AP (Advanced Placement) courses are college-level courses from the College Board. Each course leads to a national exam in May, scored on a 5-point scale. The Whittier Christian High School 2026-27 Academic Catalog lists 12 AP courses; UC’s A-G course list for the 2026-27 school year registers 13 AP courses at the school, all of them UC-approved honors courses that are weighted in UC applications. The school publishes AP exam results by year in its School Profile. This page lists the prerequisites course by course, explains the exam results and the common AP courses the school does not offer, and suggests course combinations by intended major.
Grades and Prerequisites for Each AP Course
The table below follows the school’s 2026-27 Academic Catalog course by course. The catalog specifies grades only for AP United States History and AP United States Government and Politics; for the other courses, the grade is determined by prerequisites.
| AP course | Grade and prerequisites |
|---|---|
| AP United States History | Grade 11; B- or higher in each semester of Honors World History 2, a recommendation from that course's teacher, and approval from the social science department |
| AP US Government and Politics | One semester in the fall of grade 12; completion of U.S. History 200 and 201 with a B- or higher in each semester, plus approval from the teacher and the social science department; the Alpha Honors Diploma requires a B- or higher in the first semester |
| AP English 230C (English Literature) | Grade 12; B- or higher in English 120C and a teacher recommendation; a 3-credit dual enrollment course offered with Vanguard University |
| AP Biology | A- or higher in each semester of Biology or B- or higher in each semester of Honors Biology, and A- or higher in each semester of Chemistry or B- or higher in each semester of Honors Chemistry; approval from the science department |
| AP Chemistry | Same prerequisites as AP Biology; approval from the science department |
| AP Environmental Science | Same prerequisites as AP Biology; full-year course; approval from the science department |
| AP Physics 1 | Precalculus completed or taken concurrently, and B- or higher in each semester of Chemistry or Honors Chemistry; algebra-based; approval from the science department |
| AP Calculus AB | B- or higher in Honors Precalculus, or 70% or higher on the calculus readiness exam; a cumulative AP practice exam at the end of the school year |
| AP Statistics | B- in Honors Precalculus, B+ in regular Precalculus or A- in Honors Algebra 2, plus a recommendation from the previous year's math teacher |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | B+ or higher in Spanish 3 or 4 |
| AP Psychology | No prerequisites listed in the Academic Catalog; UC category g |
| AP Studio Art (listed by UC as AP Drawing) | Completion of Honors Art, a passing portfolio review and approval from the teacher; a materials fee applies |
| AP English Language and Composition | Registered on the UC list and in the 2025-26 School Profile but not on the schedule in the 2026-27 Academic Catalog; confirm with the school whether a section will run |
The course catalog states the grade level for only two AP courses: AP U.S. History follows Honors World History 2 in 10th grade, and AP U.S. Government follows U.S. History and is offered in the fall of 12th grade. The other AP courses have no stated grade level and are governed by their prerequisites; for example, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Environmental Science all require completion of Biology and Chemistry. AP courses require minimum academic standards and prerequisites, and approval from the course teacher and the department. AP exam fees must be paid to the school by the College Board's exam ordering deadline. Students taking an AP subject outside school that the school does not offer (the catalog cites AP Physics C and AP Calculus BC as examples) must obtain approval from the school's AP Coordinator, who decides whether the exam can be taken at the school.
AP Exam Results Published by the School
In its 2025-26 School Profile, Whittier Christian High School publishes the number of AP exams taken and passed. The table below reproduces the figures from the school’s table; this site interprets them as exams taken and scores of 3 or higher.
| Year | Exams taken, exams passed and pass rate |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 116 exams taken, 86 passed, pass rate 74% |
| 2024 | 125 exams taken, 102 passed, pass rate 82% |
| 2013 to 2025 cumulative | 2,268 exams taken, 1,593 passed, pass rate 70% |
The AP table in the School Profile lists # Taken, # Passed, and % Passed; this page reads these as numbers of exams, with a pass meaning a score of 3 or higher. The subjects named in the table heading are Biology, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, Spanish, Studio Art, U.S. Government, and Psychology. In 2025: 3 AP Scholars with Distinction (average score 4.29), 2 AP Scholars with Honors (4.25), and 12 AP Scholars (3.29).
