I’ve been debating whether or not I want to take the AP Chemistry test this May. I had an A in the class first semester, but I think that was due more to an easy teacher than a complete understanding of the course; I can put the numbers into the formulas, but half of the passages in my textbook are honestly gibberish to me, so I’m thinking it might be better to retake the class to make sure I have a solid understanding.
From what I understood on last thread about AP tests, only 2 AP credits can apply towards graduation, and getting general chemistry out of the way could be beneficial for me as I do want to go to medical school. The thing is, I’ve already scored 5s on Calc BC, Lit, and Psych last year, so I already have 3 AP credits and some college credit through UW Madison and UW Oshkosh for math and German, respectively.
So basically, is it even worth it to take the test? I’m really torn because I don’t want to choose between which credits will go towards my graduation, and I’m not sure I’m even ready for the next level of chemistry.
Most medical schools will not accept AP Science credits for med school prereqs. So you will either need to retake gen chem in college, or take another year of chem post-organic.
If you want to go to medical school, you should take definitely take chemistry again at Pomona. College level chemistry is much more in depth than AP chemistry. Especially if you are uncertain about what you have learned. If you have any desire to be a chemistry major, you need to have a solid foundation before taking the more advanced classes. I believe there are several options as well - (one semester vs. two semesters). You should talk to your Pomona advisor and/or someone in the Chemistry department about this decision before you register for classes.
As far as taking the AP exam, if you think you will retake the class, you probably do not need to take the test. If you are curious to see how much you learned, etc. it might help to take the test as a measurement. Son chose to retake the class at Pomona and is pretty sure he made the right decision.