AP (Advanced Placement) is the College Board’s program of college-level courses. Each course leads to a national exam in May, scored on a scale of 5. IB (International Baccalaureate) is the pre-university curriculum of the International Baccalaureate, and the IB Diploma requires students to complete six subject groups and the core over two years. Fairmont Preparatory Academy previously offered both AP and the IB Diploma; the 2026-27 course catalog lists 31 AP courses but no longer lists IB courses. This page first explains the status of IB, then lists the grade levels and prerequisites for each AP course and the common AP courses the school does not offer, and recommends course combinations by intended major.
Status of the IB Diploma Programme
This section answers one question: whether a student applying to Fairmont Preparatory Academy now can still pursue the IB Diploma. Public sources contradict one another, so the table below places each source’s statement side by side.
| Source | Statement |
|---|---|
| Current assessment | Confirm the current status of the IB Diploma Programme with the school. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) school directory lists the school as an IB Diploma Programme school authorized since August 21, 1995, with May exams, and lists 18 subjects in which students are registered. The school's 2025-26 course catalog still contains a full description of the IB Diploma and IB courses; the 2026-27 course catalog removes all IB courses, and the exam policy changes from "AP and IB" to AP only. The UC 2026-27 A-G list still records 7 IB courses for the school, several of which are the second year of two-year courses |
| Diploma requirements in the 2025-26 course catalog | The 2025-26 course catalog states that the IB is a two-year program in grades 11 to 12; Diploma candidates take one course in each of the six subject groups, 3 at Higher Level (HL) and 3 at Standard Level (SL), and also complete Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). Students not pursuing the full Diploma may take individual subjects and earn course certificates |
| Subjects in the 2025-26 course catalog | Subjects listed in the 2025-26 course catalog: Group 1, English Literature HL; Group 2, Mandarin B, Spanish B (SL or HL), and ab initio languages; Group 3, History of the Americas HL, Philosophy SL, Psychology SL and HL, and Environmental Systems and Societies SL; Group 4, Environmental Systems and Societies SL; Group 5, Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation SL and HL; Group 6, Film, Visual Arts (SL or HL), and Theatre SL |
| Registered subjects listed in the IBO directory | Biology, Film, Spanish ab initio, Visual Arts, Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation, Psychology, Mandarin ab initio, Arabic B, Spanish B, Environmental Systems and Societies, English Literature, History, Philosophy, Theory of Knowledge, Mandarin B, Japanese B, Korean B, Art History |
| UC A-G list for 2026-27 | The 7 IB courses on the UC 2026-27 A-G list: History of the Americas IB HL2, English IB HL2, Psychology IB HL2, Theory of Knowledge IB, Math Applications and Interpretation IB SL, Environmental Systems & Societies IB SL, and Spanish Ab Initio IB SL. The first 6 are UC-approved honors courses; Spanish Ab Initio is not |
The EDUBUS assessment is as follows. The IB courses remaining on the UC list are mainly the second year of two-year courses (HL2) and Theory of Knowledge, which fits the pattern of keeping courses for diploma candidates already enrolled. Because the 2026-27 course catalog no longer accepts new IB course requests, new ninth-grade students most likely can no longer pursue the IB Diploma. This is an inference based on public sources, and families interested in IB should confirm directly with the school before applying. Until that is confirmed, all planning recommendations on this page are based on AP and honors courses.
