Advanced Placement Exams: The Way to a Better College Life

Advanced Placement exams are taken by students in high school on subjects that are thematically similar to the course they choose to study after high school. This exam provides students with an upper hand in college admissions, giving them a chance to prove that they can work on college-level academic work and also giving them a chance to lower their college tuition fee by giving the tests for a nominal fee while in high school.

While preparing for college education, the grades in high school exams matter. However, suppose one has cleared the Advanced Placement exams. In that case, they earn that extra bit, which increases their chances of doing their preferred academic course in the college of their choice and opens up new opportunities in their future educational and professional lives. Concession in the college fee is the proverbial icing on the cake. This is where the Advanced Placement or AP exams become helpful. These are held over two weeks every year in May after students have completed their AP courses at the high school. These courses help the students become familiar with college-level work in high school, which is an advantage.

Testing Dates for AP Exams

Advanced Placement examinations are conducted during the same month every year so that students can easily prepare for the examination and schedule their other academic activities accordingly. The examination dates are provided a year in advance. The exam is conducted in May every year, and it has a morning slot and an evening slot during which different AP subject examinations will be held.

The morning slot for the examination is from 8 AM, and the afternoon slot is from noon. Sometimes, there will be an examination at 2 PM.

Candidates who have overlapping examinations will be able to take the exam on the late testing dates. If the candidate is using the late-testing dates for personal reasons, they will have to pay an additional fee. The late-testing dates will be cramped together, unlike the normal testing dates. It is usually conducted during the latter half of May.

Cost of AP Examinations

The cost of AP examinations is different for both domestic and international candidates. Domestic candidates must pay $98 per subject for the test, whereas international students must pay $128. Domestic candidates will include US, US territories, and Canada candidates.

Candidates who opt for the late-testing dates for personal reasons must pay an additional fee of $40 per examination. Those who have genuine academic reasons, such as overlapping examinations or integral academic activities on the original testing dates, will not have to pay the late-testing fee.

Registering for AP Exam

Students can register for the AP courses or directly for the exam by logging into their College Board mail ID using their College Board username and password. It must be noted that not all 38 courses will be offered in most schools, so students will have to consult their AP Coordinator to receive details about their school. If the school does not have an AP Coordinator, they must call the AP Services to contact the AP Coordinator near them.

If the student's school requires the student to indicate their exam registration, they will have to click a Register button in their class section view in “My AP” after they join their class sections. If the button is not visible, it means that their school is automatically ordering them an exam.

Accommodation for Disabled Students

If the student has a documented disability, they may be able to receive an exam accommodation. A wide range of accommodations are available, including extended time, large-type exams, a written copy of spoken test instructions, and permission to use a braille device, computer, or magnifying device.

Courses Offered in AP and its Content

The Advanced Placement program consists of 38 courses that students can take, ranging from Biology to Music Theory. Most schools do not offer all the subjects provided in the program, and hence, students have to cross-check the course details with their school before deciding on the subject they should take up.

The basic approach to the courses remains the same in every subject. Students need to explore the topic, understand and analyze its basic principles and content, and examine different perspectives on what they have explored and analyzed. Finally, they need to synthesize the ideas into comprehensive and lucid content of their own. Students may spend an entire year on research or seminars. After choosing a topic or problem, they will have to explore its various aspects, including scope and limitations. After that, they should design their research accordingly.

Duration and Format of AP Exam

1. Presently, AP exams are conducted for 38 subjects. A student has to choose the subjects from this list.
2. Different exams have different durations. Generally, they last between 2 to 3 hours.
3. The exam is divided into two sections: multiple-choice and essay or free-response types. In the multiple-choice section, students must mark one answer out of the 4 or 5 options provided in the answer sheet with a pencil.
4. In the second section, students must write their answers. Here, they may be required to write an essay or provide a solution(s) to a given problem(s). For this, they will be provided with an exam booklet.
5. There is no negative marking for wrong answers or unanswered questions in the multiple-choice section.
6. However, in the case of some exams, like Chinese Language & Culture and Japanese Language and Culture, students will use a computer instead of paper or a booklet.
7. In the case of Art & Design, students will have to submit portfolios of their works for review. These works may be uploaded in digital forms or sent by mail as physical artworks, as required by the examination authorities.

How many AP Courses Can a Student Take?

There is no limit to the number of courses a student can take, though students generally take around 3 AP courses in high school. The count for several courses depends upon the student and the amount of time they can study for college while maintaining their GPA and extracurricular activities in school. Students might also have to take ACT/SATs and prepare for them during the same duration, and taking up more AP classes might hurt their chances of maintaining their grades in high school.

