AP Awareness: How the AP program is making changes to better next year’s exams

While most underclassmen were sitting pretty with their frozen As or Bs in classes when quarantine hit, anyone taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes was anxiously awaiting their judgement period — the AP tests. Thanks to the College Board and their stark determination to keep AP exams afloat, my to-do list was filled every day through May with review sheets and practice quizzes galore.

While we can all agree that the AP tests weren’t ideal last year, the College Board is offering a new component of helpful resources this year to help students feel more prepared — called AP Daily. This program includes a set of short videos on each topic in every AP class, provided by AP teachers daily. At the beginning of September, the videos became available — and let me just say — they would’ve been very useful leading up to exams last year. 

With all schooling still being virtual, it’s nice to know that I have that extra resource to look on if I need help, since I can’t exactly go in early to see a teacher these days. 

Last year’s AP classes were reminiscent of a “you’re on your own” type of mindset when it came to studying and preparation. Nothing against AP teachers who were trying their best to continue teaching the required AP curriculum, but it’s hard to say that anyone was prepared for the mess that was last year’s exams. Between internet connectivity issues, teaching methods and a large drop in student productivity, it definitely wasn’t what anybody imagined their AP experience to look like. 

With that considered, it’s safe to say that, as students, our test scores didn’t necessarily represent our actual knowledge on the subject, but rather our ability to self-study. Due to the lack of in-person preparations, one’s ability to self-study was the driving factor between the students who got ones and those who were lucky enough to secure the almighty five. 

Taking those flaws into account, AP is making it a priority to implement protection and preparedness measures to ensure that each student has an equal opportunity to succeed. They are doing this by making ample resources available through the AP Daily program. 

I, for one, know that last year I was scared out of my mind that something as insufficient as a slight Wi-Fi issue could terminate my results — leading to a lack of college credit and possible thousands of dollars worth of scholarship money.

I was lucky, though, unlike some people whose scores didn’t submit and ended up having to take the make-up test. In late May, there were multiple lawsuits against the College Board for this very reason, implying that they rushed this type of testing method that ended up hurting students more than providing them an effective testing environment.

On the other hand, the benefit of this school year’s AP tests being seven months away, given the current state of our nation, is that the College Board has ample time — unlike last year — to prepare for a virtual assessment if necessary.

Now that the pandemic has carried itself into the fall and we know what kind of situation we’re dealing with, we can be more prepared for the upcoming exams and can alter our studying strategies. This could include implementing the helpful resources that AP has provided specifically for this upcoming year.

With AP Daily, everyone has access to additional resources. This gives students who wouldn’t otherwise have great resources, such as lower income students who may not have the financial means to hire a tutor or pay for prep books, a better chance of performing well. 

As of right now, all AP exams are scheduled for administration in an in-person testing environment. The College Board believes that an in-school environment better supports student’s interests and opportunities. Although being stuffed in the auditorium with 100 other people taking an AP test was not the ideal situation in years past, neither was my tiny bedroom desk, which was crammed with every little detail over the seven AP U.S. History units I needed to know. 

I must admit though, the YouTube review videos that AP provided over pertinent subjects leading up to last year’s tests did come in handy during a late-night study session when I needed extra information on a certain topic.

Hopefully by May of next year, the exam process will be foolproof to prepare students for their testing experience, using the AP Daily program, and will provide a smooth transition of test-taking.