AP Courses have always been a popular choice for students at BSM. With a good AP score, students can turn it to college credit depending on the rules of their college. However, AP tests are also challenging for high school students. Facing a tradeoff, what is the best choice for seniors: take an AP course or not? It can be a difficult question to answer, but here are some tips.

First, if you already know where you want to go for college, check out their website. Most students take the AP test in order to get college credit. For example, students do not need to take Calculus again in university if they pass the AP Calculus test. In order to figure out what AP test would be the best choice for you, the first thing you need to do is to check with the college. Each university has their own rules and regulations over AP credit. Most colleges require a score of 4 or 5 on the AP test.

Related Stories

Quarter schedule adds new wrinkle to AP classes

Honors and AP classes: furthering education or stress?

Second, make the AP test related to your major. If your major is business related, you might want to take tests like Calculus, Statistics, Macroeconomics, and Microeconomics. If your major is biology or health related, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics would be helpful for you. If your major is computer or mathematics related, Calculus and Computer Science would be your top choice. If your major is in the education and psychology field, take the psychology test.

Third, plan before you sign up for the test. Be careful of your test schedule. Though you may be able to sign up for eight AP tests, it’s just too stressful. Take some time to think about what would be a reasonable choice for you. I signed up for four AP tests and now I’m not feeling good about the upcoming month.

My last advice would be to practice. The AP test is mostly about tests rather than learning. Though the students may feel like they already know all the concepts, all those questions on the test might still make them confused. In this case, the student who takes their time doing the practice test will always do a better job on the real exam. If you don’t know where to find those practice questions, ask your teacher or just search on Google.

In conclusion, there are three pieces of advice for you: take the test if you need to, take the test if you want to, and practice before you take the test.Remember, you don’t have to take it if you change your mind.