AP exams test students’ priorities

During the first two weeks of May, 475 students enrolled in AP classes put eight months of hard work to the test—the AP test. However, the tests seemed to arrive at the worst possible time for many, as various spring sports and other extracurricular activities reached the peak of their seasons and exams piled up from other classes.

Junior Rebecca Chen said that she felt as if there weren’t enough hours in the day. She had two AP tests—Chinese and Environmental Science—in the same week as her League Championship swim meet and the SAT. To make matters worse, her Chinese exam took place in the same Wednesday afternoon as her swimming meet.

“It’s super stressful right now,” Chen said the week of AP tests. “I really want to help out the team because we’re short in numbers, but I’m in a dilemma and I don’t know which one should come first—the SAT, Leagues or AP testing.”

According to College and Career Coordinator Bonnie Sheikh, students can usually schedule a later testing date if they plan early enough. However, the Chinese and Japanese AP tests require computer use and do not allow make-up tests. As a result, Chen had to finish her Chinese test, then rush to the pool deck to swim.

“I think [the College Board] should move the tests to earlier so the people in AP classes can concentrate more on the sports they’re participating in,” Chen said. “There are fewer things going on during April than in May.”

Moving AP tests earlier, however, would force teachers to compact their curricula and deal with extraneous free time after the test. This limits the number of viable testing weeks.

Sheikh recognizes that students have to make difficult decisions when various activities clash with AP tests. The problem becomes even more severe when students are involved in multiple AP classes.
“In some instances we have to tell the kids, ‘You have to decide. What’s your priority, and what’s more important?’” Sheikh said. “They have to make the decision whether to take the AP or do the sporting event. Most of them choose the AP.”

Unfortunately for Chen and many other students with saturated schedules, the AP tests will not likely change dates soon.

“The AP tests are the same two weeks every year. They never really change,” Sheikh said. “Teachers have to cover all the material from the whole year, and get those tests in before kids have their finals and graduation and all that kind of stuff.”

Until the school finds a way for students to take AP exams without conflicting with any extracurricular obligations, the weeks of AP testing will continue to overload students dedicated to other activities.

“Right now I just keep telling myself to take it one step at a time and not overwhelm myself,” Chen said before her exams. “I’m pretty sure the teachers would be saying the same.”