Grade Levels and Prerequisites for Each AP Course
The table below is compiled course by course from the school’s 2026-27 course catalog. The catalog does not list grade levels for mathematics AP courses, only prerequisites.
| AP course | Grade levels and prerequisites |
|---|---|
| AP Human Geography | Grades 9 to 12; concurrent enrollment in CP or honors English, and/or department approval |
| AP World History | Grades 9 to 12; concurrent enrollment in CP or honors English, and/or department approval |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Grades 9 to 12; prerequisite Algebra I CP, no programming background required; UC category d |
| AP Business with Personal Finance | Grade 9, ABP students only; UC category g |
| AP Seminar | Grade 10; B+ or higher in English I (H), and/or teacher and department chair recommendation; counted as category b English on the UC list |
| AP Research | Grades 11 to 12; completion of AP Seminar; concludes with a 4,000 to 5,000 word paper and an oral defense; not on the UC list for 2026-27 |
| AP Biology | Grades 10 to 12; A or B in Chemistry (H) (or C+ or higher in AP Chemistry) and A or B in Biology (H), with department approval |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 10 to 12; A or B in Chemistry (H), with department approval; concurrent enrollment in Algebra II/Trigonometry (H) required |
| AP Art History | Grades 10 to 12; department approval |
| AP 2D Art and Design, AP 3D Art and Design, AP Drawing | Grades 10 to 12; Introduction to Visual Art CP or teacher recommendation; portfolio submitted in May |
| AP Music Theory | Grades 10 to 12; prerequisite Chamber Ensemble CP, Concert Choir CP, or Advanced Concert Choir (H) |
| AP Psychology | Grades 11 to 12, and grade 10 for ASEP students; concurrent CP course and/or department approval; UC category g |
| AP United States History | Grade 11; concurrent enrollment in CP or AP English, and/or department approval |
| AP Macroeconomics | Grades 11 to 12, with grade 11 limited to ABP students; department approval; UC category g |
| AP English Language and Composition | Grades 11 to 12; B+ or higher in English II (H) or AP English Literature and Composition, or teacher and department chair recommendation |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Grades 11 to 12; B+ or higher in English II (H) or AP English Language and Composition, or teacher and department chair recommendation |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | Grades 11 to 12; department approval, with concurrent enrollment in AP Calculus AB or higher |
| AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | Grades 11 to 12; prerequisites AP Physics 1, AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP Calculus AB; the school does not offer AP Physics 1 |
| AP Environmental Science | Grades 11 to 12; completion of Biology (H) and Chemistry (H) |
| AP Cybersecurity | Grades 11 to 12; AP Computer Science Principles and/or teacher recommendation |
| AP Computer Science A | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in AP Computer Science Principles or mathematics department approval; UC category c |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in Mandarin III (H), teacher recommendation, and/or placement test |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in Spanish III (H), teacher recommendation, and/or placement test |
| AP Government and Politics United States | Grade 12; concurrent enrollment in CP or AP English, and/or department approval; may replace U.S. Government CP and Economics CP |
| AP Microeconomics | Grade 12, ABP students only; prerequisite AP Macroeconomics; UC category g |
| AP Precalculus | B or higher in Algebra II/Trigonometry (H) |
| AP Statistics | B or higher in Algebra II/Trigonometry (H), or B or higher in Precalculus (H) or AP Precalculus |
| AP Calculus AB | B or higher in Precalculus (H), or an A in Precalculus CP |
| AP Calculus BC | An A in Precalculus (H), or B or higher in AP Calculus AB; covers all AB and BC content in one year |
Grade 9 students may take AP Human Geography, AP World History, and AP Computer Science Principles, and ABP students also take AP Business with Personal Finance; from grade 10, AP Seminar, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Art History, AP Music Theory, and three AP art portfolio courses open, and ASEP students may take AP Psychology in grade 10; AP United States History is open only to grade 11; AP Government and Politics United States and AP Microeconomics are open only to grade 12; AP English, AP Physics C, AP Environmental Science, AP Cybersecurity, AP Computer Science A, AP Chinese, and AP Spanish are for grades 11 to 12. The course catalog lists no grade levels for AP math courses, only prerequisites. The school requires students enrolled in AP courses to take the corresponding AP exam; students pay the exam fees in advance, and the fees are nonrefundable. The school registers only students taking the corresponding AP course at the school and administers exams only to its own students; it recommends that each student take no more than 5 exams in one exam season.
