As the end of the year approaches, hundreds of students at NHS have begun to take the Advanced Placement (AP) tests. AP classes are college courses available to sophomores, juniors and seniors at NHS, some of the most popular classes include English Language and Composition, Environmental Sciences, Phycology and US History.
“I am nervous about my AP Lang test, but also excited to see my work in the class pay off!” NHS junior Maddie Griffin said.
These courses can be daunting, as they present students with a college level course rigor, and finish the class with a large standardized test. These tests take place between May 6th and 17th, with each class testing at the same time nationwide. Though the tests can seem overwhelming, the class is designed to prepare students to succeed on the test.
“I try to provide students with opportunities and material to review the parts of the exam they feel they most need support on as we get closer to the exam. But the best advice I can give students before the test is to trust what they've learned all year, get a good night's sleep, and eat breakfast,” NHS english teacher Abi Marks said.
Regardless of the subject, the tests often include a mixture of multiple choice, short response and essay questions, all with designated periods of time to complete each section. Some appreciate this structure, while others believe it is not inclusive to different styles of test taking.
“I like the structured style because it gives me an outline of how quickly I should complete each section without running out of time for the test as a whole,” NHS junior Caleigh Prieto said.
For many, the lure of these classes lies in not only demonstrating to colleges their ability to handle a more challenging course, but also the possibility to receive college credit after a successful exam.
“I believe taking AP classes provide value to students regardless of how they perform on the AP test. If they do not score high enough to earn credit, they should be ahead of their peers if they take the course again in college. Taking rigorous courses and pushing beyond comfort zones is a good thing in the long run,” NHS history teacher Bobby Pattison said.
This is a source of motivation, but also stress for students as some believe there is no justification for completing the course, and not receiving college credit. This puts a great deal of pressure on the results of the single final exam.
“In BC Calculus we use a lot of past exam questions to help prepare for the exam so my hope is that my students feel prepared when the test comes,” NHS math teacher Paige Hyman said.
Scores will not be released until the beginning of July, going through an extensive grading process to ensure tests are graded fairly prior to them being announced.
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