Northwood High School offers 19 AP courses, the fewest among the five comprehensive high schools in the Irvine Unified School District. In May 2026, students took 2,168 AP exams, and 95.06% of scores were 3 or higher; in 2020, the same figures were 1,558 exams and 86.9%. This page brings together grade levels, entry requirements, and recommended combinations by major to help families decide which courses to take and in which grade.
AP Score Distribution
| Courses offered | 19 AP courses, plus 19 honors and enhanced courses (2026-27 course catalog) |
|---|---|
| 2026 exam volume | 2,168 exams |
| Share of scores of 3 or higher | 95.06% |
| 2020 comparison | 1,558 exams, 86.9% scoring 3 or higher |
| Limit per student | Each student may take up to 12 AP courses and 15 honors courses |
| Self-study rule | Students who self-study an AP subject and score 3 or higher may not later enroll in the school's AP course of the same name |
| Data the school has not published | The school publishes only schoolwide totals for the number of exams taken and the share of scores of 3 or higher; it does not publish results by subject or score distributions |
Pass Rates by Subject
Northwood High School currently publishes only a schoolwide pass rate and has not published 2026 data by subject. The subject-level data available is for four AP science courses offered on campus in the 2018-19 school year, excluding exams taken by students after self-study.
| Subject (2018-19 school year) | Exams and share of scores of 3 or higher |
|---|---|
| Biology | 118 exams / school 99% / district 94% / global 64% |
| Chemistry | 99 exams / school 94% / district 91% / global 55% |
| Environmental Science | 137 exams / school 88% / district 75% / global 49% |
| Physics 1 | 111 exams / school 94% / district 82% / global 46% |
The four science AP courses offered on campus. Columns, in order: exams taken at this school, this school's share of scores of 3 or higher, the Irvine Unified School District share, and the College Board global share. Exams taken by self-study students are excluded. The significance of this data is that the pass rates for all four AP science courses at the school were clearly higher than the global figures, with the largest gaps in Environmental Science and Physics 1.
Grade Levels
No AP courses are offered in grade 9. In grade 10, students may choose only four: AP Art History, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Music Theory, and AP Precalculus, subject to seat availability. All other AP courses are concentrated in grades 11-12, and most require a signed recommendation from the current teacher on the course request form.
Entry Requirements for Each AP Course
The following requirements come from the 2026-27 course catalog. CP refers to College Prep (standard courses that are neither honors nor AP).
| AP course (grades offered) | Entry requirements |
|---|---|
| AP English Literature and Composition (12) | A year-long honors-level course for grade 12; the catalog sets no grade requirement |
| AP US History (11 to 12) | Recommendation from the previous history teacher; satisfies the US History graduation requirement |
| AP World History: Modern (11 to 12) | Recommendation from the previous history teacher |
| AP Psychology (11 to 12) | The catalog sets no grade requirement; a teacher signature on the course request form is required |
| AP American Government and Politics (12) | Must be taken for both fall and spring semesters; the spring semester is Honors Political Economy, which satisfies both the government and economics graduation requirements |
| AP Precalculus (10 to 12) | B- or higher in Enhanced Math II plus a teacher evaluation; or an A in both semesters of Math II plus completion of the summer math bridge course; or B- or higher in both semesters of Math III |
| AP Statistics (10 to 12) | A grade of C or higher in AP Precalculus or Math III, plus a teacher recommendation |
| AP Computer Science Principles (10 to 12) | No prerequisite |
| AP Computer Science A (11 to 12) | An A in Math III, or a B in the second semester of Enhanced Math II, or a recommendation from the AP Computer Science Principles teacher |
| AP Biology (11 to 12) | An A in the second semester of CP Integrated Science 2 or 3, or a science GPA of 3.5 or higher in grade 11 |
| AP Chemistry (11 to 12) | An A in the second semester of CP Integrated Science 2 or 3, or a science GPA of 3.5 or higher in grade 11 |
| AP Physics 1 (11 to 12) | Knowledge of algebra and basic trigonometry |
| AP Environmental Science (11 to 12) | An A in the second semester of the previous CP science course |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture (11 to 12) | A grade of C or higher in Honors Spanish 4, or an A in Spanish 3 plus a passing score on a proficiency test |
| AP Art History (10 to 12) | Approval from a history or English teacher |
| AP Music Theory (10 to 12) | Teacher recommendation and the ability to read and write music notation |
| AP Drawing (11 to 12) | An A in Portfolio Preparation or Drawing and Painting, plus a teacher recommendation or portfolio |
| AP 2-D Design, photography focus (11 to 12) | An A or B in Advanced Visual Imaging, plus teacher approval |
| AP 3-D Art and Design (11 to 12) | Beginning, Intermediate, or Advanced Ceramics is recommended first, plus teacher approval |
AP Courses Not Offered at the School
- AP Calculus AB and BC: replaced by Chapman University dual-credit calculus
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP Physics 2 and AP Physics C
- AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics
- AP Human Geography and AP European History
- AP world languages other than Spanish (Chinese, French, Japanese, Latin)
- AP Seminar / AP Research
Of these, AP Calculus is the course families ask about most. Northwood High School replaces AP Calculus AB and BC with on-campus dual enrollment calculus from Chapman University. Students earn 6 college units and a Chapman University transcript, but no AP exam score. If a college the student applies to converts AP scores into credit, or if the intended major requires an AP Calculus BC score, the student needs to take the course outside the school and register for the exam, as described below.
