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About the Course
AP Business with Personal Finance is your chance to step into the world of business—and learn how to manage your money like a pro. You’ll dive into entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, accounting, and management through real-world projects and case studies that make business come alive. From creating your own business idea to mastering personal finance skills like budgeting and investing, you’ll gain the tools to make smart decisions in school, work, and life.
Skills You'll Learn
Explaining business and personal finance concepts, principles, and strategies, and applying them to scenarios
Identifying a market opportunity, and developing and testing a product idea designed to address the opportunity
Describing opportunities or problems, and recommending courses of action to address them
Creating authentic communications appropriate for a specific audience and purpose
Working collaboratively with and leading others to accomplish a goal or task
Equivalency and Prerequisites
College Course Equivalent
AP Business with Personal Finance is equivalent to an introductory college-level business course.
Recommended Prerequisites
None
Your Future Starts Now
AP can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors.
About the Units
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
Course Content
Unit 1: Businesses, Competition, and New Ideas
You’ll learn how businesses start, operate, compete, and make ethical decisions, and how external forces affect business success as well as individuals’ career opportunities, income, and work choices.
Topics may include:
- What Is a Business?
- Markets and Competitive Advantage
- How Do Business Ideas Originate?
On The Exam
20–30% of the MCQ Score
Unit 2: Marketing
You’ll learn how marketing motivates customers, and how businesses use market research and data to target customers and drive sales. You’ll also examine consumer behavior, including how sales tactics, peer influence, and values shape buying decisions.
Topics may include:
- Marketing to Customers
- Consumer Behavior
- Market Research
On The Exam
20–30% of the MCQ Score
Unit 3: Part 1: Personal Saving and Borrowing
You’ll learn how consumers engage with the financial system as savers who plan for the future and borrowers who use credit for larger purchases. You’ll examine barriers to saving, consequences of debt, and strategies to strengthen household finances.
Topics may include:
- Saving for Future Purchases
- Borrowing, Credit, and Debt
On The Exam
25–35% of the MCQ Score (Applies to Unit 3, Parts 1 and 2)
Unit 3: Part 2: Business Finance and Accounting
You’ll learn about key financial aspects of launching and operating a business, including startup and ongoing costs, sources of capital, key financial statements, and the risks and benefits faced by lenders and investors, including households.
Topics may include:
- Accounting and Financial Management
- Business Expenses
- Financial Capital
On The Exam
25–35% of the MCQ Score (Applies to Unit 3, Parts 1 and 2)
Unit 4: Management and Strategy
You’ll learn about key management and strategy concepts and the tools leaders use to assess and improve performance. You’ll explore how different work arrangements, pay structures, and incentives shape individuals’ work experiences and career decisions.
Topics may include:
- Management and Leadership
- Strategy and Decision Making
- Strategic Frameworks
On The Exam
15–20% of the MCQ Score
Unit 5: Personal Goals, Budgeting, and Investing
You’ll learn about personal financial concepts such as taxes, risk, and insurance. In the culminating Financial Advisor Project, you’ll apply these concepts by developing recommendations to help a fictional household achieve long-term goals.
Topics may include:
- Taxes, Net Income, and Budgeting
- Managing Personal Risk
- Saving and Investing for Education, Housing, and Retirement Goals
This unit is assessed in the Financial Advisor Project.
Credit and Placement
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