AP (Advanced Placement) is the college-level course program of the College Board. Each course leads to a national exam in May, scored on a scale with a maximum of 5. Rosary Academy lists 20 AP courses in its 2025-2026 Academic Profile and 2026-27 course catalog; the UC A-G list for 2026-27 records 19 of them, all UC-approved honors courses that receive extra weight in UC applications. This page lists the grade levels and prerequisites for each course, explains which exam results the school publishes and which common AP courses it does not offer, and recommends course combinations by intended major.
Grade Levels and Prerequisites for Each AP Course
The table below is compiled course by course from the school’s 2026-27 course catalog. In the prerequisites, “Honors Math” and “Honors English” refer to the honors-level course the student is taking in the current year or took in the previous year.
| AP course | Grade levels and prerequisites |
|---|---|
| AP Human Geography | Grade 9; concurrent enrollment in Honors English, Honors Math and Honors Biology, or placement based on HSPT scores |
| AP European History | Grade 10; an A in Honors English I and concurrent enrollment in Honors English II |
| AP Biology | Grades 10 to 12; B or higher in Honors Biology and Honors Math or an A in Biology and Math, plus an A in English or a B in Honors English |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Grades 10 to 12; B or higher in Honors Algebra I or Honors Algebra II, or an A in Algebra I or Algebra II; housed in the math department, UC category d |
| AP Psychology | Grades 10 to 12; an A in the most recent science course and an A in English, or a B in an honors science course and a B in Honors English; UC category g |
| AP English Language and Composition | Grade 11; an A in both semesters of Honors English II |
| AP United States History | Grade 11; an A in Honors World History and a B in AP European History, plus concurrent enrollment in AP English Language or Honors English III |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in Honors Pre-Calculus or an A in Pre-Calculus |
| AP Calculus BC | Grades 11 to 12; C or higher in AP Calculus AB |
| AP Statistics | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in Honors Algebra II or an A in Algebra II, plus B or higher in Honors English or an A in English; not on the UC 2026-27 A-G list |
| AP Chemistry | Grades 11 to 12; an A in Honors Chemistry and Honors Math |
| AP Physics 1 | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in Honors Chemistry and Honors Algebra II or an A in Chemistry and Algebra II, with concurrent enrollment in Geometry or higher |
| AP Environmental Science | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in Honors Chemistry and Honors Algebra II, or an A in Chemistry and Algebra II |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Grades 11 to 12; an A in Spanish IV, or a B in both semesters of Honors Spanish III or IV |
| AP French Language and Culture | Grades 11 to 12; the course catalog text requires an A in both semesters of both Honors French III and French II |
| AP Art History | Grades 11 to 12; B or higher in the most recent English course; UC category f |
| AP Drawing | Grades 11 to 12; an A in both semesters of Art Foundations, with Drawing and Painting recommended beforehand and teacher approval required; portfolio submitted in May |
| AP 3-D Art and Design | Grades 11 to 12; completion of Ceramics Foundations I and II and teacher approval, with Ceramics Studio recommended beforehand; portfolio submitted in May |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Grade 12; B or higher in both semesters of AP English Language, or A- or higher in both semesters of Honors English III |
| AP U.S. Government and Politics | Grade 12, year-long course; B or higher in AP U.S. History or a B in Honors U.S. History, plus an A in the previous English course |
Grade 9 offers only AP Human Geography; from grade 10, students may take AP European History, AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Psychology; from grade 11, AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History, AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Statistics, AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, AP Environmental Science, AP Art History, the two AP art portfolio courses, AP Spanish Language and Culture, and AP French Language and Culture become available; AP English Literature and Composition and AP US Government and Politics are open only to grade 12. Students enrolled in AP courses must take the corresponding May AP exam; the 2026-27 exam fee is $115 per subject, and canceling after ordering costs $50. AP students, parents, and teachers sign the AP Student Expectations Agreement at the start of the year. The catalog states that most AP courses require about 2 hours of study per night.
