Each year, students put everything they have learned over the course of a year in their Advanced Placement classes onto paper, and get graded form a scale of one to five for the chance of getting college credit.
AP tests originated in the 1950s and have been gaining traction ever since. While not everyone agrees that they are appropriate for high school students, those taking AP tests have to prepare excessively in hopes of doing well.
Carlmont’s first day of AP testing was May 7 and its last day is May 18, giving students with multiple exams time in between their tests to prepare.
“For my upcoming AP tests, I’ve been preparing by reading over crash course guides and watching videos that help me to comprehend the information again,” said Adrian Cunningham, a junior.
Many students turn to crash course books recommended by their teachers to focus on the main point of each section of the textbook.
There are a variety of subjects with AP tests, including different sections of history, math, English, computer science, and countless more. Not all schools offer these classes, but the ones that do make sure the teachers are ready to teach at a college level.
“My AP European history teacher makes us write essays at least once a week to prepare,” said Tomas Ronderos, a sophomore. “He also recommended many online resources as well as gave us a study plan so we can be fully ready going into the test.”
Teachers are a great resource for studying, as their year-long goal has been to prepare their students for the exam. Some kids become overwhelmed having to prepare excessively for multiple AP tests, which is where teachers can step in and help their students create an organized schedule for studying.
It is important that AP teachers do the best they can to help students get the scores they desire.
“I think it would be helpful to us if we had more opportunities to experience AP test situations, like timed writing, which would make me more comfortable during the test,” said Chloe Palarca-Wong, a sophomore.
