AP Exam creates stress for students

As the year comes to an end, students are feeling pressure to get their grades where they need to be before final grades are submitted. On top of the original tests that sophomores have to take, including Math, English, and Science end of course testing, “EOC’s”, and finals in every class, some students have chosen to take the optional Advanced Placement World History Exam for college credit.

 

The AP Exam is an accumulation of everything that the AP World History class learned this year, from the Neolithic Revolution all the way up to the present day. The test is on a five-point scale, one being the lowest score, and five being the best. Students have to complete a 70-question multiple choice portion, as well as three different essay formats that the students learned this year. Overall, the test takes up about three and a half hours, and students this year are not allowed to leave after they are finished with the test, as they were in previous years.

 

Students in AP World History that have opted-out of the exam are taking the final Unit 4 and 5 test. Although the exam is not worth any points toward the class, students are still taking it seriously because of the possible college credit, as well as the price of the test, totalling to $86 per student.

 

The students taking this test will be taking it at the Sports Complex on Thursday, May 13. The stress factor for all of the students who are taking the test is very high because of the expanse of things they need to know for the test. The students have a fourteen-page long review packet to summarize the information, which only adds to the stress these students are under.

 

Tips that have been given to students to reduce their stress are to be prepared, get a good night’s sleep, and to not over-stress themselves. While students have taken many precautions to make sure that they can pass the test with at least a three, so that they can have the possibility to gain college credit for the course.

 

Overall, the students who are taking the AP World History Exam said they are stressing out about preparations for the test. Although stress-levels are high among these students, confidence is key in achieving success on this test.