The only purpose of having an AP score during college admission is to prove that the student can do intro-level college courses while in high school. This point is carried across to the admission officers with even one AP course with a decent grade. Taking up multiple AP courses is another way in which students reduce their college expenditures, but overdoing it can result in lower GPAs and other points that might cause the student to lose admission to the college or university of their choice.

If the student is doing the AP Capstone Diploma program, they will be required to do 4 AP courses on top of the two courses available in the program, which spans two years. Apart from this scenario, 3 is the ideal number of courses a student must take if they are sure that they can balance their high school grades along with the AP courses.

When Should Students Take AP Courses?

Students can start choosing their AP courses during their first year in high school. To get a head-start, some students take less demanding courses like language courses in languages they are already familiar with so that the educational load does not burden them. Still, they can also scrape a good grade in the course. This may also be the time to take courses like Environmental Science or Psychology since these courses demand less than courses like Calculus AB.

By the time the student is in their sophomore year, they will have an idea of how to balance AP courses and their academic life in high school, allowing them to take up to 3 AP courses. In the Junior year, students only think about taking core courses due to the added advantage they receive after learning similar subjects in their high school syllabus. High school academic-related content may increase in content by now, and students should always play it safe by choosing not more than 2 AP courses this year.

In their Senior year, students have to take up core AP courses and can take two or more courses depending upon the time it will leave them to do college admissions along with senior year academic content. The sole concern of students must be to perform well in their high school exams since having an AP grade is an advantage but is not mandatory. Having a high AP grade with a low high school grade does not, ultimately, sit well in college applications.

Preparing for AP Exams

Since AP exams are held every year in May, students need to plan long before that. They should contact their school's AP Coordinator for tips and tools in this regard. In case their school does not have an AP coordinator, they should contact AP Services before March 1 to obtain information regarding the nearest AP Coordinator. The College Board website has all the information on how to contact AP Services.

Some Tips for AP Preparation

• Arts- In case the student has chosen arts, they need to develop their skills in two-dimensional or three-dimensional mediums (whichever they have opted for). These skills include graphic design, photography, collage, printmaking, sculpture, architectural models, metalwork, ceramics, glasswork, etc. They will also have to do extensive research on the history of art, right from pre-historic times to the present.
• Music- If the student has chosen music, they will have to study the fundamentals of music, including its various styles, components, and processes. For instance: Pitch, Scales, Key Signatures, Rhythm, Meter, Expressive Elements, Melody, Timbre, Texture, Triads, Chord Function, Cadence, Embellishments, Motives, Melodic Devices, Harmony and Voice Leading, etc.
• English Language- For English Language, students need to develop their critical reading and writing skills. They will have to read and analyze both fiction and non-fiction literature. While dealing with non-fiction works, they must develop structured and persuasive arguments so that the readers understand the perspective on a given topic, issue, or problem. They will study non-fiction works from different periods and understand their context and content. In the case of fiction, they will be studying poetry, drama, and short and long fiction.
• Sciences- Sciences cover, among other subjects, Comparative Governments and Politics, where they have to study Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments, Political Institutions, Political Culture and Participation, Party and Electoral Systems, and Citizen Organizations, Political and Economic Changes and Development. Other subjects include Human Geography, History, Economics (both Micro and Macro), Psychology, and Biology.

Whatever subject one chooses, it goes without saying that deep and well-designed research, analysis, and synthesis of the facts that surface during the investigation should form the guiding principles for the original content they will eventually prepare. In this manner, preparing for the AP exams inculcates academic rigor in one’s character and will stand one in good stead for the rest of their life. This is apart from the immediate gain, as a good score in the AP exam gets one into one of the better colleges and, possibly, with lower educational costs.

Advantages of AP Exam Credits

Some universities in the USA and twenty other countries give credits based on AP test scores. However, policies vary from institution to institution. One may be charged a lower tuition fee if the grades are high enough. At the college, the scores are graded from 1 to 5 points. While a test score of 5 indicates that the student has qualified with the highest grades in the AP exams, a score of 1 indicates that the student has been unable to make the grade and may not be recommended to any college or university.

Caution

1. A word of caution, though. While selecting students for various courses or allowing concessional fees, universities don't need to consider AP test grades. According to a study, 38% of top American universities cap the total amount of AP credits students can receive. 75% of schools do not give credit for at least one AP subject, and nine schools do not give credit for any AP exam. The study concludes that this policy of not giving credits delays the students' graduation and increases their cost of education.
2. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been changes in the assessment processes. The administration and structure of the courses have been modified as of 2020. There is every possibility that too many changes may be implemented for future exams. However, students are advised to access updates provided on college websites or the AP Services. The School AP Coordinator will be the right person to approach.