in 2013, newport high school offered 4 advanced placement (ap) courses at a higher cost than regular courses. the student pays the fee for the exam which was $89 per test per pupil in 2012. students have the option of taking college board approved courses and then taking the college board's examination in the spring. students, who achieve a 3 or better on the exam, may be awarded college credits at us universities and colleges. each higher education institution sets its own standards about what level of credits are awarded to a student based on their ap exam score. most higher education give credits for scores of 4 or 5. some schools also give credits for scores of 3. high schools give credits towards graduation to students who take the school's ap class. at newport high school 64% of students who took an ap course earned a 3 or better on the exam.