Right, but since the binary choice is between the AP B and lesser A, the answer should be limited to those responses.
It’s similar to the question “Is it better to make a lot of money or do something you love”? The answer of course is “make a lot of money doing something you love”, but if the answers are limited to filling in the oval with a #2, many people would choose the latter.
To me it means “if I am looking at two kids I like, who are otherwise nearly identical, and one took AP History and got a B and the other took honors and got an A when AP was available to him, I will take the AP kid.”
I do realize that this theoretical (but omnipresent) question has nearly 0% practical effect on elite college admissions.
This is what you don’t know until you try. It’s “The Lady or The Tiger” in many respects. The point is, go for it, take the risk, push yourself, as there is little benefit in playing it safe. Although, I will point out that even Mr. Hughes admits that if the workload from AP hurts your other activities (such as you other classes or your EC time) then it is a bad choice.