Advanced Placement (AP) exams are tests taken by students who were in an AP class during the school year. If the student gets a high enough score, it can be transferred to colleges for the possibility of receiving college credit. At BSM, taking the AP exam is a requirement. Seniors have various opinions about taking their exams.
The AP exams are typically between two and three hours long. There is usually a break between the sections of the exam, but other than that, students have to stay in the testing room until the test time is up. CNLD Testing and Therapy did a study and found that the average attention span for a student 16 years and older is 32-50 minutes. Since it is hard for students to fully concentrate for such a long period of time, the AP exams may not show a student’s full knowledge. Students may feel better about the test if there were two breaks instead of just one or if students were allowed to quietly leave once they’d finished their exam. “It’s way too long. A lot of us were just sitting there [in the classroom] for 40 minutes not doing anything,” said senior Maggie Graczyk.
I think it’s really expensive… I think it’s silly that we have to pay that much and we are forced to do it.”
— Maggie Mullin
At many schools, taking the AP exam is optional. Part of why the test is optional is because it costs approximately $90. Although BSM offers financial aid for low-income families for the tests, it is still a large sum for those who don’t qualify for aid. Another part of why other schools make AP tests optional for seniors is because most of them have been accepted to their colleges and the additional cost at the end of the year can be inconvenient. “I think it’s really expensive… I think it’s silly that we have to pay that much and we are forced to do it,” said senior Maggie Mullin.
Currently, the AP exams are in the middle of May. Most seniors graduate at the end of May so having to study for and perform well on an AP exam a week or two before your high school graduation can be difficult. There is a lot going on later in the school year and student’s having to prep after nine months of school can be hard. “I would have liked them to be in April. April would be a nice time because May’s just so busy, especially for seniors,” said senior Kate Walesh.