What Are the New AP Classes? Everything You Should Know

For a long time, the College Board has teamed up with colleges and universities to shape what goes into its huge Advanced Placement (AP) program—a program that now reaches about 16,000 high schools across the country. With nearly 40 AP courses already in place, they’re shaking things up again. Two new AP classes are being introduced as part of a bold new initiative, and there are some big updates coming to how certain AP subjects will be taught and tested.

In this blog, you’ll get a quick rundown of the new AP Business and Cybersecurity courses, how the AP Career Kickstart initiative works, and what the shift to digital testing means, plus why AP classes still matter for college admissions.

• 2 New AP Classes for 2026-2027
• What Is the AP Career Kickstart?
• AP Business Principles/Personal Finance
• AP Cybersecurity
• Are AP Classes still relevant in 2025?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

2 New AP Classes for 2026-2027

The College Board just shared some exciting news: 2 brand-new AP classes are on the way, with a nationwide launch planned for the 2026–2027 school year. Both of these new AP classes are under a new expansion of the AP program called AP Career Kickstart. But before that happens, a handful of high schools will get an early look through a pilot program starting in fall 2025.

What makes this rollout different is that it’s not just colleges shaping the curriculum anymore. This time, the College Board is teaming up with big names from the industry—the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and IBM—to help design the courses. The goal is to make high school learning feel more connected to real-world skills that actually matter in today’s job market.

Here’s a peek at the two new AP classes being added to the lineup under the AP Career Kickstart initiative:

• AP Business Principles/Personal Finance
• AP Cybersecurity Pathway

But before we get into the details of the new AP classes themselves, let’s take a quick look at what this AP Career Kickstart initiative is all about, so you can really get a feel for how big of a shift this could be for high school education.

What Is the AP Career Kickstart?

AP Career Kickstart is a fresh take on the AP program, built for students like you who want to get a jumpstart on both college and career goals. It aims to help you earn college credit while also picking up real-world skills you can actually use regardless if you’re planning to go to a four-year college, a community college, a trade school, or straight into the workforce.

What makes this even cooler is how it’s being built. These new AP courses are built by employers, college professors, and high school teachers working together to focus on fast-growing fields like cybersecurity.

And don’t worry—the AP structure you’re used to isn’t going anywhere. You’ll still have access to trained teachers, assessments, and credit recognition from colleges. But now, it’s blended with practical, career-focused learning that prepares you for real opportunities after high school.

You’ll get to follow two-course pathways designed to sharpen both your technical and professional skills. These courses are aligned with national career and technical education (CTE) standards and lead to certifications that employers actually value.

Plus, the College Board is already working on expanding this to include tracks in business, health science, and more, so whatever direction you’re heading, there’s a good chance AP Career Kickstart has something for you.

AP Business Principles/Personal Finance

AP Career Kickstart: Business Principles/Personal Finance aims to provide you with real-world skills that actually matter like how businesses work and how to manage your own money. Instead of sitting through lectures, you’ll take on hands-on projects and case studies based on real companies, making business and finance feel practical and relevant.

Launching in the 2026–27 school year, this course prepares you for all kinds of career paths—from startups and nonprofits to family farms and large corporations. It’s built around the National Standards for Personal Financial Education, developed by the Council for Economic Education and the Jump$tart Coalition, so you’ll be learning from a nationally recognized, career-ready curriculum.

You’ll explore how businesses create value, serve customers, and generate profit—all while building your own personal finance skills to make smarter choices in college, your career, and everyday life.

In this course, you will:

• Work on real-world, project-based assignments
• Build your own Business Canvas Project
• Practice giving financial advice on topics like student loans, buying a home, and saving for retirement
• Meet benchmarks in financial literacy and business strategy aligned with the National Standards for Personal Financial Education.

This course is being built with input from colleges, employers, high schools, and industry experts. If you want to share your expertise, sign up to see how you can get involved.

AP Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is one of those fast-growing fields that’s full of opportunity, and the best part is you don’t need a four-year degree to get started. Right now, there are over 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs across the U.S., but surprisingly, only a small fraction of high school students—less than 2%—have access to courses that could lead them there.

That’s where the AP Career Kickstart Cybersecurity Pathway comes in. It includes two full-year courses:

• Cybersecurity 1: Networking Fundamentals
• Cybersecurity 2: Cybersecurity Fundamentals. 

These classes are built to help you earn stackable credentials that can lead to real jobs or help you earn college credit. Once you’ve completed the coursework and proven your skills, you’ve got many great options:

• Jump straight into the workforce
• Start an apprenticeship
• Work toward well-known certifications like CompTIA Network+, Security+, or Cisco’s CCNA and CCST.
• If you score well on a cybersecurity pilot exam, you’ll get a free voucher worth up to $350. It covers extra test prep (like CertMaster Network+ or TestOut Security Pro) and the official exam for a CompTIA certification.

You can also apply your credits toward a degree at a community college or even a four-year university. It’s a flexible path into a field that’s not only in-demand but pays well, too.

If you’re interested in cybersecurity, the AP Career Kickstart (CK) Cybersecurity Pathway gives you a clear plan to get started in high school. Here’s a simple table showing what the student experience looks like:

Beginning in 10th grade, you’ll build key skills, earn credentials, and even get college credit. By 12th grade, you’ll be set up for hands-on experience through an internship or apprenticeship.