Two points need clarification. First, the school’s table reads # Taken and # Passed without specifying whether it counts exams or students, or what score counts as passing. The pass rates on this site’s public high school pages are calculated by exams taken with scores of 3 or higher, and the figures here are interpreted on the same basis; families can confirm with the school if needed. Second, the school publishes only totals, not results by subject, so the teaching results of any single AP course cannot be judged. In 2025, the school’s 385 students sat a total of 116 AP exams.
AP Courses the School Does Not Offer
The following AP courses are common in UC applications but are not offered at Whittier Christian High School in the 2026-27 school year.
- AP Calculus BC: the course catalog states that the school does not offer it
- AP Physics C: the course catalog states that the school does not offer it
- AP Physics 2
- AP Precalculus
- AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles
- AP World History and AP Human Geography
- AP Macroeconomics and AP Microeconomics
- AP Chinese Language and Culture
- AP English Language and Composition: on the UC list and in the 2025-26 School Profile, but not in the course listings of the 2026-27 course catalog
The largest gaps are AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C. Mathematics ends at AP Calculus AB, and physics consists of a single algebra-based AP Physics course, so students planning to apply in engineering, physics or mathematics need to make up these courses outside school. The school offers no AP course in computer science, so AP Computer Science A must also be taken outside school. In the social sciences, AP World History and AP Economics are not offered; students headed toward humanities or business can consider taking AP Macroeconomics or AP Microeconomics outside school.
AP Course List
The table below comes from a course-by-course comparison of UC’s 2026-27 A-G course list with the school’s Academic Catalog. The notes column gives the course number and the transcript title on the UC list.
English
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP English Language and Composition | AP | — | —The AP results table in the 2025-26 School Profile and the student handbook list AP English Language, but the 2026-27 course listings do not; confirm with the school whether the course runs; transcript abbreviations: AP Eng Lang & Comp, AP English Lang & Comp | b |
| AP English Literature and Composition | AP | 12 | B- or higher in English 120C and a teacher recommendationListed in the course catalog as 0292 AP English 230C (H), a 3-credit dual-enrollment course offered with Vanguard University that also prepares students for the AP English Literature exam; transcript abbreviation: AP ENGLISH | b |
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | — | B- or higher in Precalculus (H), or 70% or higher on the Calculus readiness testCourse number 0649; a cumulative AP practice exam is given at the end of the year; the school does not offer AP Calculus BC; transcript abbreviation: AP Calculus | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | — | B- in Precalculus (H), B+ in regular Precalculus (the course listing states B), or A- in Honors Algebra 2, plus a recommendation from the previous year's math teacherCourse number 0638; transcript abbreviation: AP Statistics | c |
Science
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Biology | AP | — | A- each semester in Biology or B- or higher each semester in Honors Biology, and A- each semester in Chemistry or B- or higher each semester in Honors Chemistry; science department approvalCourse number 0860; transcript abbreviation: AP BIOLOGY | d |
| AP Chemistry | AP | — | A- each semester in Biology or B- or higher each semester in Honors Biology, and A- each semester in Chemistry or B- or higher each semester in Honors Chemistry; science department approvalCourse number 0865; transcript abbreviation: AP Chemistry | d |
| AP Environmental Science | AP | — | A- each semester in Biology or B- or higher each semester in Honors Biology, and A- each semester in Chemistry or B- or higher each semester in Honors Chemistry; science department approvalCourse number 0862; full year; transcript abbreviation: AP Environment | d |
| AP Physics 1 | AP | — | Precalculus completed or taken concurrently, and B- or higher each semester in Chemistry or Honors Chemistry; science department approvalListed in the course catalog as 0843 AP Physics (H), algebra-based; the catalog notes that the school does not offer AP Physics C; transcript abbreviation: AP Physics 1 | d |
Social Studies
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Government and Politics United States | AP | 12 | Completion of U.S. History 200 and 201 with B- or higher each semester; approval from the course teacher and the social studies departmentCourse number 0407; one semester, offered in the fall; the Alpha Honors Diploma requires B- or higher in the first semester; catalog course name AP Gov & Politics; transcript abbreviation: AP GOV & POLITICS | a |
| AP United States History | AP | 11 | B- or higher each semester in Honors World History 2 and a recommendation from that course's teacher; social studies department approvalCourse number 0404; transcript abbreviation: AP U.S. History | a |
| AP Psychology | AP | — | —Course number 0481; listed in the social studies course table, with the course description in the electives section; UC area g; transcript abbreviation: AP Psychology | g |
LOTE
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | AP | — | B+ or higher in Spanish 3 or 4Course number 0506 AP Spanish (H); transcript abbreviations: AP Span Lang, AP Spanish Lang | e |
Visual & Performing Arts
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Drawing | AP | — | Completion of Honors Art, a passing portfolio review, and approval from the course teacherListed in the course catalog as 0330 AP Studio Art (H); students choose between the Drawing and Design portfolios; separate material and exam fees apply; transcript abbreviation: AP Studio Art | f |
Course Combinations by Intended Major
The combinations below use only courses listed in the school’s 2026-27 Academic Catalog, arranged according to each course’s prerequisites. Because the catalog does not specify grades for most courses, the grades are inferred from the prerequisite sequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many AP courses does Whittier Christian High School offer, a question Irvine families often ask?
