<p>The past year as a junior i took 3 Advanced placement classes. These classes included AP Language and Composition, AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology. At the beginning of the year the AP test was required to gain the the weighted credit. However, in the middle of the year,due to budget cuts and other circumstances,our county made the test optional for that one year. Unfortunately when they did this they also moved up the date to pay for the test. This being said i was unable to sign up for the tests on time and did not take them.</p>
<p>Will colleges look down on taking those classes but not the tests?Would it be wise for me to self study the material and be familiar with it again so i can take the tests at the end of my senior year? I am taking 5 AP classes this year as a senior so going back and retaking tests would mean taking 8 AP tests.</p>
<p>No. Admissions don’t look at AP exam scores, so I doubt they’d look if you took the test at all.</p>
<p>Colleges will check your academic record to see that you took advantage of your college level oportunites while in HS. So yes, they will see you took AP. </p>
<p>Unless you choose to mention it in your app they wont know how you did on the test. They have no way to access that data directly. </p>
<p>The big reason to take the AP tests is college credit. If your college grants credit for AP and you have taken the class I would recommend you study for and take the tests. You could save yourself a lot time and money. </p>
<p>Think of it this way: If you dont take the test, chances are you will retake those classes (or something close to them) your first sememster of college, so why not give the tests a shot ? </p>
<p>BTW your school isnt the only one to force students to pay for their own tests. Thats an unfortuante trend.</p>
<p>Thank you for all of the feedback. It was very helpful! This coming year the tests are required for all ap classes so I will have to take the tests.</p>
<p>“No. Admissions don’t look at AP exam scores, so I doubt they’d look if you took the test at all.”</p>
<p>This isn’t true. The Common Application gives you the option of self-reporting your AP scores, as do the supplements of several colleges. They’re actually quite important, as they indicate how your school’s curriculum compares to the curricula of schools across the country and world. Admission officers have the arduous task of comparing school systems of drastically different quality, and AP scores provide them with some standardization.</p>