Nearly three million students from over 22,000 high schools country wide will participate in AP (advanced placement) exams starting on May 1 and spanning until May 12 in order to earn satisfactory scores and receive college credit.
AP exams were created by the nonprofit organization College Board. AP exams are the highest classes available to high school students. They are known as ‘advanced placement’ due to the rigorous college level content.
Exams are held so early in the quarter because they are taken countrywide. Other states end their school year as early as mid-May, while we end mid-June. This means exams must be given earlier to ensure all students take the exam on the same day to prevent cheating. “It’s kind of annoying that we have to take our exam right at the start of fourth quarter because we are still learning and I have a lot of homework in my other classes. I wish I had more time to study and prepare so I could get a five,” sophomore Elise Mitchell said.
Students must pay $93 for each exam they take part in. Students take a varying number of exams in their high school careers, however the average is three to five. While AP’s are strongly recommended by teachers and fellow students alike, the positive outcomes are doubted by some. “What we don’t know is whether there’s still value in taking the course even if you don’t pass the exam,” according to http://waer.org, a public media organization licensed to Syracuse University.
There are 27 AP courses offered here. The subjects range from U.S. History, to Physics, to Spanish, etc. The most common AP taken here is English Language and Composition, however United States History comes in a close second. The vast number of people taking exams has led to the tests being given at USG (Universities at Shady Grove) because there is not enough room in the auditorium. However, students with accommodations such as extended time must take their tests in the Career Center.
While students must take their exams at Universities at Shady Grove, construction has limited available parking spaces. A new science building is being built to further the amount of classes offered at USG, however it is being built where the free parking lot is. Students now have to pay in order to park in the parking garage. “It was super inconvenient having to park in the parking garage because it was farther from my testing building and my brother had to pay in order to secure a spot for the three hour exam,” sophomore Gelila Yimam said.

Lilly Greenberg

Staff Writer