There are three counts. The Whittier Christian High School 2026-27 Academic Catalog lists 12 AP courses, including AP English 230C (English Literature), which is combined with a dual enrollment course. UC's A-G course list for the 2026-27 school year registers 13 AP courses, adding AP English Language and Composition, but that course does not appear on the schedule in the 2026-27 Academic Catalog. The 2025-26 School Profile lists 11. Mathematics goes up to AP Calculus AB, and the school states explicitly that it does not offer AP Calculus BC or AP Physics C.
What is the AP pass rate at Whittier Christian High School, as Irvine families want to know?
According to the Whittier Christian High School 2025-26 School Profile, students sat 116 AP exams in 2025 and passed 86, a pass rate of 74%. In 2024 they sat 125 exams and passed 102, a pass rate of 82%. From 2013 to 2025 the cumulative total was 2,268 exams, with a pass rate of 70%. The school's table reports Taken and Passed; this site interprets these as exams taken and scores of 3 or higher. The school does not publish results by subject.
In which grade can Whittier Christian High School students start taking AP courses?
The Whittier Christian High School Academic Catalog specifies the grade for only two AP courses: AP United States History follows Honors World History 2 in grade 10, and AP United States Government and Politics is offered in the fall of grade 12. The other AP courses list no grade and are governed by prerequisites. AP Biology, AP Chemistry and AP Environmental Science require completion of Biology and Chemistry, and AP Calculus AB requires a B- or higher in Honors Precalculus or a passing result on the calculus readiness exam. Based on these conditions, most AP courses can be taken in grade 11 at the earliest.
Which AP courses does Whittier Christian High School not offer, a point Irvine families should note?
According to the 2026-27 Academic Catalog, Whittier Christian High School does not offer AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C, AP Physics 2, AP Precalculus, AP Computer Science A or AP Computer Science Principles, AP World History, AP Human Geography, AP Macroeconomics or AP Microeconomics, or AP Chinese. AP English Language and Composition appears on the UC list and in the 2025-26 School Profile, but not on the schedule in the 2026-27 Academic Catalog.
Should Irvine families choose dual enrollment courses or AP courses at Whittier Christian High School?
Whittier Christian High School provides a comparison on its dual enrollment page. Dual enrollment courses cost $250 each and are actual college courses, with grades and credits that transfer to universities. For AP courses, students must earn a 3, 4 or 5 on the exam before a university grants course credit. Highly selective universities may limit how many AP and dual enrollment courses they accept. Students aiming at UC should also note that AP courses are always on UC's weighted list, whereas the business dual enrollment courses and English 120C are not on the A-G course list.
How can Irvine students take an AP exam in a subject Whittier Christian High School does not offer?
The Whittier Christian High School Academic Catalog states that students who take an AP subject the school does not offer (such as AP Physics C or AP Calculus BC) outside school need approval from the school's AP coordinator, who decides whether the student may test at the school. Taking the course outside school also requires approval from the counseling staff, and the school recognizes only APEX Online Learning, UC Scout and the Mt. SAC credit recovery program. Families should confirm the course and exam arrangements with the school before enrolling in an outside course.