AP Exam Results Published by the School
Rosary Academy does not publish the number of exams scoring 3 or higher, results by subject or score distributions. The 2025-2026 Academic Profile provides only the items below.
| Item (2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Students taking AP exams | 182 students |
| Total AP exams taken | 345 exams |
| Students scoring 3 or higher on at least one exam | 151 students |
| AP Scholar | 19 students |
| AP Scholar with Honors | 16 students |
AP Scholar is an award the College Board grants based on a student’s AP exam scores. In the table above, 151 is a count of students, not exams, and cannot be divided by the 345 exams to produce a pass rate. The “share scoring 3 or higher” used on this site’s public high school pages is calculated by number of exams, and this school has no comparable figure. By number of exams, each tested student took about 1.9 AP exams on average in 2025. To assess teaching outcomes in a specific AP course, families should ask the course teacher or counselor directly about past score distributions.
AP Courses the School Does Not Offer
The following AP courses are common in UC applications but are not offered by Rosary Academy in 2026-27.
- AP World History: Modern
- AP Precalculus
- AP Computer Science A
- AP Physics 2
- AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics
- AP Comparative Government and Politics
- AP Chinese Language and Culture and AP Spanish Literature and Culture
- AP Music Theory and AP 2-D Art and Design
- AP Seminar and AP Research
The gaps with the greatest impact fall into two areas: STEM and business. In STEM, the physics sequence ends with Honors Physics and AP Physics 1, with no AP Physics C, and computer science offers only AP Computer Science Principles, with no programming-focused AP Computer Science A. Students planning to apply in engineering, physics or computer science need to fill these gaps outside school. In business, the school offers no economics AP courses; the economics course required of all grade 12 students is a one-semester regular course classified in category g on the UC list. In history, the school offers AP European History in place of AP World History.
AP Course List
The table is based on a course-by-course comparison of the UC 2026-27 A-G list and the school course catalog. The notes column gives the course number, the course catalog title and the transcript abbreviation on the UC list.
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | 11 | A in both semesters of Honors English IICourse number 3200P; transcript abbreviations: AP English Lang, AP ENGLISH LANG COMP | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 12 | B or higher in both semesters of AP English Language and Composition, or A- or higher in both semesters of Honors English IIICourse number 3300P; transcript abbreviations: AP English Lit, AP ENGLISH LIT COMP | b |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in Honors Pre-Calculus, or A in Pre-CalculusCourse number 6400P; transcript abbreviations: AP CALCULUS, AP Calculus AB, APCALCULUS AB | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | C or higher in AP Calculus ABCourse number 6410P; transcript abbreviations: AP CALC BC, AP Calculus BC | c |
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP | 10-12 | B or higher in Honors Algebra I or Honors Algebra II, or A in Algebra I or Algebra IICourse number 2100P; the catalog places it in the Mathematics Department, while the UC list classifies it as "d"; transcript abbreviation: AP Comp Science | d |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in Honors Algebra II, or A in Algebra II, plus B or higher in Honors English or A in EnglishCourse number 6500P; listed in both the school catalog and the 2025-2026 Academic Profile but not on the UC 2026-27 A-G list; confirm with the school whether it has been submitted to UC | — |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | 10-12 | B or higher in Honors Biology and honors math, or A in Biology and math; also A in English or B in Honors EnglishCourse number 8100P; transcript abbreviations: AP Biology, HNRS AP BIOLOGY | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | 11-12 | A in Honors Chemistry and honors mathCourse number 8200P; transcript abbreviation: AP CHEMISTRY | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in Honors Chemistry and Honors Algebra II, or A in Chemistry and Algebra IICourse number 8400P; transcript abbreviation: AP Envr Science | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in Honors Chemistry and Honors Algebra II, or A in Chemistry and Algebra II; concurrent enrollment in Geometry or higherCourse number 8310P; transcript abbreviation: AP Physics I | d |
Social Studies
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP European History | AP | 10 | A in Honors English I and concurrent enrollment in Honors English IICourse number 9400P; transcript abbreviations: AP Euro Hist, APEH | a |
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | B or higher in AP United States History or B in Honors United States History, plus A in the most recent English courseCourse number 9300P; catalog title: AP US Government & Politics; transcript abbreviations: AP AMER GOVT, AP US Govt & Pol | a |
