Schools can make graduation confusing.  Edison Counselor Crystal King of Edison High School offered to help give insight on the topic. She said for just high school graduation, “each district has their own requirements, but the state puts the minimum number of credits needed to graduate which can then be increased by schools by adding more curriculums.”

But the A-G requirements for college are two separate things. “A-G requirements are just a California adoption; it’s what colleges use to have people qualify for their colleges and what chance students have in being accepted into those colleges. It makes it so students have more opportunities and aid in gaining an upper hand on the competition for acceptance. The A-G requirements would also help students be accepted into other schools outside of California because of having more qualifications than the students of those states that don’t have the A-G requirements” King said. 

Counselor King also clarified or simplified the paths you can take in life or mainstream paths that most people go through. She points out, “there are three choices, you can go straight into the workforce, enroll in the military which is still considered schooling, or do a two-year college or 4 years of some sort of training. It’s all essentially schooling in different forms.”

A-G requirements aren’t high school requirements, they are just an option for more opportunities. Schools and counselors are allowed to emphasize and encourage students to strive to meet these standards or requirements, but remember that it is not enforced onto students, and do take in mind it is not for everyone.  

California High School Graduation Requirements 

• Three years of English 
• Two years of mathematics (including Algebra I) 
• Three years of social science (including U.S. history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; one semester of American government; and one semester of economics) 

• Two years of science (including biology and physical science) 
• Two years of physical education 
• One year of foreign language or visual and performing arts or commencing with the 2012–13 school year, career technical education. For purpose of satisfying the minimum course requirement, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in a foreign language 
• Students who successfully complete Algebra I in middle school must still complete a minimum of two years of mathematics in high school. Recognizing that these 13 courses of preparation are state minimum requirements, local school boards often set local graduation requirements that exceed the state-mandated requirements. (Please refer to the Testing section for information on two methods of earning a high school diploma or its equivalent: the California High School Proficiency Examination and the General Educational Development test.)” 

California Public Universities (CSU/UC) 

High school students interested in attending a California public university after graduation must have completed the required freshman admission course requirements while in high school. 

More info available at:

https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/hs/cefhsgradreq.asp  and also at: 

https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/hs/hsgrgen.asp  

A-G Requirements 

UC-approved high school courses 

A) History- Two years of history; one year of world history, cultures or historical geography (may be a single yearlong course or two one-semester courses), and  

One year of U.S history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government  

Exams & Coursework that satisfy “A” 

Ap or Ib Examination 

; U.S History: score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP U.S. History Exam; score of 5, 6, or 7 on the IB History of the Americas Hl exam 

World History/Cultures/Geography: score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam in European History, World History (2020 and before), Modern World History (2021 and after) or Human Geography; score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB History HL or Geography HL exam.

B) English

two years of history, including: 

• one year of world history, cultures or historical geography (may be a single yearlong course or two one-semester courses), and 
• one year of U.S. history or one-half year of U.S. history and one-half year of civics or American government 

SAT Subject Examination 

Literature: Score of 560 satisfies the first three years of the requirement. 

AP or IB Examination 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition Exam; score of 5, 6 or 7 on the IB HL English: Literature exam (formerly IB HL English A1) 

C) Mathematics

Three years of college-preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry. A geometry course or an integrated math course with a sufficient amount of geometry content must be completed. Approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades if the high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses; also acceptable are courses that address the previously mentioned content areas and include or integrate probability, statistics or trigonometry. Courses intended for 11th and/or 12th grade levels may satisfy the required third year or recommended fourth year of the subject requirement if approved as an advanced math course. 

AP or IB Examination 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics Exam satisfies elementary and intermediate algebra. 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB or Calculus BC Exam satisfies two years of the requirement (but not geometry). 

Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the IB Mathematics HL exam satisfies two years of the requirement (but not geometry). 

  D) Science 

Two years of college-preparatory science, including or integrating topics that provide fundamental knowledge in two of these three subjects: biology, chemistry, or physics. One year of approved interdisciplinary or earth and space sciences coursework can meet one year of the requirement. Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Science courses can be used in area D as an additional science (i.e., third year and beyond). 

AP or IB Examination 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on any two AP Exams in Biology, Chemistry, Physics (B, C, 1 or 2) and Environmental Science; score of 5, 6 or 7 on any two IB HL exams in Biology, Chemistry or Physics 

E) Language Other Than English

Two years, or equivalent to the 2nd level of high school instruction, of the same language other than English are required. (Three years/3rd level of high school instruction recommended). Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding, and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition and culture. American Sign Language and classical languages, such as Latin and Greek, are acceptable, as are Native American languages. Courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement if the high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses. 

SAT Subject Examination 

The following scores satisfy the entire requirement: 

• Chinese With Listening: 520 
• French/French With Listening: 540 
• German/German With Listening: 510 
• Modern Hebrew: 470 
• Italian: 520 

• Japanese With Listening: 510 
• Korean With Listening: 500 
• Latin: 530 
• Spanish/Spanish With Listening: 520 

AP or IB Examination 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Exam in Chinese Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, Spanish Language, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture or Latin; score of 5, 6 or 7 on an IB Language A2 HL exam. 

F) Visual and performing arts

One yearlong course of visual and performing arts chosen from the following disciplines: dance, music, theater, visual arts or interdisciplinary arts — or two one-semester courses from the same discipline is also acceptable.  

AP or IB Examination 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on the AP History of Art, Studio Art or Music Theory Exam; 

score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Dance, Film, Music, Theatre Arts or Visual Arts 

 G) College-preparatory elective

One year (two semesters) chosen from courses specific to the elective (G) subject area or courses beyond those used to satisfy the requirements of the A-F subjects. 

AP or IB Examination 

Score of 3, 4 or 5 on any one AP Exam in Computer Science, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Human Geography, Psychology, U.S. Government or Comparative Government; score of 5, 6 or 7 on any one IB HL exam in Economics, Philosophy, Psychology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, or Computer Science 

This information was from https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/freshman-requirements/subject-requirement-a-g.html