Stambaugh legislation to establish consistent AP exam credit policy passes House
Rep. Melanie Stambaugh’s bill to establish a consistent policy for how Advanced Placement (AP) exam credit is granted at the state’s higher education institutions received approval by the House Tuesday.
Under House Bill 1333, higher education institutions would be required to establish an evidence-based policy for granting undergraduate course credits to students who earn a minimum score of 3 on AP exams.
Most of the nearly 40 AP exams in Washington state require a score of 3 out of 5 to earn college credit, but not all colleges award credit the same way.
Stambaugh, R-Puyallup, says Washington should follow other states in having a uniform AP credit policy.
“This bill would provide consistency for students who take AP courses, opening up opportunities for them to attend the college of their choice,” said Stambaugh. “These students have put in countless hours of hard work to earn these scores, and they shouldn’t feel their work was in vain due to the state’s colleges applying credit differently.”
If signed into law, higher education institutions would be required to issue a report on the policy to the Legislature by November 2018.
House Bill 1333 now advances to the Senate for further consideration.