn something that I can actually use in my future. I feel so much more prepared than my friends.” 

Jessica, 12th-grade AP Career Kickstart pilot student 

Explore the Courses

AP Business with Personal Finance

This course will offer students the opportunity to earn college credit and a credential, and aligns with the National Standards for Personal Financial Education. 

Learn More About AP Business with Personal Finance

AP Cybersecurity

This course will offer students the opportunity to earn college credit and a credential, and aligns with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Workforce Framework. 

Learn More About AP Cybersecurity

Pilot Program for 2025-26

We’re piloting AP Cybersecurity and AP Networking in classrooms across the U.S. in the 2025-26 school year. 

Learn More About the Pilots

AP Career Kickstart Timeline

  1. 2024

    2024-25

    Schools participate in the first pilot program

  2. 2025

    2025-26

    Schools participate in the second pilot program

  3. 2026

    FALL 2026

    AP Cybersecurity launches

  4. 2026

    FALL 2026

    AP Business with Personal Finance launches

  5. 2027

    MAY 2027

    AP Exams for both courses administered

  6. 2027

    FALL 2027

    AP Networking launches

  7. 2028

    MAY 2028

    AP Networking Exam administered

AP Career Kickstart in the News

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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.

  • Go to Education Week

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.

  • Go to U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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.

  • Go to Forbes

“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.”

Marguerite Eastwood, Chief Human Resources Officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce