From making high-level subject matter digestible to earning college credit and saving money, the benefits of taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses are numerous.

“Taking these advanced courses will help me understand what college is going to be like,” says Dana Rocha, MacArthur High School senior.

“It will definitely save time and money,” adds Irving High School senior Gian Carlos Dominguez.

College classes can be expensive, but by passing these exams, students and their families can save money.

“We’re talking $10 to $12,000 a semester,” says Jeff Tillerson, AP calculus teacher at MacArthur High School. “The cost of a three- to four-hour course could be as much as $1,000.