<p>We have to sign a “contract” at the beginning of the school year saying that the student will take the AP test if they are enrolled in the class–I don’t know what would happen if someone refused to pay for the test–the kids going to the Ivy League and other elite schools always grumble and complain because their scores don’t count at their colleges, but it is important to the high school for the students to take the test–the teachers and schools have invested a lot of time and effort into offering those classes–kids sign-up for them in order to “look good” on their application forms–it’s only fair that they do thier part even though, at the end of the year, acceptances have already been determined. Most schools have ways to help pay the cost for students who are truly needy and can’t pay for the tests themselves.</p>