ADVANCED PLACEMENT
The District is proud to offer one of the largest Advanced Placement Programs in Canada to ensure our students are poised to succeed.
AP courses are designed to provide motivated high school students (grades 10-12) with the opportunity to take university level academic courses while still in secondary school. Students get a chance to get familiar with first year university level content, develop time management, critical thinking and academic writing skills needed in post-secondary courses. Students who take an AP course and choose to write the corresponding AP exam can obtain credit at many post-secondary institutions around the world. AP exams are assessed on a scale from 1 to 5. Students who complete an AP exam with a score of 4 or 5 (some institutions only require a score of 3) may, upon admission to the post-secondary institution, be granted credit for their 1st year university level course. There are a variety of courses offered at all Burnaby Secondary Schools. Contact the schools directly for more information about courses offered.
There are no extra fees for taking an AP course in Burnaby Secondary Schools. However, there is a fee for taking the AP exam. Also, Burnaby Secondary schools only offer AP exams to students who are currently enrolled in the corresponding AP class at a Burnaby secondary school.
We do not provide AP exams for students not enrolled in Burnaby secondary schools.
AP Capstone Diploma Program
The Advanced Placement program provides an innovative diploma option for grade 11 & 12 students called AP Capstone which is offered at Burnaby North and Burnaby South Secondary schools. Developed in response to feedback from higher education faculty and college admission officers, AP Capstone complements the in-depth, subject-specific rigor of AP courses and exams, allowing students to engage in the rigorous development of skills critical for success in college: inquiry, research, collaboration, and writing.
It includes a two-course sequence: AP® Seminar and AP Research.
The AP Seminar course, taken in grade 11, will equip students with the power to explore academic and real-world issues through an interdisciplinary lens and consider multiple points of view. Through a variety of materials ─ from articles and research studies to foundational and philosophical texts ─ students will be challenged to explore complex questions, understand and evaluate opposing viewpoints, interpret and synthesize information, and develop, communicate, and defend their own points of view. Teachers have the flexibility of choosing themes based on student interests, whether they are local and/or civic issues or international topics. Samples of themes that can be covered in the AP Seminar course include education, innovation, sustainability, and technology. Students are assessed through an individual and team project completed during the year and a year-end written exam.
The subsequent AP Research course, allows students to design, plan, and conduct a year long mentored investigation on a topic of their choosing. Students build on the skills learned in the AP Seminar course by using research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information to present and defend an argument.
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on the AP Seminar and AP Research exams and scores of 3 or higher on four AP exams of their choosing will receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. Students who earn qualifying scores on the two AP Capstone exams but do not take or earn qualifying scores on four additional AP exams will earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
The AP Capstone Diploma helps students distinguish themselves during the university application process by demonstrating their commitment to challenging coursework and by allowing them to showcase their in-depth understanding, interest and passion for specific issues.
Grade 10 students who are interested in applying to the AP Capstone Program should apply to transfer to either Burnaby North or South. Once they have been accepted, they can choose the AP Seminar course when doing course selection for their Grade 11 year.