<p>Here is my question about AP tests…More and more high schools are encouraging students as young as sophomores to take AP classes without prerequisites i.e. AP Psych/History/Lit… are these 15 yo actually passing the tests with 4/5’s and getting college credit? Are there any stats about this? Taking an AP class as a HS Jr or Sr after taking prerequisites makes sense but sophomores? </p>
<p>AP World History is offered for sophomores so the AP test makes sense to do it then. </p>
<p>As for AP tests in general, they are more valuable than the classes because they create a consistent measurement method. </p>
<p>In the case of my kids’ high school, the classes are often tougher than the test. That may or may not be the case in other schools. It also varies from teacher to teacher.</p>
<p>If I had to pick, I would say abolish AP classes and just offer the tests.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“2012 AP Exam Score Distributions”>2012 AP Exam Score Distributions; indicates that some of the “easier” APs (e.g. environmental science, human geography, statistics) have relatively low score distributions, probably due to selection effects (e.g. weaker students tend to choose them, or high schools may encourage frosh/soph students to take those courses and tests). Meanwhile, some of the “harder” APs (e.g. calculus BC) have relatively high score distributions, against likely due to selection effects.</p>
<p>I think my son originally started taking AP classes because they tend to explore topics more thoroughly and in depth- he just found them more interesting than honors or college prep classes. He did get a bit stressed out during the testing periods, but it didn’t really seem to bother him. He entered a well ranked public university this year with enough credits to place him at sophomore+ status. He is on the quarter system and can easily finish in 3 years, which saves us a bundle. That is really not the reason that he originally took AP classes but it is certainly icing on the cake!</p>
<p>My D started her first AP in sophomore with US History as it is recommended by her school. A significant percentage of students did received 4 or 5 in it.</p>
<p>Billcsho, by upperclassman tuition do you mean graduate school? The schools I’ve looked at have the same COA listed for all four years. </p>
<p>AP philosophies are varied by school. Recent studies have shown that kids who take AP classes tend to fare better in college. So now some very good-natured people in some school districts who don’t understand cause and effect have decided AP classes should be open to everyone - they don’t understand the self-selecting nature of who is in the courses to begin with has more to do with the success than the AP course itself. One school in CA even decided by lottery! You had students taking AP physics who had never taken the math they needed to understand physics. Rather than improve other courses to better prepare kids to take true APs, they’re watering down the AP classes with kids who aren’t yet ready to perform at that level.</p>
<p>In my local school district, the only pre-requisite to getting into an AP course is to have a B or better in a feeder course. Or, if you don’t have at least a B, you can request a meeting with the principal, who almost always places the kid in the AP course. Unfortunately in this district, honors classes have been watered down, as any kid who wants to go to college knows they need to get out of the general classes and into Honors if they want to learn anything. So now AP is becoming what Honors should be, and there’s nothing being taught at the level AP should be taught. Only half the kids take the exam, and less than half earn even a “3”, which won’t get college credit in most courses. It’s really doing a disservice to kids who are ready for challenge.</p>
<p>Elective credits can still be helpful. If you get sick during college, change majors or want to study abroad, you may need those extras for everything to pencil out and graduate on time. Also, once you change majors, those “elective credits” may end up fulfilling a requirement after all.</p>
<p>Extra AP credits are an insurance, but you may never file a claim.</p>
<p>My son’s school as AP and IB - sometimes the IB tests are easier than the AP tests in the same subject so if you get a lower score on one, still ‘covered’ by the other. They took AP world as freshman and most did very well; AP Euro as sophmores along with any AP electives you have(mine had psych and art history). 11th and 12th grades have alot more. My older son actually had too many credits to take to FSU and went with their max of 45, eliminating all but 2 required FSU undergrad courses. He was able to do a minor(6 classes) his freshman year in business - he is in film school and not allowed to take other courses after freshman year other than film so it was definitely worth it for us that he get all that done with AP’s and IB’s. It also looks good in general on applications for rigourous course of study and being an AP scholar. The tests are all free at his HS so basically a no brainer there. It also prepared him very well for college classes which were a breeze after the AP/IB ones, in addition to all the money saved…</p>
