<p>1) In theory, is an AP course at one school the same as the identical course at another school?</p>
<p>2) I read on another post that if you were to score poorly on an AP test you might be able to have that score removed from your transcript, but that colleges will see that there is no score reported and assume you did poorly. What if you opt not to take the AP test? Don't people do that?</p>
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<li><p>Not necessarily. There is some variation in both content and quality, although all courses labeled AP are supposed to prepare students for the AP test. There was a sort of audit of AP courses and teachers recently; I think it was aimed at the goal of making sure that all AP courses do indeed cover the necessary material and meet AP standards.</p></li>
<li><p>You can choose not to have an AP test score reported to colleges. You can also choose not to take the test at all unless your school system requires all students in AP courses to take it. But you need not be concerned at all about these things if you take the course during your senior year. You will already have been admitted to college before the score is reported. The only time there is any reason to even think about not reporting a score or not taking a test is if you take the AP course prior to senior year.</p></li>
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<p>Or how about not reporting it if you get more credits through a CLEP test?!</p>
<p>All teachers must submit their curriculum to College Board and only once it has been approved will the course be designated AP. The certification goes with the teacher, and does not stay with the school. Since each teacher creates his/her own, there will be differences. Also, not every school uses the same textbook nor has the same resources. I teach AP.</p>
<p>That's interesting, ejr. I had no idea. I thought AP had a specific curriculum that teachers had to follow, which is why I was confused by some of the things I read on cc. For instance, AP Psych has the reputation on here of being easy, but at ds's school the reputation is that it's difficult. So I suppose that the teacher at ds's school goes well beyond the curriculum?</p>
<p>AACK, what's a CLEP test?</p>
<p>Ds has seven AP courses next year, his junior year, (what was he thinking?) and so I am concerned whether seven AP tests, plus everything else he has to do, is reasonable and what it would look like if he just opted out of a couple he's less comfortable with.</p>
<p>1) Our HS requires the AP tests. If you take the class, you have to take the tests. The students score well and generally receive college credit.</p>
<p>2) My daughter took 6 AP tests this spring. She wasn't quite sure of the Macroeconomics one - she'd had a very good Macro class in the fall and then Micro in the spring so a fair amount of time had passed between the end of the class and the AP test - she wasn't sure she she'd get the "4 or 5" her college requires for credit for macroeconomics. She knew her college granted Macro credit for a 59 on the Macro CLEP. (College Board CLEPs are scored like College Board PSATs, with a max of 80.) She took it yesterday at a local university with an open CLEP center. You get your score right away - the tests are computerized like a driver's license written test - and she got a 75. That made her happy. Now she knows for sure she has credit for Macro. She's going to a public school that recognizes 5 or 6 of the CLEP tests. Nice. (You know what private college is really generous about allowing CLEP credit? George Washington University in D.C. I do not know why. Here are their policies. If you are going to GW or a college like GW, it would be good to have taken some CLEP tests before you get there.)GWU</a> CLEP Credit 2008 (Colonial Inauguration)</p>
<p>Despite the audit, the classes still vary. At our HS, there are excellent APs and a couple of terrible ones. </p>
<p>The tests are of course the same for all students. So what the kid gets on the test is the only apples-to-apples comparison available.</p>
<p>I have no idea how much weight schools put on AP scores in the application process, as opposed to grades in AP classes. An interesting question. Obviously, doing well can only help. Whether they regard a string of good grades in APs coupled with bad test scores with a jaundiced eye, I do not know.</p>
<p>Colleges get a feel from it by looking at scores on high school transcripts. It is also a good way for adcoms to tell the rigor of a high school. If you receive Bs in your AP classes but 5s on the exams, it indicates that the high school has grade deflation or is of the highest rigor. If, however, you receive As in your classes but under 1s and 2s on the test, it indicates a weak school with easy grading.</p>
<p>^^ Yes, this is common sense, but do we know that ad coms actually look at it that way?</p>
<p>yes we do, you can ask them and they will confirm it</p>
<p>Over 2000 schools accept CLEP tests. My son just missed getting 12 credits for AP Spanish. He ended up with 6 Spanish credits. The AP test only gives students 3 credits. If your school accepts CLEP, it's clearly the way to go.</p>