Dropping AP Exam

[Anonymous]

Senior DD is struggling with AP CompSci Principles and wants to drop the AP exam. She knows she’ll bomb it and doesn’t want to stress over something that she won’t use in college. For context, she has anxiety and LDs and this subject is extremely difficult for her despite much effort, going to see the teacher for help, watching videos on her own, etc. She feels like it’s hopeless. Any negative consequences to dropping an exam at this point?

[Anonymous]

Nope- totally fine for colleges and life. The only thing I’m not sure of is I think there’s a cutoff date for when you have to tell the school before they charge you for the test, so you might want to reach out to the guidance counselor today.

My child with similar learning challenges did not take several AP tests due to anxiety and she’s now successful in college!

[Anonymous]

Montegomery county may be different but in Arlington if you don't take the AP exam you don't get the merit point for the class. I would check on that. She can take the test, bomb it, and it won't matter. She just doesn't report those scores to colleges.

[Anonymous]

It's totally fine in MCPS; there is no penalty for the GPA (but do check on the $). My older two have taken a few AP classes for which they have chosen not to take the exam; my youngest will do the same next year. When a student is taking 4+ AP classes and knows their field of study for college (or in the case of my second kid, is a recruited athlete and knows by end of junior year exactly where they're going to college and which credits that school will offer for which scores and which APs), it makes sense to take some of the stress off of the student by not taking every exam in the spring.

[Anonymous]

Definitely ok not to take in any grade but especially as a senior. I know tons of kids who don't bother with any AP exams senior year.

[Anonymous]

She will have to pay the $40 fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montegomery county may be different but in Arlington if you don't take the AP exam you don't get the merit point for the class. I would check on that. She can take the test, bomb it, and it won't matter. She just doesn't report those scores to colleges.

Montgomery County does not require the student to take the exam and it has no impact on weighted GPA.

Many colleges recalculate GPA based on their own criteria, not how the school system calculates it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She will have to pay the $40 fee.

+1 This! Tests were ordered in Nov, so you have to pay the cancellation fee.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'd gladly pay $40 to reduce stress right now. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

And if she has other APs, dropping this one will let her focus on studying for the others. My kids were strategic in AP Test taking...

[Anonymous]

How does she know she'll bomb it?

Passing is 60% points, and half of it is multiple choice. And another section of it is just writing 5 sentences about a small amount of code that she herself wrote at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Senior DD is struggling with AP CompSci Principles and wants to drop the AP exam. She knows she’ll bomb it and doesn’t want to stress over something that she won’t use in college. For context, she has anxiety and LDs and this subject is extremely difficult for her despite much effort, going to see the teacher for help, watching videos on her own, etc. She feels like it’s hopeless. Any negative consequences to dropping an exam at this point?

no negative - if it causes stress, just don't go.

[Anonymous]

I would drop for sure, especially since she is a senior and it's a class that usually doesn't confer college credit even for kids who score a 5. Totally worth the $40.

[Anonymous]

She can and should take the test for the experience of taking an ap exam. She does not need to submit that score to any schools in the future

[Anonymous]

MCPS has no penalties for anything. AP CSP is a weird class to take senior year