AP Exam Results Published by the School
Fairmont Preparatory Academy has no public School Profile, and neither its website nor its course catalog publishes the total number of AP exams, the share scoring 3 or higher, results by subject, or the number of AP Scholars. The “share scoring 3 or higher” used on this site’s public high school pages is calculated per exam taken, and this school has no comparable figure. The website publishes only the average SAT scores of students in the two programs (ASEP 1402, ABP 1284) and the number of Advanced Mathematics Program students who qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), neither with a year. To evaluate instruction in a particular AP course, families should ask the teacher or counselor directly about score distributions from previous years.
AP Courses the School Does Not Offer
The following AP courses are common in UC applications but are not listed in the Fairmont Preparatory Academy 2026-27 course catalog.
- AP Physics 1: not offered at the school, although AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and Quantum Physics & Computing (H) both list it as a prerequisite
- AP Physics 2
- AP European History
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- AP French, AP Japanese, AP Latin, and AP Spanish Literature
- AP African American Studies
The most significant gaps are AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2. The school’s only physics AP courses are the calculus-based Physics C courses, and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and Quantum Physics & Computing (H) both list AP Physics 1 as a prerequisite. Whether students who have not taken AP Physics 1 can substitute Physics (H) or AP Physics C: Mechanics needs to be confirmed with the science department. Humanities students lack AP European History and AP Comparative Government and Politics, but the school’s AP Human Geography and AP World History are available from grade 9, so the total number of social science AP courses is not small.
AP Course List
The table below is based on a course-by-course comparison of the UC A-G list for 2026-27 and the school course catalog. The notes column gives the course number and the transcript title on the UC list.
Social Science/History
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | Concurrent enrollment in CP or AP English, and/or department approvalCourse number SOC4233; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Government and Politics United States | a |
| AP Human Geography | AP | 9-12 | Concurrent enrollment in CP or honors English, and/or department approvalCourse number SOC4143; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Human Geography | a |
| AP United States History | AP | 11 | Concurrent enrollment in CP or AP English, and/or department approvalCourse number SOC4034; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP United States History | a |
| AP World History | AP | 9-12 | Concurrent enrollment in CP or honors English, and/or department approvalCourse number SOC4013; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP World History | a |
| AP Macroeconomics | AP | 11-12 (grade 11 ABP students only) | Department approvalCourse number SOC4144; full year; transcript abbreviations: AP Economics, AP Macroeconomics | g |
| AP Psychology | AP | 11-12 (grade 10 ASEP students only) | Concurrent enrollment in CP courses, and/or department approvalCourse number SOC4334; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Psychology | g |
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 11-12 | B+ or higher in English II (H) or AP English Literature, or teacher and department chair recommendationCourse number ENG1048; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP English Language and Composition | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 11-12 | B+ or higher in English II (H) or AP English Language, or teacher and department chair recommendationCourse number ENG1044; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP English Literature and Composition | b |
| AP Seminar | AP | 10 | B+ or higher in English I (H), and/or teacher and department chair recommendationCourse number ENG1090; full year; first course of AP Capstone, counted as an English course in area b on the UC list; transcript abbreviations: AP Seminar/English II (H), AP Seminar/English III (H) | b |
| AP Research | AP | 11-12 | Completion of AP SeminarCourse number ENG1091; full year; second course of AP Capstone, concluding with a 4,000- to 5,000-word paper and oral defense; not on the UC A-G list | — |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | — | B or higher in Precalculus (H), B or higher in a math applications course, or A in Precalculus CPCourse number MTH2060; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Calculus AB | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | — | A in Precalculus (H), or B or higher in AP Calculus ABCourse number MTH2061; full year; covers all AB and BC content in one year; transcript abbreviation: AP Calculus BC | c |
