# College Board expands AP Cybersecurity with Cisco training — what students should do
The College Board has moved to expand its AP Cybersecurity offering by adding training elements developed in partnership with Cisco, according to reporting by GovTech. The addition signals stronger alignment between Advanced Placement coursework and employer-recognized technical training, potentially giving high-school students a pathway to both AP credit and industry-relevant skills.
For students in Jordan and the wider Middle East the development matters for three reasons: it can increase the number of college-level, transferable credentials available to secondary students; it can provide practical, résumé-ready skills in a field with high regional demand; and it may change how universities evaluate applicants who present AP cybersecurity coursework or related Cisco certification. The College Board’s growing influence — recently noted by Time Magazine in its TIME100 list — makes its curricular moves more likely to affect admission and placement policies worldwide.
What students should do now: first, ask your school whether it plans to offer AP Cybersecurity in the coming year or to adopt the new Cisco-aligned modules. If your school does not yet offer AP cybersecurity, speak with counselors about teacher training and school adoption timelines — many AP course additions require teacher certification and administrative registration with the College Board. Meanwhile, students should strengthen their foundations by taking AP Computer Science courses (AP CS A or AP CS Principles), network fundamentals classes, or local IT electives to be prepared for cybersecurity material.
Practical steps and deadlines: monitor the College Board site for formal rollout dates and framework documents, and check with your school about internal registration deadlines for AP courses and exams (schools typically set AP exam registration in late winter/early spring). AP exam score releases generally arrive in early July each year; make sure your College Board account is active so you can receive results. Also consider parallel certification pathways — look for Cisco Networking Academy partners or local training centers in Jordan and the region that offer introductory Cisco or CompTIA courses that will complement AP learning.
How Shatnawi can help: Shatnawi for College Admissions and Academic Consultations can advise Jordanian students on whether AP Cybersecurity will be recognized by target universities, help map AP and industry certification plans to specific major pathways (computer science, engineering, information security), and coordinate with schools about course adoption. For individualized planning or help contacting local Cisco Academy partners, contact Shatnawi.
If you want guidance on course selection, AP readiness, or how to align AP cybersecurity with university applications, contact Shatnawi for advising via WhatsApp +962791888699 or visit shatnawiedu.com.