AP Exams & Scheduling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a kid who is taking their 11th and 12th APs as a senior this week (but also had a 4 hour long varsity sport state semifinals game last night and 2 hour practices on all other days, including on Saturday), I have so much empathy for all of you parents. Wish this kid could get some sleep already!

I was surprised to hear from a parent of a kid at Hotchkiss boarding school that their kid took zero APs. Not even one. It made me actually wonder whether I should have sent my kid to boarding school or another private school where APs are not common and lots of kids end up at the same colleges as a public school kid like mine who felt compelled to take so many of these long tests.

As the parent of a private school kid who is not taking any APs I strongly agree. It makes the cost almost worthwhile. If the school doesn't offer it, you don't have to take it to be "most rigorous."

If your kid is a senior, why do they care so much? They are into college. Worst case they do badly on the test. So what?

Another private school parent who agrees. My kid is having plenty of rigor and doesn't have to prove himself. Makes life much less stressful. I roll my eyes at these parents of kids who take 15+ APs. Sounds miserable.

Ok.. do you lack self awareness? Most kids don’t go to a rigorous private school. Their only option for higher rigor is to take AP classes. At our high school you can’t even elect to dual enroll unless you’ve already taken the AP classes offered by the HS in that subject

This. Honestly, though, the regular classes at the rigorous private school are probably similar in homework load and rigor to the AP classes in the public. Or if anything, the private school kids have more work.

You can't really compare the number of APs taken now vs. 30 years ago. Schools have effectively renamed all of the tracks. What was honors is now AP. What was regular is now honors. What was remedial is now regular. My honors English classes 30 years ago were much more demanding than my kids' AP English ones.

[Anonymous]

My kid had spanish language today which took 4 hours (lots of making sure everyone's tech was working for all the listening/speaking portions, etc.). His second AP started before his first was done. School told him and one other student in the same predicament they could have a 20 minute break then take the second test with another proctor which they did.

I feel like some APs are a bit notorious for going over time (all the languages with listening and speaking components) so those should be the afternoon ones and the more straightforward ones should be the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a kid who is taking their 11th and 12th APs as a senior this week (but also had a 4 hour long varsity sport state semifinals game last night and 2 hour practices on all other days, including on Saturday), I have so much empathy for all of you parents. Wish this kid could get some sleep already!

I was surprised to hear from a parent of a kid at Hotchkiss boarding school that their kid took zero APs. Not even one. It made me actually wonder whether I should have sent my kid to boarding school or another private school where APs are not common and lots of kids end up at the same colleges as a public school kid like mine who felt compelled to take so many of these long tests.

As the parent of a private school kid who is not taking any APs I strongly agree. It makes the cost almost worthwhile. If the school doesn't offer it, you don't have to take it to be "most rigorous."

If your kid is a senior, why do they care so much? They are into college. Worst case they do badly on the test. So what?

Another private school parent who agrees. My kid is having plenty of rigor and doesn't have to prove himself. Makes life much less stressful. I roll my eyes at these parents of kids who take 15+ APs. Sounds miserable.

Ok.. do you lack self awareness? Most kids don’t go to a rigorous private school. Their only option for higher rigor is to take AP classes. At our high school you can’t even elect to dual enroll unless you’ve already taken the AP classes offered by the HS in that subject

This. Honestly, though, the regular classes at the rigorous private school are probably similar in homework load and rigor to the AP classes in the public. Or if anything, the private school kids have more work.

You can't really compare the number of APs taken now vs. 30 years ago. Schools have effectively renamed all of the tracks. What was honors is now AP. What was regular is now honors. What was remedial is now regular. My honors English classes 30 years ago were much more demanding than my kids' AP English ones.

Yes. But back then things didn't culminate in this test which creates stress and drama. Much simpler. We are dramatically overcomplicating things.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is they do the longer testing in the morning because of managing accommodations for the kids that need them. If you get time and a half, those kids are often not done until 2 pm. The schools cannot handle how late those tests would go with time and a half if they started at the afternoon slot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is they do the longer testing in the morning because of managing accommodations for the kids that need them. If you get time and a half, those kids are often not done until 2 pm. The schools cannot handle how late those tests would go with time and a half if they started at the afternoon slot.

This. If DC’s English Lang test this week had been in the afternoon slot, it wouldn’t have finished until nearly 6 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a kid who is taking their 11th and 12th APs as a senior this week (but also had a 4 hour long varsity sport state semifinals game last night and 2 hour practices on all other days, including on Saturday), I have so much empathy for all of you parents. Wish this kid could get some sleep already!