| AP Computer Science A | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in AP Computer Science Principles, or mathematics department approvalCourse number MTH3089; full year; Java programming; transcript abbreviation: AP Computer Science A | c |
| AP Precalculus | AP | — | B or higher in Algebra II/Trigonometry (H)Course number MTH2045; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Precalculus | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | — | B or higher in Algebra II/Trigonometry (H), or B or higher in Precalculus (H) or AP PrecalculusCourse number MTH2046; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Statistics | c |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | 10-12 | A or B in Chemistry (H) (or C+ or higher in AP Chemistry), A or B in Biology (H), and department approvalCourse number SCI3044; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Biology | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 10-12 | A or B in Chemistry (H) and department approval; concurrent enrollment in Algebra II/Trigonometry (H) requiredCourse number SCI3033; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Chemistry | d |
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 9-12 | Algebra I CPCourse number SCI3094; full year; no programming background required; transcript abbreviation: AP Computer Science Principles | d |
| AP Cybersecurity | AP | 11-12 | AP Computer Science Principles and/or teacher recommendationCourse number SCI3130; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Cybersecurity | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | Completion of Biology (H) and Chemistry (H)Course number SCI3050; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Environmental Science | d |
| AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | AP | 11-12 | AP Physics 1, AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP Calculus ABCourse number SCI3038; full year; neither the school's catalog nor the UC list includes AP Physics 1; transcript abbreviation: AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism | d |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | AP | 11-12 | Department approval; concurrent enrollment in AP Calculus AB or higher requiredCourse number SCI3034; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Physics C: Mechanics | d |
World Languages
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in Mandarin III (H), teacher recommendation, and/or placement testWL5163; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Chinese Language and Culture | e |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in Spanish III (H), teacher recommendation, and/or placement testWL5055; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Spanish Language and Culture | e |
Visual and Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP 2D Art and Design | AP | 10-12 | Introduction to Visual Art, or teacher recommendationCourse number VPA6815; full year; portfolio submitted in May; transcript abbreviation: AP 2D Art and Design | f |
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 10-12 | Introduction to Visual Art, or teacher recommendationCourse number VPA6825; full year; portfolio submitted in May; transcript abbreviation: AP 3D Art and Design | f |
| AP Art History | AP | 10-12 | Department approvalCourse number VPA6625; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Art History | f |
| AP Drawing | AP | 10-12 | Introduction to Visual Art, or teacher recommendationFull year; portfolio submitted in May; transcript abbreviation: AP Drawing | f |
| AP Music Theory | AP | 10-12 | Chamber Ensemble CP, Concert Choir CP, or Advanced Concert Choir (H)Course number VPA6514; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Music Theory | f |
Advanced Business Program
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Business with Personal Finance | AP | 9 | ABP students onlyCourse number ABP4939; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Business and Personal Finance | g |
| AP Microeconomics | AP | 12 | AP Macroeconomics; ABP students onlyFull year; transcript abbreviation: AP Microeconomics | g |
IB Course List (Registered on the UC List for 2026-27)
The 7 IB courses below remain on the UC A-G list for 2026-27, but none appears in the school’s 2026-27 course catalog. Grade levels and prerequisites are taken from the 2025-26 course catalog.
