As the school year comes to an end, two weeks of testing for AP classes will begin on May 6.
“I like watching the kids prepare,” social studies teacher Brandon Austin said. “I like watching them be successful when they don’t think they can. I like watching the hard work that goes into it.”
AP, or Advanced Placement, is a series of classes with a curriculum by College Board. Each class ends with a final test determining whether a student will get college credit for the class.
“I like having a goal at the end of the year,” social studies teacher Samuel Riley said. “And if you pass the AP exam, you’re getting college credit. That’s a big thing for a guy who is 46 years old and still paying student loans.”
The tests are graded from one to five. A three is considered a passing score and most colleges and universities will award credit to students who make a three or higher on the AP exam.
“I’ve always taken advanced classes,” junior Emelyn Bakker said. “It just felt like the right next step and I don’t know if I’m going to a university in Texas.”
Most AP exams include multiple-choice and free-response questions, with some having essay prompts.
“With AP courses, it’s not just ‘do you know the information,’ but can you make connections and interpret what the second and third-level effects are of people’s courses of action,” social studies teacher John Moon said. “These courses are going to be challenging; you will have to put in the work every day in class, and probably some outside of class too.”
There are AP classes for core subjects like English, math and science, as well as classes for second languages and the arts.
“I’ve taught every social studies AP class there is,” Austin said. “My favorite’s AP European History.”
During the two weeks of testing, the exams will be split into morning and afternoon sessions as the exams can be hours long. The morning session will start at 7:15 and the afternoon session will start at 11:15.
“Because of successful pacing, we have weeks to start going over a unit a day,” science teacher Corey Dashner said. “Of course, there’s all kinds of review stuff that I have available to them if they need it.”
The exams will continue through May 17. Accordion g to College Board, scores will be available to students on July 8.
“You have to prepare all year,” Austin said. “You got to work continuously throughout the year if you want to be successful.”