I was surprised to hear from a parent of a kid at Hotchkiss boarding school that their kid took zero APs. Not even one. It made me actually wonder whether I should have sent my kid to boarding school or another private school where APs are not common and lots of kids end up at the same colleges as a public school kid like mine who felt compelled to take so many of these long tests.

As the parent of a private school kid who is not taking any APs I strongly agree. It makes the cost almost worthwhile. If the school doesn't offer it, you don't have to take it to be "most rigorous."

If your kid is a senior, why do they care so much? They are into college. Worst case they do badly on the test. So what?

Another private school parent who agrees. My kid is having plenty of rigor and doesn't have to prove himself. Makes life much less stressful. I roll my eyes at these parents of kids who take 15+ APs. Sounds miserable.

Ok.. do you lack self awareness? Most kids don’t go to a rigorous private school. Their only option for higher rigor is to take AP classes. At our high school you can’t even elect to dual enroll unless you’ve already taken the AP classes offered by the HS in that subject

This. Honestly, though, the regular classes at the rigorous private school are probably similar in homework load and rigor to the AP classes in the public. Or if anything, the private school kids have more work.

You can't really compare the number of APs taken now vs. 30 years ago. Schools have effectively renamed all of the tracks. What was honors is now AP. What was regular is now honors. What was remedial is now regular. My honors English classes 30 years ago were much more demanding than my kids' AP English ones.

Yes. But back then things didn't culminate in this test which creates stress and drama. Much simpler. We are dramatically overcomplicating things.

My kid took 6 APs this year. There was no stress or drama. APs are much less stressful than the comprehensive tests taken in most other countries, like the Baccalaureate or A-levels. We don't need to coddle our kids this much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a kid who is taking their 11th and 12th APs as a senior this week (but also had a 4 hour long varsity sport state semifinals game last night and 2 hour practices on all other days, including on Saturday), I have so much empathy for all of you parents. Wish this kid could get some sleep already!

I was surprised to hear from a parent of a kid at Hotchkiss boarding school that their kid took zero APs. Not even one. It made me actually wonder whether I should have sent my kid to boarding school or another private school where APs are not common and lots of kids end up at the same colleges as a public school kid like mine who felt compelled to take so many of these long tests.

As the parent of a private school kid who is not taking any APs I strongly agree. It makes the cost almost worthwhile. If the school doesn't offer it, you don't have to take it to be "most rigorous."

If your kid is a senior, why do they care so much? They are into college. Worst case they do badly on the test. So what?

Another private school parent who agrees. My kid is having plenty of rigor and doesn't have to prove himself. Makes life much less stressful. I roll my eyes at these parents of kids who take 15+ APs. Sounds miserable.

Ok.. do you lack self awareness? Most kids don’t go to a rigorous private school. Their only option for higher rigor is to take AP classes. At our high school you can’t even elect to dual enroll unless you’ve already taken the AP classes offered by the HS in that subject

This. Honestly, though, the regular classes at the rigorous private school are probably similar in homework load and rigor to the AP classes in the public. Or if anything, the private school kids have more work.

You can't really compare the number of APs taken now vs. 30 years ago. Schools have effectively renamed all of the tracks. What was honors is now AP. What was regular is now honors. What was remedial is now regular. My honors English classes 30 years ago were much more demanding than my kids' AP English ones.

Yes. But back then things didn't culminate in this test which creates stress and drama. Much simpler. We are dramatically overcomplicating things.

My kid took 6 APs this year. There was no stress or drama. APs are much less stressful than the comprehensive tests taken in most other countries, like the Baccalaureate or A-levels. We don't need to coddle our kids this much.

I don’t know- I don’t coddle and it’s been very stressful for my teen taking several APs. Not only the exam itself but it’s been a ton of consecutive class time missed and at a very important time of the year. The logistics of the makeup work has been the worst part of AP exams. I feel like if students are literally taking school exams- class work (with the exception of quizzes/tests) should just be excused

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:mine has AP lang this morning then AP Physics C M only 20 mins in between!

what schools are these that are scheduling it this way? Langley HS has a 2-hour break inbetween the morning and afternoon AP exams, so it's clearly an issue with the administration's scheduling and not anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent of a kid who is taking their 11th and 12th APs as a senior this week (but also had a 4 hour long varsity sport state semifinals game last night and 2 hour practices on all other days, including on Saturday), I have so much empathy for all of you parents. Wish this kid could get some sleep already!

I was surprised to hear from a parent of a kid at Hotchkiss boarding school that their kid took zero APs. Not even one. It made me actually wonder whether I should have sent my kid to boarding school or another private school where APs are not common and lots of kids end up at the same colleges as a public school kid like mine who felt compelled to take so many of these long tests.

