With the 2025-26 school year entering its final months, the focus at Carlmont is shifting toward the rigorous review process required for the upcoming Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
As the exams cover everything taught from August 2025 to May 2026, students find that these cumulative tests require a level of preparation far more rigorous than that of a standard unit exam. Additionally, the exams offer the opportunity to earn college credit and strengthen students’ college applications, heightening the incentive to score high.
However, despite the pressure of the upcoming deadline, the stress is not overwhelmingly major for students like Derek Moon, a Carlmont junior.
“My stress level is at a four or five out of 10. In all of my APs, though, I have a pretty strong grasp of the fundamentals and concepts, so ultimately, review is just what I need,” Moon said.
Aside from independent studying, the way Carlmont teachers structure their classes plays a crucial role in determining exam success rates. To address the challenges posed by strict time limits and varied question formats, many teachers have integrated exam simulation into their regular curriculum.
“Each unit test typically consists of exam-style test questions with the teacher attempting to replicate test conditions,” Moon said. “I feel like it has been pretty effective. It helps me get accustomed to the more stressful or unique aspects of each test, as well as the time limits for each one.”
Jayson Waller, an AP World History and AP United States History teacher at Carlmont, recommends that students utilize outside resources to enhance their knowledge.
“For AP World and AP U.S. History, I would recommend getting a review book. All of those review books are chunked by unit,” Waller said. “College Board gives you a percentage as to which of the units are more important and which of them are less. I would definitely reread the more important units.”
Waller noted that more students should be acquiring these review books than in previous years. He also emphasized that physical well-being is just as essential as content review.
“The first priority for the exam is to get enough sleep. Eat, sleep, play,” Waller said. “Your brain can’t retain all of the content just a week or a day in advance.”
As much as preparation strategies contribute to students’ approaches to AP courses, the social environment at Carlmont is also highly influential. Timothy Choo, a Carlmont sophomore, observes a persistent determination among the student body to maintain high academic standing.
“There is definitely a competition between students as to who is taking the hardest classes or who has the highest GPA,” Choo said. “I think that competition isn’t necessarily detrimental, but it can cause burnout for some people.”
Moon agreed that the system pressures students to increase their course rigor. Furthermore, he noted that the wide range of academic resources at Carlmont creates a unique pressure on students to distinguish themselves from others.
“At a school like Carlmont, there comes to exist a need to stand out, as kids have access to an abundance of resources to excel academically,” Moon said.
Despite the intensity of the preparation season and the competitive atmosphere, many students find that the coursework provides value that extends beyond the scores they ultimately earn.
“I feel like many of the AP courses are interlinked and often benefit me in ways I can link to real life. Some classes provide skills that are essential to know in the real world as an adult,” Moon said.
