Newly-released data from College Board reports that Horry County Schools students increased their overall pass rate to 69.7 percent on Advanced Placement exams, outpacing the state average of 62.2 percent. Results for 2020 also show that HCS had a slight decrease of 3 percent in the number of students taking AP classes and a decrease of 3.8 percent in the number of AP exams taken.
During the 2019-2020 school year, 2,145 HCS students participated in AP classes, slightly down from 2,213 students the previous year. For the school year ending in 2020, students taking AP classes took 3,283 exams, compared to 3,415 exams taken the previous year. The pass rate for AP exams is determined by scores of 3, 4, or 5. Students who earned scores of 3, 4, or 5 are also eligible to receive college course credit.
Six District schools had 2020 AP pass rates that surpassed the state average.
They are: The Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology, 78.6 percent; St. James High School, 72.4 percent; Carolina Forest High School, 68.7 percent; Myrtle Beach High School, 68.1 percent; Socastee High School, 67.6 percent; and North Myrtle Beach High School, 65.2 percent. National AP percentages have not yet been released by College Board.