AP Goes Digital

Starting May 2025, 28 AP Exams are going fully digital, meaning the traditional paper version will no longer be used for most students. Instead, you’ll be taking these exams through the Bluebook app, which the College Board is using to help boost test security and streamline the experience. It’s all part of the AP Program’s push to make digital testing the new standard.

On exam day, you’ll log into Bluebook to take your test, while coordinators and proctors will use a separate tool called the Test Day Toolkit to manage everything behind the scenes. Paper exams will still exist, but only for students who’ve been approved by the College Board for that specific accommodation.

For subjects like math, science, and economics, where you might need to sketch graphs or use formulas, you’ll see the questions digitally but write your answers in a paper booklet.

And just to be clear, this applies to all schools, even those outside the U.S. Plus, if your school offers late testing for any of these exams, those will also be in digital format. So it’s a good idea to get familiar with the tools ahead of time.

Fully digital AP subjects

For these fully digital AP subjects, students will complete both the multiple-choice and free-response sections directly in the Bluebook app. Everything is submitted automatically at the end of the exam, so there’s no need to worry about turning anything in by hand.

Here’s the list of AP Exams going fully digital:

• AP African American Studies (U.S. schools only)
• AP Art History
• AP Comparative Government and Politics
• AP Computer Science A
• AP Computer Science Principles
• AP English Language and Composition
• AP English Literature and Composition
• AP Environmental Science
• AP European History
• AP Human Geography
• AP Latin
• AP Psychology
• AP Seminar
• AP United States Government and Politics
• AP United States History
• AP World History: Modern

Hybrid digital AP subjects

For these subjects, you’ll answer the multiple-choice questions and view the free-response prompts in the Bluebook app. But instead of typing your free-response answers, you’ll write them by hand in a paper exam booklet, which gets collected and sent in for scoring.

Hybrid digital AP subjects are a mix of digital and traditional testing designed to work best for subjects that involve graphs, formulas, or detailed written work. So while you’ll be using a device for part of the exam, make sure your handwriting game is still strong for those written responses!

Here are the exams that follow this hybrid format:

• AP Biology
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• AP Chemistry
• AP Macroeconomics
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• AP Physics C: Mechanics
• AP Precalculus
• AP Statistics

Are AP Classes Still Relevant in 2025?

AP classes are still a big deal in 2025 especially if you’re aiming for top-tier schools like the Ivies. Even with more colleges going test-optional, AP courses give admissions teams a solid way to see how you handle challenging material. In fact, the College Board says that 85% of selective colleges and universities see AP experience as a plus when reviewing applications.

Since SAT Subject Tests are no longer around, AP exam scores now play an even bigger role. They help colleges get a clearer picture of your strengths in specific subjects, and high scores can really boost your application.

On top of that, students who take AP classes are more likely to go to college and graduate on time. And here’s something interesting: even if you score a 2 on an AP exam, studies show you’re still likely to do better in college than students who never took an AP course.

So if you’re planning to apply to competitive schools, AP classes are still very much worth it. They help you stand out, give you a shot at earning college credit, and prepare you for the academic challenges ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the new AP classes?

As part of the AP Career Kickstart initiative, the College Board is rolling out AP Business Principles/Personal Finance and a two-course AP Cybersecurity pathway (Networking Fundamentals and Cybersecurity Fundamentals), all set to launch in the 2026–2027 school year.

2. Can students earn college credit from these new AP classes?

Yes! Just like traditional AP courses, these new classes are designed to offer college credit plus they also build real-world, career-ready skills aligned with industry standards.

3. When will schools start offering new AP classes?

While the full rollout is planned for 2026–2027, pilot programs will begin as early as fall 2025 in selected high schools across the country.

4. Do the new AP classes require any prerequisites?

Generally, no formal prerequisites are required, but a strong interest in business, technology, or hands-on learning will help students succeed in these courses.

5. Can you take 2 or more AP classes at the same time?

Yes, you absolutely can take two or more AP classes at the same time, and many students do. There’s no official limit set by the College Board; it really comes down to what you can handle alongside your other schoolwork, extracurriculars, and personal commitments.

Takeaways

AP classes are getting a major upgrade in 2025. With the launch of AP Career Kickstart, plus new course options and digital testing updates, you’ll have more flexible, hands-on ways to earn college credit and build real-world skills that actually prepare you for life after high school.

• The New AP courses are focused on real-world careers. The College Board is launching AP Business Principles/Personal Finance and a two-course AP Cybersecurity pathway that teach hands-on, career-ready skills and align with industry certifications.
• Selected high schools will start piloting the AP Cybersecurity pathway in Fall 2025, with nationwide availability planned for the 2026–2027 school year.
• A major shift is happening with AP exams as 28 of them are moving to the Bluebook digital format, streamlining the process and boosting exam security.
• Despite changes in standardized testing policies, AP courses remain a strong way to show academic strength. In fact, 85% of selective colleges say AP experience helps applicants stand out.
• A college admissions expert can guide you on which AP courses best match your goals and boost your college application strategy.