Did Students Take AP Classes This Year for Nothing?
By: Brooke McBee
By: Brooke McBee
COVID-19 has caused much upheaval in just a brief amount of time. From toilet paper shortages to national lockdowns, the pandemic has changed life as many know it. Countless adults are out of jobs, struggling to come up with ways to pay their next bill while students are adjusting to online school and watching major tests, like the SAT and ACT, which are required by the majority of colleges, get cancelled. Among the immense amount of changes, one that has hit students hard is the adjustments made to the AP exam, which the College Board announced would be online, taken at home, and shortened to 45 minutes.
While numerous students are relieved to hear they will be able to take the exam at all, others are worried about how these changes will affect their outcomes. Students have spent the past year thoroughly studying subjects and now they will be expected to demonstrate their breadth of knowledge in under an hour. Moreover, the College Board also declared that subscores would not be possible this year, eliminating any hope for BC Calculus testers to earn AB Calculus credit, and said that the exams would be free response only, meaning those that were relying on the multiple choice sections to boost their scores will now have to change their tactics.
Switching the exam to online could also harm students who are used to working on paper and pencil “While I’m thankful the exams weren’t totally canceled, I’m worried about having to take them online. I normally prefer paper to screens, and what if I have issues with my computer?” Alicia Keup, a junior, expresses. Though, the College Board did reveal it would allow students to take the test on paper and submit photos of their work and that they would help students with limited to no access to technology get the materials they need. Furthermore, because students have been forced to switch to online school before they have covered all the content typically on the AP exams, the tests will only cover content most students have learned by early March. The College Board has provided a detailed breakdown of what this content will be, and will be offering online resources to help students prepare for this sudden change in the exams.
Students will also be given the opportunity to choose between two different test dates for each of their exams, which the College Board will announce by April 3rd. All the significant alterations made to the AP exam has produced a number of worries among students, parents, and educators. Some worry about the legitimacy of such exams, for online, at-home tests provide students with more room to cheat, while others feel the exams do not offer them enough of a change to showcase everything they have learned. Nevertheless, the College Board is dedicated to ensuring students maintain their opportunity to earn college credit and providing the best solution possible in a time of great uncertainty and widespread panic.
While numerous students are relieved to hear they will be able to take the exam at all, others are worried about how these changes will affect their outcomes. Students have spent the past year thoroughly studying subjects and now they will be expected to demonstrate their breadth of knowledge in under an hour. Moreover, the College Board also declared that subscores would not be possible this year, eliminating any hope for BC Calculus testers to earn AB Calculus credit, and said that the exams would be free response only, meaning those that were relying on the multiple choice sections to boost their scores will now have to change their tactics.
Switching the exam to online could also harm students who are used to working on paper and pencil “While I’m thankful the exams weren’t totally canceled, I’m worried about having to take them online. I normally prefer paper to screens, and what if I have issues with my computer?” Alicia Keup, a junior, expresses. Though, the College Board did reveal it would allow students to take the test on paper and submit photos of their work and that they would help students with limited to no access to technology get the materials they need. Furthermore, because students have been forced to switch to online school before they have covered all the content typically on the AP exams, the tests will only cover content most students have learned by early March. The College Board has provided a detailed breakdown of what this content will be, and will be offering online resources to help students prepare for this sudden change in the exams.
Students will also be given the opportunity to choose between two different test dates for each of their exams, which the College Board will announce by April 3rd. All the significant alterations made to the AP exam has produced a number of worries among students, parents, and educators. Some worry about the legitimacy of such exams, for online, at-home tests provide students with more room to cheat, while others feel the exams do not offer them enough of a change to showcase everything they have learned. Nevertheless, the College Board is dedicated to ensuring students maintain their opportunity to earn college credit and providing the best solution possible in a time of great uncertainty and widespread panic.
