Once again, a record number of students are taking a record number of AP tests, continuing a trend set since the school implemented its open access policy six years ago.

This year alone, the school has 475 students taking a total of 1,064 tests. AP tests begin on May 2 and run through May 13, said Secretary/ CCC coordinator Bonnie Sheikh.

Enrollment in AP classes has been increasing drastically since 2004, when the school implemented open access for AP English, history and science courses. The policy gave students with baseline grades the opportunity to take AP classes. Previously, students needed a certain GPA to be allowed to take specific classes; for example, to get into an AP English class, seniors needed a 3.5 GPA in all prior
English courses, said assistant principal Brian Safine.

Additionally, a more recent change explaining the jump in students taking AP exams is the introduction of AP Environmental Science, which now has three full classes.

Incredibly, despite the huge increase in students taking AP classes and fears that fewer students would pass the exams, the opposite has happened.

“We are at a point last year in 2010 where the percentage [of students passing] is higher than it was before the open access,” said Safine.

To help students prepare, most teachers have been handing out AP testing practice material from workbooks, textbooks and even worksheets as homework.

“Our teacher [math teacher Audrey Warmuth] bought us prep books so our homework for the month was just doing problems from that book,” sophomore Geena Zhou said.

After taking an AP course, most students will take the AP test for that class in the same year for convenience. AP testing allows students the chance to receive college credit.

“Part of my reason to take AP tests is to make sure that I am doing well in my AP class, like up to par with the standards and I’m also hoping that the AP credit will count in college so I can skip some classes,” junior Kellie Chiou said.

The high cost of AP tests mainly goes to the College Board. The school makes $8 per test, which covers numerous expenses such as proctoring and sending AP teachers to training conferences.