<p>So, here is my dilemma, although I don't know if anyone will think it is much of one. Son goes to a HS where AP classes are only offered senior year. He took a full load as a senior and is doing well. His HS puts no demands on the students for actually taking the AP tests at the end of the year. The good news is that son has already been accepted to the college of his choice, a super selective school that will not accept two of his AP tests (Calculus AB and AP Govt) for any kind of credit. He is willing and motivated to study for the other two AP exams, where a 5 can give him credit at that school, but he is unmotivated to take the other two; he thinks it is senseless and a waste of time. </p>
<p>To me, the idea of taking an AP class is to prepare yourself for college level classes. I am concerned that by skipping these, he will be going to a competitive school with very few AP tests under his belt, compared to everyone else. I also think that he should take them out of respect to his teachers, since they wrote recommendations for him, and to challenge himself by taking the test as a way to practice for similar college finals. But it's hard to argue with his logic, which is that he will spend more time on the tests which could count toward college credit. My attitude is that he is studying for finals in these same classes anyway, so why not? </p>
<p>So what do all you experienced people think? Son is willing to listen to any rational arguments in favor of taking the tests.</p>
<p>I took 2 AP classes last year and did well on their respective AP exams. This year I am taking 5 exams. I find the amount of studying involved is extremely overwhelming. I definately think taking 2 exams instead of 4 will give him more time to study. Calc and Gov involve quite a bit of studying and can cause him to shortend his other two APs. Although he is taking finals in the other two APs, the information covered on the finals can vary from what is on the actual AP. The format is also very different. It is always could to take practice AP exams to practice test taking with the AP format, but these practice tests are VERY time consuming.</p>
<p>The ultimate goal of AP classes and exams is to gain college credit to save money, graduate early, and/or take more advanced classes in college. If the college does not accept credit for an AP exam, though, you are not saving money (in fact, you're losing almost $200) and it doesn't help towards graduating early. On the other hand, taking an AP class and doing well may help a student do well on a mandated placement test at the beginning of the school year, usually in at least foreign language, English, and math. In this case, the AP class itself and not the AP exam would help the student accelerate his studies. Moreover, a distinct advantage of taking an AP (or AP-level) class and NOT the exam is that the student will find the corresponding class easier to handle in college. Granted, he may not be learning as much, but it may help in smoothening the transition from high school to college if the corresponding class is taken in the student's first year at college.</p>
<p>I'd recommend not taking the exams. AP exam fees are an investment if and only if a student can gain college credit. Otherwise, the AP class itself is an investment, so no exam is necessary. I'm sure if your son told his teachers that their teaching alone, and not his own studying efforts at home, will help him succeed in college, they will be flattered. :)</p>
<p>Actually, for Calculus, your son could try to self-study for Calculus BC (if his school accepts credit for that exam - I know some schools such as Penn accept credit for only BC and not AB). The primary difference between AB and BC is the difficulty of applications of Calculus; the additional material in BC is not unbearable. I think this would be the optimal solution to half your problem. Even if your son does not obtain a qualifying score, at least he will have attempted an exam that could've gained him college credit rather than easily acing an exam that he already knows will get him nowhere.</p>
<p>The sole problem is whether or not he has finished the AP Calc AB curriculum; the BC class is three more chapters of a standard text, and he has 40 days to internalize that material before the exam. I would not waste time taking the exam if one cannot get a qualifying score-it would be a similar waste of money, and said student will not be able to place out of the class in college, since the placement test will be of similar difficulty.
Therefore I would only advise it if your son was confident in his AB abilities and has enough motivation to attempt that many lessons in a short amount of time while maintaining his efforts and ability to earn high scores in his other classes.</p>
<p>pretty much what everyone else said is good advice.</p>
<p>AP tests are to get out of college courses. if your son knows he isn't going to get credit, don't feel you have to force him to take it (even for his teacher's respect)</p>