This is all new to me. My computer science major son is in the process of signing up for the May AP exams. We pay $99 per exam. With his cs major, would he receive credits and save us some money with 4/5’s on exams? If not accepted for his major, maybe Gen Ed classes? Would these AP’s put him in a better position with credits?
Macro
CS Principles
Calc AB & BC
Physics C Mech
US History
Spanish
Just curios if I should pay $400 right now for these exams? Sorry if this has been discussed.
@pamom414 I just went through this exercise with my son for IE so I hope I can help.
Your son will get credit for Calc AB/BC (Math 141/142), Physics (Phys 141), and Macro for GE credit (Econ 222). As a CS major, he’ll only get elective credits for rest. There is no foreign language requirement.
However, if your son has taken these classes, I still recommend taking the AP exams anyways to keep his options open. If anything, he’ll get elective credits. In the big scheme of things, $400 is very little compared to cost of going to college (price of 4 books). Also, there’s always value in testing his knowledge (there’s always learning involved). But if you’re really tight on funds and want to save money, you can ditch the Spanish exam (assuming you 100% know for sure he’ll be attending Poly).
The beauty of Poly being in the CSU system is that he’ll get credit for even 3’s for most classes with added benefits of scoring 5’s in some (UC system requires > 4’s).
Please double check references below because I might be a bit off.
AP Matrix:
https://content-calpoly-edu.s3.amazonaws.com/registrar/1/Degree_Progress/articdoc/apcred2018.pdf
CS Flowchart:
https://flowcharts.calpoly.edu/downloads/mymap/17-19.52CSCBSU.pdf
GE Requirements:
https://ge.calpoly.edu/content/ge-requirements-and-courses
@pamom414 as @sawadeeka said, your son will only get elective credit for the history and spanish. But even elective credit can be useful down the road, because certain classes require Junior standing. 9 AP credits per passed test gets you to Junior standing much sooner. My daughter came in with only 24 AP credits towards her major, but 63 units total. Between that, doing quarter+, and then a normal class load, I think she’ll be a “Junior” next week after finals finish. 
(She’s a first year student).
@pamom414 You have to look at both the AP Credit matrix and the CS major flowchart to figure out what credit he will get. Looking at the CS flowchart, I don’t see any free electives so don’t bother with the AP CS Principles test at all. As for Spanish, if he gets a 5 then he could get credit for a C1 if the test is the right one - I suggest calling the admissions office because the credit matrix might change for the 2019 tests. If he doesn’t get a 5, then he will only get credit for a C5 gen ed and the CS flowchart does not have a requirement for a C5 gen ed. If it were my kid, I’d pass on the Spanish test, too. It’s not germane to his major and it looks very questionable as to whether he’d get usable credit for it. As for the rest, definitely take them IF you want credit. Passing Calc BC will give you credit for Calc I and II and start you in Calc III, considered the most challenging of the calc series. We chose to have my son to forgo the AP BC test and repeat Calc II to give him an easier start to his Cal Poly career (his major is electrical engineering, very heavy on calculus). Since your child isn’t an engineering major and his need for calc won’t be as great as a calc-heavy engineering major, getting two calc classes out of the way and starting in calc III is probably fine. He will only get usable credit for Physics if he gets a 4 or 5 on the exam so make sure to tell him to study hard. As for US history he won’t get usable credit towards his D1 gen ed (the political science requirement) unless he also takes the AP Government test so I’d also pass on that test, too, unless he thinks he can self study AP Gov’t. If you pass both APUSH and AP Gov’t then you only have to take a 1 credit POLS class, considered to be a lot easier than the regular 4 credit required political science class. AP Government is only a one semester class in California so self study might pay off. I guess you could pay to take all the AP tests and get some useless credits towards boosting his status but I’m pretty sure degree progress is what counts most when it comes to registering and the empty credits won’t help that. However, I could be wrong. If he takes Calc BC, Physics, and Macro he’ll come in with 16 useable credits and be a quarter ahead of his peers.
Hi, I am reviving this topic once again. Request your help. This is for my son, an international student. His school does not have AP classes and he is aiming to take the exams on his own. He is a Senior and has been accepted at SLO for Fall 2021 CS. Request your advice in choosing AP courses that will be helpful for him.
- Calculas - should he take AB and BC. Is one more helpful than the other.
- Physics - There seem to be numberous papers. WHich ones will help him the most.
- AP Chem - WIll this be helpful.
- English - Language or Literature?
- Comp Sci - Is this neeeded.
Thanks a ton.
CPSLO AP (and IB) credit listings are here:
CPSLO CS major requirements are here:
http://catalog.calpoly.edu/collegesandprograms/collegeofengineering/computersciencesoftwareengineering/bscomputerscience/
For your listed AP exams (* = required for CS major, ** = an option to fulfill a requirement for the CS major, GE = can fulfill a general education requirement):
3 on Calculus AB (or AB subscore of BC) = MATH 141*
3 on Calculus BC = MATH 141* and 142*
4 on Physics C mechanics = PHYS 141*
4 on Physics C E&M = PHYS 133*
4 on Chemistry = CHEM 124*
3 on English language or literature = ENGL 134 (GE A2)
4 on English literature = ENGL 134 (GE A2) + GE C2
4 on CS A = CSC 101*
3 on CS principles = CSC 123**
Less useful ones (credit may be lost because duplicating courses may be required to be taken in college):
3 on Physics C mechanics = PHYS 121
3 on Physics C E&M = PHYS 123
4 on Physics 1 = PHYS 121
3 on Physics 1 = PHYS 104
4 on Physics 2 = PHYS 122
3 on Physics 2 = PHYS 104
3 on Chemistry = CHEM 110
3 on CS A = elective credit only
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Thank you so much