Throughout the entire year you have been preparing for this test. All of the hours of studying, all of the hours spent doing homework, all of the hours spent taking notes. These things all prepare you for this day; the day of the AP test. There were 15 tests taken this year at Blaine High School with as many as 90 people taking them such as the AP Statistics test. Even as little as 4 people taking them, like the AP French test. No matter the size or what category, they are still the same size of difficulty.

Although AP classes and test may seem repelling in many ways, one thing that draws students is the college credit. Although Ms. Bjergo( AP Geography) who says it’s not guaranteed, it is worth it. Mr. Engelhaupt (AP Statistics) agrees. “What is guaranteed in life? Nothing is just given to you for free.  College credit is expensive, and this is a low risk opportunity to get credit, so I’d say it’s worth it.”

Even though AP (advanced placement) classes can be taken by anyone, it takes a student who is dedicated and ready to take on a big challenge. Many kids shy away from AP classes because of the difficulty they present. Bjergo states that the students “who are scared to take AP classes should take a chance. AP classes are more challenging, but with the challenge, comes rewards and new opportunities.”

AP classes will help kids out in the long run, opening up a “variety of opportunities,” where the teachers are able to go more “in depth” with the subject matter. The AP classes are weighed heavier, so instead an A is a 4.0, you get a 4.25.

When taking an AP test, many students have the concern of time. AP tests are timed, in some courses you are required to write as many as 3 essays in two hours (Language and Composition). Bjergo tells us that the exams are timed, because “when students have an unlimited amount of time on tests, they tend to ‘over-analyze’ the questions and their responses and end up changing their minds to a wrong answer, when their initial response was correct”.

Anonymous student states “Once you get into the test, time goes by so fast, and you really have to put your ideas together fast. The test wasn’t as hard as I expected, I just wish I would’ve had more time.”  Another anonymous source states that “some of the questions you have never seen before so you have to make sure that you study everything.”

Scoring for the AP exams range from a 1, which is the lowest score, to a 5, which is the highest. You can score a 1 by putting your name on the test. The test gets weighted so that the top 10-20% of students who score the highest on the test get 5’s. This lower end of the “5 range” is around 70%. Bjergo says “To score a 70% on a college-level exam while in high school is a big accomplishment, especially for ninth graders!”

This information may sound scary to someone who is debating taking an AP class and test, but don’t worry! Ms. Bjergo gave us helpful tips to study and prepare for the classes. She says it’s better to study throughout the year for the test, rather than cram for it a couple weeks in advance. Taking practice exams and re-reading information learned are a couple of the ways she advises her students to study efficiently.

To anyone taking an AP class next year, Bjergo says “I would tell students that participating in class and taking class seriously (while still having fun!) will be really helpful in making sure that you do well on the AP exam.” She also stresses that the exam isn’t everything, “If [the student leaves] the class a better, more informed, educated citizen/young adult, this class has been successful.”