AP Course List (from the Course Catalog)
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 12 | Year-long, honors level for seniorsWEIGHTED. Only AP English offered (no AP Lang). #1193/1194 | b |
Social Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP American Government & Politics / Honors Political Economy | AP | 12 | Must enroll both semesters; teacher recWEIGHTED both semesters (AP Gov fall, H Pol Econ spring); satisfies Gov+Econ grad reqs. #6535/6644 | a (Gov) / g (Econ) |
| AP United States History | AP | 11-12 | Recommendation from previous history teacherWEIGHTED. May replace the US History graduation requirement. About 6 hours of homework per week. #6341/6342 | a |
| AP World History: Modern | AP | 11-12 | Recommendation from previous history teacherWEIGHTED. ~5 hrs HW/week. #6410/6411 | a |
| AP Psychology | AP | 11-12 | —WEIGHTED. #6842/6843 | g |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Precalculus | AP | 10-12 | B- or higher in Enhanced Math II + teacher appraisal, OR A both semesters of Math II (+ pass summer HS Math Bridge), OR B- both semesters of Math IIIWEIGHTED. One of only 4 APs open to sophomores. ~2.5 hrs HW/wk. #3063/3064 | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 10-12 | C or higher in AP Precalculus (or Math III) + teacher recWEIGHTED. #3718/3719 | c |
| AP Computer Science A | AP | 11-12 | Juniors/Seniors; A in Math III or B in Enhanced Math II (2nd sem) or APCSP teacher recWEIGHTED. Java. ~2.5 hrs HW/wk. #3817/3818 | c |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | 11-12 | CP A in 2nd semester of IS2 or IS3, or 3.5 in 11th-grade scienceWEIGHTED. ~3.75 hrs HW/wk. #5322/5323 | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 11-12 | CP A in 2nd semester of IS2 or IS3, or 3.5 in 11th-grade scienceWEIGHTED. #5431/5432 | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | Grade 11/12; algebra & basic trigWEIGHTED. Only AP Physics offered (no Physics 2 / C). #5548/5549 | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | CP A in 2nd-semester science courseWEIGHTED. #5552/5553 | d |
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 10-12 | —WEIGHTED. One of 4 APs open to sophomores. #7075/7076 | d |
VAPA-Music
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Music Theory | AP | 10-12 | Teacher recommendation; read/write notationWEIGHTED. One of 4 APs open to sophomores. #7541/7542 | f |
VAPA-Visual
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Studio Art: Drawing | AP | 11-12 | A in Portfolio Prep or Painting & Drawing + teacher rec/portfolioWEIGHTED. #7049/7050 | f |
| AP Art History | AP | 10-12 | Approval from a History or English teacherWEIGHTED. One of 4 APs open to sophomores. #7054/7055 | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 11-12 | Beg/Int/Adv Ceramics preferred + teacher approvalWEIGHTED. #7058/7059 | f |
| AP 2D Design (Photography) | AP | 11-12 | A/B in Advanced Visual Imagery + teacher approvalWEIGHTED. #7056/7057 | f |
World Languages
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | Honors Spanish 4 with C, or strong A in Spanish 3 + competency examWEIGHTED. Only AP language offered. #2384/2385 | e |
Recommended Combinations by Intended Major
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Northwood High School students take AP courses in grades 9 and 10?
Not in grade 9. Grade 10 students at Northwood High School can choose from only four AP courses: AP Art History, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Music Theory, and AP Precalculus, subject to seat availability. The remaining AP courses are concentrated in grades 11 through 12, and most require a signed recommendation from the current teacher on the course request form each March.
Which AP courses are not offered at Northwood High School?
Among the five high schools in the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD), Northwood High School does not offer AP Calculus AB and BC (replaced by Chapman University dual enrollment calculus), AP English Language and Composition, AP Physics 2 / Physics C, AP Macroeconomics / Microeconomics, AP Human Geography, AP European History, AP Seminar / Research, or any AP world language other than Spanish.
Is there a limit on the number of AP courses at Northwood High School?
Yes. The Northwood High School profile states that each student may take at most 12 AP courses and 15 honors courses. In practice, the limit comes from the schedule: each semester allows at most 6 courses that are not open electives, so 3 to 5 AP courses per year in grades 11 through 12 is a common upper limit. The school has one additional rule: after a student self-studies for an AP exam and scores 3 or higher, the student cannot later enroll in the AP course of the same name.
What is the AP pass rate at Northwood High School, and is data available by subject?
In 2026, Northwood High School students took 2,168 AP exams, and 95.06% of scores were 3 or higher. The school has not published 2026 pass rates by subject or the distribution of scores. The most recent subject-level data available is from the 2018-19 school year for four AP science courses: Biology 99%, Chemistry 94%, Physics 1 94%, and Environmental Science 88%, all higher than the Irvine Unified School District and global figures for that year.
At Northwood High School in the Irvine Unified School District, how do students register for AP exams, and what do they cost?
Northwood High School handles registration centrally on campus. A priority registration window is open to students enrolled in the school's AP courses, followed by a regular registration window, and a late registration window in February carries an additional $40 fee. The fee is $110 per exam, $150 for self-study students, and $55 for students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Students who plan to test at an outside testing site must first confirm any schedule conflicts with the school's AP coordinator.