As the parent of a private school kid who is not taking any APs I strongly agree. It makes the cost almost worthwhile. If the school doesn't offer it, you don't have to take it to be "most rigorous."

If your kid is a senior, why do they care so much? They are into college. Worst case they do badly on the test. So what?

Another private school parent who agrees. My kid is having plenty of rigor and doesn't have to prove himself. Makes life much less stressful. I roll my eyes at these parents of kids who take 15+ APs. Sounds miserable.

Ok.. do you lack self awareness? Most kids don’t go to a rigorous private school. Their only option for higher rigor is to take AP classes. At our high school you can’t even elect to dual enroll unless you’ve already taken the AP classes offered by the HS in that subject

This. Honestly, though, the regular classes at the rigorous private school are probably similar in homework load and rigor to the AP classes in the public. Or if anything, the private school kids have more work.

You can't really compare the number of APs taken now vs. 30 years ago. Schools have effectively renamed all of the tracks. What was honors is now AP. What was regular is now honors. What was remedial is now regular. My honors English classes 30 years ago were much more demanding than my kids' AP English ones.

Yes. But back then things didn't culminate in this test which creates stress and drama. Much simpler. We are dramatically overcomplicating things.

My kid took 6 APs this year. There was no stress or drama. APs are much less stressful than the comprehensive tests taken in most other countries, like the Baccalaureate or A-levels. We don't need to coddle our kids this much.

I don’t know- I don’t coddle and it’s been very stressful for my teen taking several APs. Not only the exam itself but it’s been a ton of consecutive class time missed and at a very important time of the year. The logistics of the makeup work has been the worst part of AP exams. I feel like if students are literally taking school exams- class work (with the exception of quizzes/tests) should just be excused

That's not an AP issue. It's a "your school" issue. I can see why it's super stressful if the kids are still getting normal classwork and are expected to make up the content they're missing to take the APs. My kids' school only does finals and APs during the 2 week AP window. Every class ends up being a study hall or review session, and it's much kinder to the kids. Perhaps your child can grab some of the other AP kids, meet the principal, and advocate for nicer AP policies going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a question about how different high schools support students taking AP Exams -- I'm trying to gather real examples of schools that handle testing well and understand how other students handle the pressures that exist during AP testing weeks to help make things better for next year and future students.

For example, my DC took the AP US History Exam Friday morning (3 hours 15 min) which started after 8:30 am due to proctor seating kids very slowly. Test ended at 12:08 pm, kids got released at 12:12 pm, DC was seated for her next exam at 12:15 pm and started it at 12:30 pm. Obviously, no break for lunch or bathroom after getting up at 6 am and eating breakfast before 7 am. DC was not the only student taking both tests that day with this timeline. I've reached out to the AP Coordinator for some explanation and received no response.

It seems at our high school, students who have two different exams scheduled for one day are required to take both exams. I've heard that other schools automatically allow students to reschedule one of the exams on a makeup day. Is that true at your school or school system? If so which one.

I've also been reading that College Board policy acknowledges that a 3 hour and 15 min exam can be over 4 hours in duration with instruction and breaks -- and says it's up to the AP Coordinator at the school to ensure that students get a mandatory 20 min break between tests (um -- does anyone else think 20 min is comically short and expecting schools to figure this out is bad design?). Has anyone had experience with this getting handled well? How? Does anyone think the break should be at least 40 min? Does anyone know why College Board doesn't address this issue with their scheduling, e.g. by scheduling the longer test in the later slot or starting the afternoon test at 1 pm instead of 12 noon?

Teachers at our high school have also continued to assign papers and tests during these two AP testing weeks. Is this normal? Are students expected to navigate the load themselves or does your school have policies in place to help with assignments and attendance for students who have multiple AP tests during these weeks?

Appreciate hearing about your DC experience.

Ok, Bea calm down. Students get to leave after 1st exam and are not required to attend classes after lunch. So that's ridonc that they are taking back to back exams on same day. The second exam on makeup date. Not all kids take the exams.

This was true for my older 3 kids, but not current kid. Kid is missing other classes, has class the other half of the day when not testing and has to complete assignments missed before or after school. And all of my kids have taken tests back to back- it is the nature of the schedule.

Yes! The new policy at DC's school has mandatory attendance when they are not taking an exam - like Lang class right after the Lang exam and the teacher essentially said "decompress". Plus the geniuses have decided that AP exam week is premiere week for the school musical. So kids go right off to rehearsal and full run throughs right after the exam and don't come home until 10. Rinse and repeat all week. DC is handling it remarkably well so far and today's the last exam!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:mine has AP lang this morning then AP Physics C M only 20 mins in between!

what schools are these that are scheduling it this way? Langley HS has a 2-hour break inbetween the morning and afternoon AP exams, so it's clearly an issue with the administration's scheduling and not anything else.

