Does it look bad if you retake an AP test?

<p>I basically want to improve my score. I'd rather not discuss my particular grade but let's just say if this were the SAT I'm not one of those people with a 2390 wanting to retake for a perfect score.</p>

<p>to my knowledge your not allowed to retake it.</p>

<p>Probably not the best idea. </p>

<p>And most of the time AP scores don't count for much for admissions. They're more for placement purposes and for you to get out of some general requirement courses.</p>

<p>i'm having the exact same problem. and i desperately want to retake an ap class, even if its just for better placement.</p>

<p>DON"T RETAKE a class. It really doesn't look good for colleges, because it would be like wasting your time and not challenging yourself. Unless your high school requires you to retake it because you failed it or something...that would be a different matter...though that doesn't look too good for schools either >_>"</p>

<p>good point frutiaspice</p>

<p>It's FINE to retake an AP test. Most test-takers get started late on taking AP tests (not taking any until junior year), but the student handbook on AP tests says it's all right to retake any AP test. </p>

<p>No, you don't have to retake the course to retake the test. You don't have to take any course at all to take an AP test.</p>

<p>It's a nonissue whether or not you want retake an AP exam. I sincerely doubt a college would care (and why would they even know, anyway?). A friend of mine who went to Notre Dame to study English retook her sophomore-year English Language exam during her senior year to boost it from a 3 to a 5.</p>

<p>I don't think Notre Dame was displeased ;)</p>

<p>If you are retaking so you can get college credit, yes retake.</p>

<p>If it's for "admissions" purposes, don't.</p>

<p>
[quote]
If it's for "admissions" purposes, don't.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Who says so?</p>

<p>AP grades are self-reported for admissions anyways, so it's not like they would know if you retook it to get that 5 you put down. I'd say go for it if you think you can improve!</p>

<p>right...... if they're self-reported, then the college will never know that it was got on a second try! RIGHT.,...??? unless we have to report the year that we got it...</p>

<p>You don't. You only report the score you got.</p>

<p>It's absolutely fine to retake an AP test.</p>

<p>I took the AP us history test while I was taking the class and got a 2. I independently studied and when I took it a year later I got a 5.</p>

<p>It may even look good if you show you're capable of studying on your own and pulling up the score.</p>

<p>Congratulations on the score improvement after the retake. Since I posted my previous answers to this thread, my son received his notice of his AP scholar award from 2008, and in the envelope was an updated list of criteria for each level of AP scholar award set by College Board. In this year's list of criteria, there is specific mention of what happens if a test-taker takes the same test twice: the higher score only is counted, for purposes of calculating average scores, and only one instance of taking the test is counted, for purposes of counting how many AP tests the test-taker has taken. The exact language is, "Exams taken multiple times only count once; the highest grade will be used for the award calculation." So, as I wrote before I received this information, it's FINE to retake an AP test.</p>

<p>It's seriously pointless all around. You want to spend another $80 (whatever it costs now) just to retake a 3 hour exam? In terms of placement... it really depends on the exam. If it's in math or science, then by all means, re-take it to see if you can get credit for it. If it's for a foreign language exam, you can just take a placement exam for FREE at the college you're going to. If it's for any others, it's pointless. Yes, even AP economics are not worth it as the college courses themselves tend to be much more difficult than AP Econ itself.</p>