California students ranked in the acme 10 nationwide for their passing rate on last year's Advanced Placement exams. Nearly 145,000 high school seniors from the class of 2012, near 37 percent, took at to the lowest degree 1 AP test and nearly a quarter of them passed, according to the latest results released Wednesday by the College Lath. AP tests are scored on a scale of one to five and students who earn a three or higher often receive college credit for class.

Participation and performance rates on AP exams for California's class of 2012. Source: College Board. (click to enlarge).

Participation and performance rates on AP exams for California's class of 2012. Source: College Board. (click to enlarge).

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said the "results reflect the high value California students and families identify on beingness ready for college — and the increasing success our students and schools are having in achieving that goal."

The increases are occurring across all income levels and racial and ethnic groups. About 58,000 low-income students in the class of 2022 took at least 1 AP exam, up from 52,700 in the class of 2011. Amongst Latino students, the number of AP test takers rose past almost 5,000 betwixt the two classes, upward to 53,249, and more than a third passed.

California high schools offering avant-garde placement courses in more than 30 subjects including English language limerick, U.S. history, calculus, and biology. Even so, at that place is wide variation amid schools in the type and number of courses available. The State Board of Education is considering using AP pass rates every bit 1 factor in a school'due south API score under a revised formula being developed.

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