“Challenging” an AP exam (taking exam without having had the AP class) — is this common and how realistic is it?

[Anonymous]

My high schooler is telling me that some students are challenging AP exams, which means they take a test without having taken the AP class. My understanding is this is happening with a handful of exams for which the school doesn’t offer that AP class, but students want to try to see if they can still score well on the exam.

Has anyone had a child do this?

[Anonymous]

If you do this, you need to find a place they can sit for the exam. Window for signing up for taking the AP closes tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

You mean they're self-studying?

Overall this isn't very common, with exceptions. It's more common in MCPS STEM magnets, because they don't teach to AP standards. They have their own, high-caliber courses. Since college admissions is an arms race, students there also try to self-study for APs and take AP exams by themselves.

My kid is in a regular MCPS high school, and her AP Physics C teacher is abysmal. We hired a tutor and she's getting through the first part, Mechanics, and doing OK. But the second AP exam associated with that course, Electricity and Magnetism, will essentially be taken as self-study, because at the rate the teacher's going, he's not going to get to the second part of the course in any meaningful way before the exams in May.

For languages APs, bilingual or bicultural kids sometimes take the AP exams without the corresponding MCPS course, but they may take prep courses on their own, or self-study, or have weekend language classes. Mine have the latter. Every Saturday they go to their native language school. They take a different language during the week in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

And no, you cannot take an AP exam without preparation or background knowledge and hope to do well on it.

[Anonymous]

This is fairly common at private schools that don't offer AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You mean they're self-studying?

Overall this isn't very common, with exceptions. It's more common in MCPS STEM magnets, because they don't teach to AP standards. They have their own, high-caliber courses. Since college admissions is an arms race, students there also try to self-study for APs and take AP exams by themselves.

My kid is in a regular MCPS high school, and her AP Physics C teacher is abysmal. We hired a tutor and she's getting through the first part, Mechanics, and doing OK. But the second AP exam associated with that course, Electricity and Magnetism, will essentially be taken as self-study, because at the rate the teacher's going, he's not going to get to the second part of the course in any meaningful way before the exams in May.

For languages APs, bilingual or bicultural kids sometimes take the AP exams without the corresponding MCPS course, but they may take prep courses on their own, or self-study, or have weekend language classes. Mine have the latter. Every Saturday they go to their native language school. They take a different language during the week in MCPS.

Sorry to hijack---I thought Mechanics was a year long class and E&M was also a year long class. Are they each only a semester?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is fairly common at private schools that don't offer AP classes.

Yes. I recall lthreads about this related to GDS over the years. If I remember correctly, they used to host AP exams even though they didn’t offer AP classes, then stopped hosting. The administration stressed that s were absolutely unimportant. Parents not in the know were surprised and dismayed to learn that the savvier striver families at GDS were having their kids self-study and take the exams elsewhere for an extra boost come applications season. I was very sympathetic to these blindsided parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And no, you cannot take an AP exam without preparation or background knowledge and hope to do well on it.

Self-study can work well.

[Anonymous]

If you've taken the Honors version of a class and have a high IQ, "challenging" the AP version is no big deal.

Rmeemy that APs at half multi choice and only need about 55% for a 3 or 65-70% for a pass

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the replies. DC is at a small school that offers just a handful of APs. DC had had regular chemistry but not AP (because it is not available). DC is thinking about sitting for the exam to try it. The school will provide the test to them so finding a place is not a problem. This is helpful to know that others have tried this.

[Anonymous]

OP again. To the poster above whose child is aiming for the physics exam, that’s great she’s going for it! Self study takes discipline so good for her. So frustrating that her teacher isn’t doing better. I hope she does well!

[Anonymous]

Yes, my kid, at a private school, took us and European history and got 5s on both. Also common for kids to take Ap literature and do well.

[Anonymous]

I teach at a private, international school abroad and this is very common. School even has small “cubicles” or sorts for students to study. Because we have students that come from all over the world and they speak many languages we do not offer as classes they self study for that and always score high. Music theort y another popular one for self study.

[Anonymous]

Do students ever take an AP exam for which they have never had a class, but just try to self study? For example, if they have not had a psychology class, but do a lot of self study, is it realistic to think that they could score well on the Psych AP exam?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You mean they're self-studying?

Overall this isn't very common, with exceptions. It's more common in MCPS STEM magnets, because they don't teach to AP standards. They have their own, high-caliber courses. Since college admissions is an arms race, students there also try to self-study for APs and take AP exams by themselves.

My kid is in a regular MCPS high school, and her AP Physics C teacher is abysmal. We hired a tutor and she's getting through the first part, Mechanics, and doing OK. But the second AP exam associated with that course, Electricity and Magnetism, will essentially be taken as self-study, because at the rate the teacher's going, he's not going to get to the second part of the course in any meaningful way before the exams in May.

For languages APs, bilingual or bicultural kids sometimes take the AP exams without the corresponding MCPS course, but they may take prep courses on their own, or self-study, or have weekend language classes. Mine have the latter. Every Saturday they go to their native language school. They take a different language during the week in MCPS.

Sorry to hijack---I thought Mechanics was a year long class and E&M was also a year long class. Are they each only a semester?

Yes, it’s the way they were originally designed. But some schools, especially the ones without a strong physics pathway, only teach the Mechanics part of the course and stretch it out over a whole year, without teaching E&M.