Stressed about AP tests? So are many other students that have been testing these past few weeks. Many AP tests are offered, such as AP United States Government, AP English Literature, AP Human Geography, and AP World History. Each test is scored on a 1-5 point scale. 

AP tests are exams that students take in order to challenge their learning and receive college credit. Passing the exam can be a big help in later years and much cheaper than paying for a college class. 

One of the first AP tests to occur was the AP Human Geography exam. The test was May 4 and was taken by students in different grades ranging from freshman to senior. 

Freshman Diego Corray explained his reasoning for taking this test and why it would benefit his learning. 

“I’m currently enrolled in AP Human Geography and I wanted to take the test to see how far I could push my knowledge and achieve my greatest potential. I also wanted to save some money for college credit,” he says. 

All AP tests are also timed, causing some students to worry about finishing their test. There are different amounts of time depending on which test students take. This adds to the difficulty and makes the test different from ones taken in regular classes. 

Junior Brianna Bickle explains how she felt anxious and tense during her AP English Language and Composition exam, due to the time limit.

“I think it is really stressful and the time is really gonna get to me. We don’t have much time and I might not finish,” she said. 

Additionally, many students use different resources or strategies to help them prepare for these stressful exams. They find tools to use on websites provided by their teachers or take the time to look for other options outside of what they are given. 

Freshman Sam McHale shares what websites she used to study for the AP Human Geography exam. 

“I watched a lot of AP classroom videos and youtube videos from Mr. Sinn’s channel. He is a writer for the exam so his notes and videos helped a lot,” she said. 

Teachers such as Adam Weiss discussed many study options with his students and how to prepare themselves for the exam. Weiss teaches AP Human Geography and talked about how he especially focused on helping his freshman classes, due to the fact that they were taking their first-ever AP exam. 

“The AP classroom website has resources. We did after-school study sessions, and I provided a plethora of practice exams, study guides, and review questions on Schoology. I also shared youtube review videos” he said. 

The layout and rules for the exam are extremely strict and important. Everything is given in a specific way that ensures no cheating or outside help that is given to students while they take the test. Some test takers even explained how these rules made the experience more stressful and complicated. For example, students are not allowed to discuss the exam with anyone, there are many signatures and writing to fill out, and cheating is strictly prohibited. If a student is caught cheating, they will be banned from taking any other AP tests in the future. 

“Each exam is different depending on what subjects it is on, but for the Human Geo one there is 60 mins for 60 multiple choice questions, which I honestly think is not enough time. The FRQ is a writing portion and it is 75 mins long,” she said. 

Furthermore, students agree that class time was a crucial factor in getting ready for their tests. Many teachers provided practice exams and were able to answer any questions that students might have. Corray explains how he agrees that his class time was thoroughly detailed and helpful when preparing for the college exam. 

“I really think the class did prepare me enough. I appreciate the study session and the online vocab that he told us to do. I like how Mr. Weiss told us to use the iscore 5 app because it was my breaking point for this test,” he said. 

Overall, students and teachers agree that while AP tests can be stressful, they can only provide benefits by giving future help and will not negatively impact students in any way. Corray provides advice to other students planning to take an AP exam.

“It felt rewarding because of all the progress and studying I put into the test felt great. To any future student, the most important thing is academic integrity and studying,” he says.