When Carlmont students arrived to school on May 5, they may have noticed a few students filing into a closed-off Scots’ gym filled with white chairs. These students were heading in to take the first AP test of the 2013-1014 school year.
From May 5 to May 16, Carlmont’s Scots’ gym will be home for the annual AP testing that decides whether each student will receive credits they can use once they enter college. Each test is graded on a 0-5 scale, with 5 being the highest score possible and 0 the lowest. For many students, the expectations of a high score is a little too much.
“Studying for these AP tests has been pretty stressful,” said junior John Cunningham. “As a junior, a lot of emphasis is put on doing well in everything you do, so it only adds to the already existing pressure.”
A difference between last year’s AP tests and this year’s is the inclusion of AP Euro for the sophomore class.
“I think it’s a great thing to offer the AP test for this course,” said sophomore Chris Gehlen. “It’s a tough course with a lot of work, so it’s nice to get the chance to gain more credits at the end of it.”
Last year’s equivalent to the course, Western Civilization, was not considered an AP course, which meant that students were not encouraged to take the AP test in May.
“Yeah, I don’t find that very fair,” said junior Brittany Zelnik. “We pretty much did the same amount of work but got less credits for it. I’m sure that this year’s sophomores will appreciate it though.”
Although there is a lot of stress behind AP testing, senior Andrew Sohrabi, who is currently taking four AP classes, has a positive outlook on it.
“I’ve taken a good amount of AP tests the last couple of years and I think it’s a great way for the sophomores and juniors to gain college credits. As a senior, the scores aren’t as important since most of us already know what college we are going to and whether those colleges will give us credit for our exams or not.”
As week one of AP exams come to a close, Sohrabi did have some advice for the younger students in the future.
“Start reviewing early and don’t fall behind in your AP classes. It makes a big difference.”
