Exonians Take AP Exams, Classes Missed For Testing
Each May, many upperclassmen Exonians face an additional academic endeavor: the Advanced Placement (AP) exam. The subject-based AP exams, known for their time-consuming and comprehensive nature, require test-takers to sit for three-hour long tests, missing their morning classes in order to complete them. Since the start of AP exams last week, many students have discussed the value of AP exams, their place in the Exeter curriculum and students’ preparation for them.
“I’m glad the school doesn’t teach students specifically to achieve high scores on APs. Test prep was kind of stressful, but I think all the studying will help me remember the subject for the long run and further my understanding in college courses.”
AP exams are administered on campus for 14 academic disciplines including Chemistry, Calculus, Physics, English Literature and various foreign languages. Each exam contains a multiple choice and free response section. The tests offer students college credit, exemption from college distribution requirements or exemption from introductory-level requirements in certain disciplines in college.
Lower Euwie Park, who took the AP Chemistry exam, says she did so in order to expedite her college course sequence. “Exeter already has a challenging pre-college education so I think it’s worth taking a standardized test like the AP to measure my comprehension and possibly get credit for it,” she said. “I want to be able to take more relevant and fun and interesting classes in college instead of being bored and frustrated in introductory courses that I have already learned the material for here at Exeter.”
In the past, AP exams have been taken primarily by seniors who have already been accepted by colleges, but an increasing number of qualified uppers and lowers have chosen to take the tests in recent years in hopes that high AP scores can boost their college applications. “To be honest, I take them to get into college, but I guess it kind of helps that I don’t have to take those classes when I’m in college,” upper Isaac Brown said.
Some seniors believe that taking AP exams solely for the purpose of college admissions is unnecessary. “Colleges seem to know that Exeter curriculum is really hard on its own, so APs are not that relevant to our applications,” senior Alec Sun said.
Sun added that Exeter’s curriculum offers students such a broad range of academic opportunities that AP courses are not the only way to distinguish themselves in the college application process. “The pressure to take APs is definitely less here at Exeter than at public schools. For my public school friends, APs are the only way they can differentiate themselves and show their academic dedication,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have so many challenging and interesting course listings so that APs are not the only option.”
Senior Stephen Price advised Exonians not to fixate on the quantity of AP exams they take during their high school careers.“If you’re stressed about college apps, my advice is don’t feel pressured to take APs, because it’s kind of useless and arduous if you aren’t actually interested in the subject,” he said. “My [hometown] friend took twenty-three APs, while I took seven during my high school career, but we’re both going to our same dream school together next year.”
Students observed that the emphasis on AP exams differs from course to course. For most of the year, Advanced Calculus students work out of Exeter’s own workbook and word problems curated by the mathematics department, until late April, when teachers offer practice AP tests. On the other hand, the Accelerated Chemistry curriculum is very focused on the AP test topics and strategy throughout the school year.
“Accelerated Chem seems to be more geared toward the AP in the way that since it’s accelerated course, a majority of the time they teach things that are tailored to the AP curriculum without going as in depth as the Advanced Chemistry course and doing less labs to complement understanding,” lower and Accelerated Chemistry student Calvin Henaku said.
Leading up to the AP exams, most courses switch their homework topics to multiple choice and free response questions that simulate those that appear on the test. Henaku’s chemistry class, for example, changed their class structure for the exam.“The workload definitely changes as you approach the AP,” he said. “You get less tests and you begin to do more review and AP specific multiple choice and AP free response while getting less homework that brings up newer content.”
Lower Raj Das, who took the AP Computer Science test, said his class split into two groups, one with students not taking the exam that focused on their current course material, while the other group focused on AP preparation.
Park feels that although Collegeboard’s AP system does not fully align with Exeter’s curriculum, test preparation will help her retain cumulative course material. “APs, with that fill-in-the-bubble and one-right-answer system, are kind of incompatible with Exeter’s trademark discussion-based Harkness and thoughtful learning style,” she said. “I’m glad the school doesn’t teach students specifically to achieve high scores on APs. Test prep was kind of stressful, but I think all the studying will help me remember the subject for the long run and further my understanding in college courses.”