Dear poor AP test takers, I want to tell you all a secret, I’ve never passed an AP test… and I’ll tell you something else, I don’t care! AP tests don’t matter, and that’s why I always take them, and I hope you do too! They’re free, a great way to get excused from class for a few hours, and at the end of the day, they mean nothing, unless you pass them; Plus, if you do, you get a general education class out of the way for college!
I’ve taken three AP tests in the past, none of which I feel I had any business taking, but I did it anyway. I got a 1 on AP Chemistry my sophomore year, which was a disaster for all parties involved and the catalyst in preventing sophomores from taking the class going forward. Junior year I took AP Calculus AB, in which I failed both the class and the AP test, with a 2 though, the highest score I’ve ever received on an AP exam! Lastly, I took AP Physics, another class I didn’t really understand my placement in, and one I only passed because Mr. Ahn was kind enough to offer many extra credit opportunities. Of course, I got a 1 on the exam, but I don’t regret this test or any of the others.
In my opinion, the AP system has many flaws, and I don’t just believe that because I can’t seem to pass the exams… or maybe I do… but hear me out anyway! AP exams often have low passing rates, with less than half of students taking them able to pass tests like AP Physics, United States History, and United States Government & Politics. This is most likely because a test that comprises cumulative information is often unrealistic for classes that rely on the memory of specific events or equations. So, it’s clear I’m not the only student struggling with the hurdle of studying an entire year’s worth of information for one test.
However, some exams have been historically much easier on its students, specifically foreign languages, which many students who speak the language will take, even if they didn’t enroll in the class itself. More advanced classes like AP Physics C and Calculus BC are also, usually, easier to pass, as students tend to be more qualified for the class when they take it, providing a selective sample of the students most equipped to succeed. If you fit any of the previous criteria, you are almost guaranteed to get a 3 or better on the exam.
Yet, even though there are still only a few cases in which the AP curriculum succeeds in providing many of its students with college credit, I always try to take the exams, just in case I meet the mark. So far, I have yet to find success, but I feel that even if I don’t pass, at least it’s free, so there’s literally no harm either way.
I understand that many of my peers, like me, give up on their exams before they even happen. However, I encourage you to persevere and at the very least show up to them. When you aren’t sure what to write, just paraphrase the prompt, and when you don’t know which answer to bubble, just choose C. It’s truly worth a shot, for you may succeed; And if not, who cares?