AP Biology Exam Rescore? I got a 1, how wierd!

<p>I got a 1 on the AP Biology exam, which was completely unexpected. I have always received above a 4 on all of my previous five AP exams this year and last year. I don't think I did that bad....but appparently I did. I didn't even finish AP Language and I got a 4...and same with American History. So this 1 came as a shocker. Should I get the test rescored, and would it help? All they do is check the multiple choice again, but I heard that sometimes they don't add the FRQ section to the MC section. How do you know if that happened? How likely is it that I will get a higher grade from the Rescoring thing taht College Board does?</p>

<p>bump???</p>

<p>I would get a rescore. It sounds like something went wrong.</p>

<p>If you strongly believe that something went wrong (and yes, CB does mess up sometimes) get a rescore.</p>

<p>Maybe you just didn’t do well? I thought the BIO exam was excruciating.</p>

<p>It’s worth $25 for your piece of mind. Rescore. Still not “fail safe” (they only rescore MC), but…worth a try. You’ll forever wonder if you don’t.</p>

<p>If you’re normally prettty good at Bio then get a rescore. Maybe you bubbled wrong or something…</p>

<p>Definitely - do it. I think collegeboard screws up plenty of times because they need to grade tens of thousands of exams. Something is bound to get screwed over…</p>

<p>Get it rescored. All sorts of wacky things happen between taking the test and getting the results back.</p>

<p>thanks guys :)</p>

<p>Don’t forget to update us on the results</p>

<p>I’m posting because I got valuable advice from a similar forum. </p>

<p>My son received a 1 on his AP Chemistry exam this spring. This was simply not possible for many reasons, including previous scores and the fact that he got an A in the class from an experienced teacher (who has never had a student receive a 1). I know someone who worked for College Board who confirmed that a 1 is the grade that you get “when you only sign your name.” I ensured that my son was conscious and handed in his exam; he finished the whole thing and thought it went fine.</p>

<p>So. In early July, I sent College Board a written request for a rescore and to receive the free reply booklet. This was because other websites have recounted experienced in which the College Board has lost the free reply booklet, resulting in scores of 1. The accompanying check was cashed in July.</p>

<p>I hadn’t heard anything in early September, so I called the College Board. After having a “Case” set up and talking to three agents over the course of two weeks, the third agent said “We never received a request for the rescore or the free reply booklet.” I said that it accompanied the check, which they cashed. "“We didn’t get the request.” I asked if they thought that I was just sending a donation. (I had been patient, but was starting to lose patience.). “Oh, we get thousands of checks,” she said blithely. I had to fax in another request. Not e-mail, because College Board functions in the 19th century.</p>

<p>So, today, Sept. 30, I heard from College Board. They received the request, which I faxed last Friday, and will process it in 6-8 days. After that, it will take 6-8 weeks to rescore the exam.</p>

<p>My poor kid. Poor anyone trapped in this miserable purgatory. My son had studied hard, saying “This means that I’ll never have to take Chemistry again.” In fact, he may have to take the AP exam again in the spring if this thing continues to bollox along at the current level of bureaucratic incompetence.</p>

<p>"I know someone who worked for College Board who confirmed that a 1 is the grade that you get “when you only sign your name.” </p>

<p>^not true</p>

<p>yeah it is, but i know what you mean.</p>

<p>you can know an awful lot more about biology and still get a 1…</p>

<p>My wife teaches AP USH and had a student a couple of years ago who had regularly scored 4+ on practice tests but when he received his score he was shocked to find he was given a 1. He thought the test was easy and was certain he had done no worse than a 3 so he spent the $25 to have his test rescored and CB came back with confirmation that he had received a 1. Still not satisfied he and his classmates reconstructed the test to the best of their ability and he discovered that virtually all of his answers corresponded with those of two classmates who received a 4 and 5. Feeling confident that his essays were solid if not spectacular he came to the conclusion that when he skipped a couple of questions on the MC, intending to go back to them later, he started filling in the bubbles on the wrong line. Plausible? Maybe. Of course, the College Board wouldn’t say so he eventually gave up. Didn’t keep him out of Cornell and several other top schools, however.</p>