Should I bother taking AP tests if my school only offers IB classes?

Chubster
Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:24:40 +0000

Basically, my school only offers IB and regular classes, with Honors Block as an option for English/Social Studies in 9th and 10th grade. However, due to IB regulations and scheduling issues, I cannot take IB exams until my junior year, and will probably not be able to take all of the IB sciences I want to. This also interferes with my math testing schedule; next year (sophomore year) I will be taking IB Calc, but only taking the exam my junior year. In my junior year I will be taking IB Calc II, but only taking the exam my senior year.

I’ve completed the prerequisites for IB science classes in my school, but sophomores are not allowed to take IB science. Therefore, my plan for next year is:

Honors European Studies (Self-study AP European History)
Honors English 10
Chemistry (Self-study AP? I’ve heard it’s hard to do so)
IB MM2 (Self-study AP Calc AB)
PE/Graphic Design (to meet graduation requirements)
French 2

The reason for my post is that I was reconsidering this, reasoning that completing an IB diploma would be equivalent to taking several AP exams. Should I bother taking AP tests or should I just stick to the most rigorous curriculum that my school offers?