Fact Sheet: AP English Exam

BYU no longer gives credit for its first-year writing course (Writing 150) in exchange for the AP English Literature and Composition exam.
BYU will give credit for the first-year writing course to students who have passed the AP English Language and Composition exam with a score of 4 or 5, but not a score of 3.
Research conducted at BYU showed that students with scores of 3 on either AP exam who did not take Writing 150 are marginal writers at best: Their college papers scored, on average, lower than students who did take Writing 150 or Writing 150H.
Even though the College Board claims that scores of 3 on the AP exam mean a student is “qualified” to bypass a college writing course, the power to determine qualifications ultimately rests with the university, not the College Board.
Many universities that have admissions standards and student bodies comparable to BYU’s no longer grant credit for AP scores of 3, and some grant no credit at all for AP exams.
The writing curriculum offered at BYU is designed to prepare students to meet certain outcomes and to develop knowledge and abilities that will help them succeed in writing tasks during the following four years of college. We don’t believe students can meet all or even most of these outcomes in high school. For example, they can’t learn to do college-level library research in a high school library. Timed tests and the courses that support them cannot teach students how to do the kind of research writing required in college and beyond.
Although it is not perfect, the AP English Language and Composition curriculum and exam fit much better with BYU’s approach to first-year writing than does the AP English Literature course and exam, so the university still wants to acknowledge the accomplishment of students with scores of 4 and 5 on the English Language and Composition exam.
BYU is committed to teaching students to write as well as possible, and since writing is an iterative skill (it gets better with more practice), we want to encourage students to gain more instruction in writing, not seek to minimize their encounter with writing instruction. Research demonstrates that students make significant writing gains during college when they have more experiences writing in various genres for various purposes and audiences.
BYU nevertheless encourages students to take high school AP courses, since they are often the most challenging high school courses students can take, and they can help students in the BYU admissions process. However, it is important to remember that AP means “advanced placement” not “exemption.” BYU has an excellent honors writing course (Writing 150H) for AP students to place into, regardless of their score.
Research conducted at BYU shows that students who have had AP courses and done well on AP exams place a high value on the knowledge and experience they gained from taking the honors writing course. They do not resent having to take another course because it helps them learn more about college writing, especially library research writing.
Surveys of BYU alumni consistently show that one of the things they most value about their BYU education was writing courses. Ability to write well is one of the most important skills that employers seek in candidates for professional jobs. Employees who can write well rise higher and faster in any kind of organization than those who have difficulty communicating in writing.
Research done at BYU shows that students who enter with many hours already earned from AP credit do not graduate significantly faster than students who enter without AP credit. Perhaps once they get here, they realize how much they don’t know, and they want the time to mature, learn, and prepare for the future. AP courses have likely prepared students to do well in the courses we offer, so the course has not been “wasted” by any means. But BYU courses add significant value to what students bring. We hope that students will welcome the opportunity to continue their growth as writers once they enter BYU.