Advanced Placement Examinations

About Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and transfer credit

Advanced standing is granted for Advanced Placement (AP) examination results of '4' or better, to a maximum of 30 credits and subject to faculty rules. NOTE: It is possible that some granted exemptions may not fulfill specific program requirements.  Please see your department advisor for confirmation.

AP exams already written, as well as AP exams you intend to write, must be declared on the McGill application.
Admitted students must make arrangements to have all AP results sent to Enrolment Services directly from the College Board. McGill's institutional code with the College Board is 0935-00.

If you receive an exemption for a course but take it anyway, you will not receive McGill credit for it. McGill reserves the right to change the transfer credit recognition policy without prior notice.
 

Advanced Placement (AP) subject exams and exemptions

Use the tables below to determine whether your Advanced Placement exam is equivalent to a McGill course.

Math and science subjects  | Language subjects | Other subjects

Notes for:
Engineering: A maximum of 3 credits for humanities and social sciences subjects can be granted.
Management: Students who receive credit for MATH 140 will not be required to complete MATH 122.
Nursing: A maximum of 6 credits can be granted in addition to credit for Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics.
Science: A maximum of 18 credits will be granted for non-math/non-science courses. Science-type courses marked with * are included in the non-math/science category and will count towards the maximum 18 credits. AP Computer Science and AP Psychology do not count towards this maximum.

 

Math and science subjects

AP Subject

McGill Course Exemption

Credits

Notes & Excluded Programs

Biology

BIOL 111
and BIOL 112

6

No credit for B.Eng. or B.Sc.Arch

Biology

BIOL 112

3

BEng (Bioengineering) 

BEng (Software): either BIOL 112 OR CHEM 110

Calculus AB

MATH 140

3

 

Calculus BC

MATH 140
and MATH 141

7

Partial credit can be granted for a Calculus AB subscore of ‘4’ or better
B.Sc.Arch: Max of 3 credits and exemption from MATH 140 only.

Chemistry

CHEM 110 ** 
and CHEM 120

8

** BEng-Elec & Comp: CHEM 120 only.

BEng (Software): either BIOL 112 OR CHEM 110

No credit for B.Sc.Arch

Computer Science A

COMP 202

3

No credit for B.Eng.

Computer Science Principles

None

0

 

Environmental Science *

ENVR 200

3

No credit for B.Eng.

Physics 1 and Physics 2

Both must be completed for credit & exemption

PHYS 101
and PHYS 102

8

B.Eng. and B.Sc.Arch students who receive credit for PHYS 101/102 will not be required to complete PHYS 131/142. 
B.Sc.Arch: Max of 4 credits and exemption from PHYS 101 only.

Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

PHYS 142

4

Maximum of 8 credits granted for Physics. 
No credit for B.Sc.Arch

Physics C: Mechanics

PHYS 131

4

 

Statistics *

MATH 203 or PSYC 204

3

No credit for B.Eng.* or B.Com.
(* Math 203 (3cr) for B.Eng. Bioengineering only)
PSYC only credit for B.Sc.Arch

 

Language subjects

AP Subject

McGill Course Exemption

Credits

Notes & Excluded Programs

Chinese Language and Culture

EAST 1XX

6

No credit for B.Eng.

English Language and Composition

ESLN 1XX

6

No credit for B.Eng. or B.Sc.Arch

English Literature and Composition

ENGL 1XX

6
3 cr for B.Eng.

 

French Language and Culture

FRSL 211

6

No credit for B.Eng. or B.Sc.Arch

German Language and Culture

GERM 1XX

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Italian Language and Culture

ITAL 206

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Japanese Language and Culture

EAST 1XX

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Latin

CLAS 1XX

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Spanish Language and Culture

HISP 210

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Spanish Literature and Culture

HISP 1XX

6
3 cr for B.Eng.

 

 

Other subjects

AP Subject

McGill Course Exemption

Credits

Notes & Excluded Programs

Art History

ARTH 1XX

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Capstone Research

TRNS 1XX

3

No credit for Architecture, Bioresource Engineering, or Engineering

Capstone Seminar

None

0

 

Comparative Government & Politics

POLI 1XX

3

 

European History

HIST 1XX

6
3 cr for B.Eng.

 

Human Geography

GEOG 1XX

3

No credit for B.Eng.

Macroeconomics

ECON 1XX

3

 

Microeconomics

ECON 1XX

3

 

Music Theory

MUAR 201
and MUAR 202

6

No credit for B.Eng.

Psychology

PSYC 100

3

 

Studio Art: 2-D Design

Studio Art: 3-D Design

Studio Art: Drawing

EDEA 1XX

EDEA 1XX

EDEA 1XX

6

6

6

Maximum of 6 credits is granted for Studio Art.

No credit for AES, Architecture, Engineering, Science

United States Government & Politics

POLI 1XX

3

 

United States History

HIST 1XX

6
3 cr. for B.Eng.

 

World History

HIST 1XX

3

 

Page updated June 2020

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