How are they doing this? Morning APs start at 8:00 local time. Afternoon ones start at 12:00 local time. These times are set by college board. Are schools allowed to delay the start of the afternoon ones? I think my kid would prefer a 20 minute break over having a 2 hour one, and then being stuck at school until 5:00.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:mine has AP lang this morning then AP Physics C M only 20 mins in between!

what schools are these that are scheduling it this way? Langley HS has a 2-hour break inbetween the morning and afternoon AP exams, so it's clearly an issue with the administration's scheduling and not anything else.

How are they doing this? Morning APs start at 8:00 local time. Afternoon ones start at 12:00 local time. These times are set by college board. Are schools allowed to delay the start of the afternoon ones? I think my kid would prefer a 20 minute break over having a 2 hour one, and then being stuck at school until 5:00.

DP here. At our non-DC suburban public school, the morning AP starts right at 8 a.m. (school requires check-in at 7:45 a.m.) and ends by 11 a.m. The afternoon one is from noon to 3 p.m. However, there could be up to a 2 hour gap because some exams are not meant to go for the full 3 hours (according to my kid), while some take the full 3 hours. I don't recall kid ever getting out later than 3:30 due to AP delays, but heard of one bad scenario with the French AP where kids had to wait around for a few hours waiting for the AV stuff to download (?!?!)

[Anonymous]

At my kid’s schools, AP’s are buried with all the other zillion assignments and my DC also has FINALS this week. Projects due. Busy to the last day.

It was hard to even focus on APs. He is a senior so I suppose it doesn’t matter as much, but it would be nice to get a 4 at least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:mine has AP lang this morning then AP Physics C M only 20 mins in between!

what schools are these that are scheduling it this way? Langley HS has a 2-hour break inbetween the morning and afternoon AP exams, so it's clearly an issue with the administration's scheduling and not anything else.

How are they doing this? Morning APs start at 8:00 local time. Afternoon ones start at 12:00 local time. These times are set by college board. Are schools allowed to delay the start of the afternoon ones? I think my kid would prefer a 20 minute break over having a 2 hour one, and then being stuck at school until 5:00.

DP here. At our non-DC suburban public school, the morning AP starts right at 8 a.m. (school requires check-in at 7:45 a.m.) and ends by 11 a.m. The afternoon one is from noon to 3 p.m. However, there could be up to a 2 hour gap because some exams are not meant to go for the full 3 hours (according to my kid), while some take the full 3 hours. I don't recall kid ever getting out later than 3:30 due to AP delays, but heard of one bad scenario with the French AP where kids had to wait around for a few hours waiting for the AV stuff to download (?!?!)

Weird. All 6 of my kid's exams this year were over 3 hours, especially with the 10 minute break that the school is supposed to give between the MCQ and FRQ parts. Are there that many 2-ish hour exams?

[Anonymous]

If you are really curious, here is synopsis provided by Gemini...

Most exams last between 2 to 3 hours, with the longest reaching 3 hours and 15 minutes and the shortest (Physics C) lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes.
It looks like there are 3h 15m exams in the AM on 5/10 days and one additional day with a PM long test.

Week 1:
Mon, May 4 AM - Biology (3h), Latin (3h)
PM - European History (3h 15m), Microeconomics (2h 10m)
Tue, May 5 AM - Chemistry (3h 15m), Human Geography (2h 15m)
PM - U.S. Gov & Politics (2h 25m)
Wed, May 6 AM - English Literature (3h)
PM - Physics 1 (3h), Comp. Gov (2h 25m)
Thu, May 7 AM - World History (3h 15m), Physics 2 (3h)
PM - Stats (3h), African Am. Studies (2h 45m)
Fri, May 8 AM - U.S. History (3h 15m), Italian (3h)
PM - Chinese (2h 15m), Macroeconomics (2h 10m)

Week 2:
Mon, May 11 AM - Calculus AB & BC (3h 15m)
PM - Music Theory (2h 40m), Seminar (2h)
Tue, May 12 AM - French (3h), Precalculus (3h)
PM - Japanese (2h 15m), Psychology (2h)
Wed, May 13 AM - English Language (3h 15m), German (3h)
PM - Spanish Lit (3h), Physics C: Mechanics (1h 30m)
Thu, May 14 AM - Art History (3h), Spanish Lang (3h)
PM - CS Principles (2h), Physics C: E&M (1h 30m)
Fri, May 15 AM - Environmental Science (3h)
PM - Computer Science A (3h)