The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

Piling on the AP tests

Piling on the AP tests

toomanyapteststhumbnailStudents discuss the ways they handle the work of taking multiple AP tests

It’s that time of the year again.  AP practice books accompany students while they walk around campus, many conversations are discussions of stress, and attentions are fully focused on the upcoming myriad of tests. For most students, managing the work for two or three AP tests is enough pressure alone.  For others, taking more AP tests than they can count with one hand is a thought that requires some getting used to.


How they manage

Junior Wells Santo is taking total of six AP tests: Calculus BC, US History, English Language and Composition, Computer Science, Physics C Mechanics, and Physics C Electricity and Magnetism. Juggling that workload with the ongoing schoolwork from his classes has been a continuous challenge.

“Usually I just procrastinate with everything,” Santo said. “That’s a really bad way [to go], but it kind of works for me. It’s not really ‘handling’, it’s just a lot to manage.”

Teachers are holding review sessions, administering practice tests, and, of course, using class time to review the content that was covered throughout the entire year.  Santo said that he has built confidence and skills in physics because physics teacher Jim Birdsong’s exams during the year are much harder than the actual AP Physics C exam.  In contrast, classes such as AP US History and AP Computer Science require more outside practice, but the classes have prepared him for understanding the structure of the tests and getting used to the style.

During the weeks of May 2-13, students will be taking their AP tests in multiple locations, including the cafeteria where "Quiet!" signs are posted. Photo by Kevin Tsukii. Senior Richard Yu is taking a total of nine AP tests: Calculus BC, US History, Biology, Physics B, US Government, Comparative Government, English Language and Composition, Macroeconomics, and Microeconomics.

Although he has had past experience with taking AP Computer Science and AP Chemistry testing in his sophomore and junior years, the classes he is currently taking are not enough to develop his skills for all nine tests, so he is required to do a lot of studying without the help of teachers. For Yu, self-studying a year’s worth of material in order to take a four-hour test proves difficult when there is no one assigning homework or constantly testing him on his knowledge of the content.

“With taking a class, you’re forced to go at the pace of the teacher and you’re guaranteed to finish it,” Yu said. “But studying on your own, if you aren’t motivated to actually go learn the material, you’re just not going to learn it.”

Why they do it

According to Yu, taking all these AP tests will allow him to skip several introductory classes at Dartmouth College, where he will be double majoring in economics and computer science.

Although Santo says he will not receive college credit for any of his AP tests, he feels that taking the classes in preparation for the tests is a valuable learning experience that keeps him interested in the subjects.  However, because this is his first AP testing experience, this translates to a rising level of pressure and nervousness as the month of May rolls around.

“I’m taking all of them at the same time, so I [don’t] really know what to expect and how to prepare for them because I’ve never had to before,” Santo said. “I’m just kind of fearful about how it’s going to work, and I’m just hoping that the AP prep books are pretty good assessments for the actual test.”

AP testing will began on Monday, May 2.

More to Discover