<p>At the time when you sign up for them you probably don’t know where you’re going to college yet (you might know your senior year, but likely not). Most public schools do offer credit and even top students usually have some public school as a back up. </p>
<p>@3scoutsmom
That is good for you. Some schools charge extra for junior and senior (upperclassman). UMich charge upperclassman around $1000 more per semester for LSA and $2000 more per semester for engineering. Part of the reason is the upperclassman classes are usually smaller. Some schools have a flat rate while others like UIUC would even lock the rate for 4 years. You need to find out from the school you are applying. Also, some schools would limit the number of AP credits.</p>
<p>Thanks billcsho, that’s good to know. I had just wrapped my brain around all the ‘fees’ so upperclassman tuition might have pushed me over the edge:-o Thankfully we’ve known her top choice school since 9th grade and it’s also a safety for her. I did check which APs the school accepts, what score is required, and which could be applied to her intended major. She’s capped at 1/4 of total credits for AP or CLEP but that does not include dual credit classes which should also give her an extra little buffer. Of course there is always a chance she could change her mind but it’s better to start with a plan and change it than start without any direction. </p>
<p>I did that AP credit calculation a few years for the in state flagship when my D started taking AP classes. Now my D is senior and I check the AP credit she is going to get again, I found that school has decrease the number of AP credits for several courses within the past year. So you may want to check back.</p>
<p>Kids aiming for highly selective schools need to take the AP classes so that they can say they took the most rigorous possible curriculum. Also remember that it’s in your high school’s interest to have you take the test and score well. That’s a metric that’s tracked and reported and either makes the school look good or bad. At our public high school, when you sign up for an AP class you are agreeing to take the AP exam at the end. I’m not sure how they would handle it if you just refused to pay for the exam. They probably wouldn’t do anything. I can imagine that some seniors may already know they’re going to a school that won’t accept the AP credit for certain classes, e.g. AP Psychology.</p>
<p>Op,
Many HSs require that kids take the ap exam if they are in the ap class. (Maybe to weed out the kids who r taking the class solely for the gpa bump). Taking the ap test should be replacing the final exam in the class and so ap test studying should be similar to reg class final studying… The sat2s are at the same time and minimal studying should be necessary. Ideally, the sat1 or act was finished far in advanced. </p>
<p>Why not?</p>
<p>I am a freshman in high school and took 2 AP classes this year (Biology and Human Geography). In my school, unless you are taking the maximum number of AP’s available every year and scoring well in that class, you don’t have a chance at ranking in the top 20 people. Kids do all sorts of things to “rig their schedules” and squeeze in as many AP’s as possible for the GPA boost. </p>
<p>Most AP teachers where I go to school either require the AP exam and the ones that don’t require it exempt you from final exams if you do take the AP exam. </p>
<p>Next year, I’ll take 3 AP classes. I take AP’s mainly to stay competitive with my peers in ranks. Getting credit is not as important to me because most colleges I’m aiming for don’t accept credit at all. Great AP scores also give you a leg-up in admissions. </p>
<p>@violet1996 Do you actually think your college courses are harder than the AP’s ? My D who has taken both feels the opposite. They certainly are different, much more class time in her AP’s, more tests and assignments too. Her college classes have more work out of class, run at a very brisk pace, and in her view test more conceptual understanding, less memorization, makes it easier in her view.</p>
<p>@takeitallin This year with 4 college finals and 2 AP exams in the same week i hope D got a good feel of what she will face next year with 6 college finals in the same week. Hopefully kids use the AP tests to get an idea of the expectations in college.</p>
<p>@yohoyoho In our high achieving public school most AP classes replace finals with a practical project that is meant to demonstrate some mastery of the subject. I heard about an AP chem project which recreated the Periodic table with decorated Cupcakes accompanied by an explanation of the chemical processes involved with making the frosting…Kids are so darn creative ! </p>
<p>My son was very glad to have his AP credits when he more or less flunked out of his first semester of college…when he returned to school, despite earning little credit that first semester, he wasn’t behind. Not the use I thought they’d be put to when he was in HS but hey…</p>
<p>I actually think AP Exams are a better predictor of success in college than the ACT and the SAT. </p>