International Baccalaureate (not listed in the 2026-27 catalog)
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History of the Americas IB HL2 | IB | 12 (2025-26 catalog) | Completion of History of the Americas IB HL1 and department approval (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course number SOC4044; second year of the two-year IB history course; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: History of the Americas IB HL2 | a |
| English IB HL2 | IB | 12 (2025-26 catalog) | C or higher in IB English Literature HL1 (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course number ENG1043; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: English IB HL2 | b |
| Math Applications and Interpretation IB SL | IB | — | B- or higher in AP Calculus AB, Calculus, Precalculus (CP or honors), or AP Precalculus (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course number MTH2093; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: Math Applications and Interpretation IB SL | c |
| Environmental Systems & Societies IB SL | IB | 11-12 (2025-26 catalog) | A or B in both Chemistry (H) and Biology (H) (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course number SCI3051; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: IB Environmental Systems & Societies IB SL | d |
| Spanish Ab Initio IB SL | IB | 12 (2025-26 catalog) | IB Diploma candidates only (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course number WL5060; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: Spanish IB ab initio SL | e |
| Psychology IB HL2 | IB | 11-12 (2025-26 catalog) | Department approval (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course number SOC4148; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviation: Psychology IB HL2 | g |
| Theory of Knowledge IB | IB | 11-12 (2025-26 catalog) | Department approval and admission to the IB program (2025-26 catalog)2025-26 catalog course numbers SOC4182 and SOC4183; IB Diploma core course; the 2026-27 catalog no longer lists IB courses, so confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviations: Theory of Knowledge IB 1 (H), Theory of Knowledge IB 2 (H) | g |
Recommended Combinations by Intended Major
The combinations below use only courses listed in the school’s 2026-27 course catalog and are arranged according to each course’s grade levels and prerequisites. Because only AP courses add points for F-1 international students applying to UC, these students can replace honors courses with AP courses in the same subject in each pathway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Irvine families often ask: how many AP courses does Fairmont Preparatory Academy offer?
A course-by-course count of the course numbers in the Fairmont Preparatory Academy 2026-27 course catalog gives 31 AP courses, including AP Seminar and AP Research (which together make up AP Capstone), AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP Cybersecurity, AP Business with Personal Finance, and both AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. The UC A-G list for 2026-27 registers 30 AP courses at the school, all of them UC-approved honors courses; AP Research is not on the list.
Irvine families want to know: what is the AP pass rate at Fairmont Preparatory Academy?
The school does not publish it. Fairmont Preparatory Academy has no public School Profile, and its website does not publish the total number of AP exams, the share scoring 3 or higher, or results by subject, so no comparison is possible with public high school pass rates calculated per exam. The school states only that students in AP courses should take the corresponding exams and recommends that each student take at most 5 exams in one testing season.
Does the IB Diploma Programme still exist at Fairmont Preparatory Academy, and how should Irvine families assess this?
This needs to be confirmed with the school. The International Baccalaureate directory still lists Fairmont Preparatory Academy as an IB Diploma Programme school authorized since August 1995 and lists 18 subjects in which students are registered. The school's 2025-26 course catalog included a full description of the IB Diploma and IB courses, but the 2026-27 course catalog removes all IB courses, and the exam policy now refers only to AP. The UC list for 2026-27 still registers 7 IB courses, most of them the second year of two-year courses, which may be retained for current students. Families should plan the schedule around AP.
Can students take AP courses in grade 9 at Fairmont Preparatory Academy?
Yes. AP Human Geography, AP World History, and AP Computer Science Principles at Fairmont Preparatory Academy are all open to grades 9 through 12, and ABP students also take AP Business with Personal Finance in grade 9. AP Seminar is offered to grade 10, and AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Art History, and the three AP art portfolio courses are available from grade 10. This differs from most Irvine Unified School District high schools, which do not offer AP in grade 9.
Irvine families should note: which AP courses does Fairmont Preparatory Academy not offer?
According to the 2026-27 course catalog, Fairmont Preparatory Academy does not offer AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP European History, AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP French, AP Japanese, AP Latin, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, or AP African American Studies. The greatest effect comes from AP Physics 1: the school lists it as a prerequisite for both AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and Quantum Physics & Computing (H), so students who want to follow the physics sequence should first confirm an alternative with the science department or take the course outside school.
Must students in AP courses at Fairmont Preparatory Academy take the exam, and what can Irvine students do to take an AP exam the school does not offer?
Yes, they should take the exam. The Fairmont Preparatory Academy course catalog states that students in AP courses should take the corresponding AP exam, and exam fees are paid by the student in advance and are nonrefundable. The school registers only students enrolled in its corresponding AP course and accepts only its own students for testing on campus. To take an exam in a subject the school does not offer, students need to take the course outside school and register at another test center themselves.