| AP Human Geography | AP | 9 | Concurrent enrollment in Honors English, honors math, and Honors Biology, or placement based on HSPT scoresCourse number 9650P; the school recommends that incoming students taking this course complete Health and Wellness in the summer before grade 9; transcript abbreviation: AP Human Geo | a |
| AP United States History | AP | 11 | A in Honors World History, B in AP European History, and concurrent enrollment in AP English Language and Composition or Honors English IIICourse number 9200P; transcript abbreviation: AP US HISTORY | a |
| AP Art History | AP | 11-12 | B or higher in the most recent English courseCourse number 9640P; the catalog places it in the Social Studies Department, while the UC list classifies it as "f"; transcript abbreviation: AP Art History | f |
| AP Psychology | AP | 10-12 | A in the most recent science course and A in English, or B in an honors science course and B in Honors EnglishCourse number 9500P; classified as "g" on the UC list; transcript abbreviation: AP Psychology | g |
World Language
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP French Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | The catalog text requires A in both semesters of Honors French III and French IICourse number 5250P; transcript abbreviation: AP French Lang | e |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | 11-12 | A in Spanish IV, or B in both semesters of Honors Spanish III or IVCourse number 5150P; transcript abbreviation: AP Spanish Lang | e |
Graphic & Visual Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP 3D Art and Design | AP | 11-12 | Completion of Ceramics Fundamentals I and II plus teacher approval; Ceramics Studio is recommended firstCourse number 4530P; catalog title: AP Studio Art: 3D Design; portfolio submitted in May; transcript abbreviations: AP Studio Art 3-D, AP Studio Art3D | f |
| AP Drawing | AP | 11-12 | A in both semesters of Fundamentals of Art; Drawing & Painting is recommended first; teacher approval requiredCourse number 4450P; catalog title: AP Studio Art: Drawing; portfolio submitted in May; transcript abbreviation: AP Studio Draw | f |
Recommended Combinations by Intended Major
The following combinations use only courses listed in the school’s 2026-27 course catalog, arranged by each course’s grade level and prerequisites.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many AP courses does Rosary Academy offer to Irvine students?
The Rosary Academy 2025-2026 Academic Profile and the 2026-27 course catalog both list 20 AP courses. The UC A-G list for 2026-27 records 19 of them, all UC-approved honors courses; AP Statistics appears in the course catalog and the Academic Profile but not on the UC list, and families should confirm with the school whether it has been submitted to UC. AP Human Geography is available in grade 9, and AP European History, AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Psychology open in grade 10, while most others begin in grade 11.
For Irvine families: what is the AP pass rate at Rosary Academy?
The school does not publish a pass rate based on the number of exams. The Rosary Academy 2025-2026 Academic Profile states that in 2025, 182 students took 345 AP exams, 151 students scored 3 or higher on at least one exam, 19 students earned AP Scholar and 16 earned AP Scholar with Honors. The figure 151 is a count of students, not exams, so it cannot be converted into the exam-based pass rate used on this site's public high school pages.
Can grade 9 students at Rosary Academy take AP courses?
They can take one. AP Human Geography at Rosary Academy is open only to grade 9 students and requires concurrent enrollment in Honors English, Honors Math and Honors Biology, or placement based on HSPT scores; the school recommends that incoming students taking this course complete Health and Wellness in the summer before enrollment. AP Human Geography is a UC-approved honors course, but because UC does not count grade 9 grades, it does not affect the UC GPA. For Irvine families, this differs from most Irvine Unified School District high schools, which do not offer AP courses in grade 9.
Which AP courses does Rosary Academy not offer, a point Irvine families should note?
According to the Rosary Academy 2026-27 course catalog and the UC 2026-27 A-G list, the school does not offer AP World History, AP Precalculus, AP Computer Science A, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics, AP Comparative Government, AP Chinese, AP Spanish Literature, AP Music Theory, or AP Seminar and AP Research. The gaps with the greatest impact on STEM students are AP Physics C and AP Computer Science A, and those with the greatest impact on business students are the two economics AP courses.
Do students in AP courses at Rosary Academy have to take the exam, and how much are exam fees?
Yes, the exam is required. The Rosary Academy 2026-27 course catalog states that students enrolled in AP courses must take the corresponding AP exam in May; the exam fee is $115 per subject, and canceling after ordering an exam costs $50. Students, parents and teachers must sign the AP Student Expectations Agreement at the start of the year. The course catalog also states that most AP courses require about 2 hours of study each night and that AP final exams take place about a month and a half earlier than those for regular courses.
