Only about 60% of AP exam takers pass, and less than 10% get a 5, the highest score. 

Students around the world are currently taking AP Classes, stressed but with the hope that their efforts will pay off and turn into college credit. At TCS, many High School students take on the challenge these classes offer, but abstain from taking the exam. So if the classes are so challenging, and so many fail the exams, why do students take the classes and is there a reason to take the exam?

“I worked myself to tears last year, and it is honestly upsetting that all of my hard efforts are measured by a single exam that isn’t even representative of everything I know. A single mistake can blow your whole grade,” Senior Valentina Garces said. 

Many students come into high school without any knowledge of what an AP class is and what it implies. While in TCS some students have a chance to take Pre-Ap in 9th grade, not everyone is “soft launched” into the program, and to many, the classes come as a shock when entering 9th grade. 

“I took Pre Ap English in 9th grade, and I didn’t feel prepared enough to take the 3 AP courses I would take the year after. If I felt this overwhelmed, I can’t imagine how a person completely new to the College Board would feel,” Laura Mesa, ex-TCS student now studying in London, said. 

So what is AP? 

According to Collegeboard, the Non-Profit that created the courses, they are college-level courses and exams that you can take in High School. While initially, only a program offered in the US, it can now be taken internationally in most American Schools. Advanced Placement (AP) classes are designed to provide college-level instruction in a variety of subjects. At the end of the academic year, AP students can choose to take the AP exam for the class they’ve completed. This accounts for possible college credit. 

Cons of taking APs

Students suffer from the rigor AP classes bring. Across interviews, 4 key points were highlighted as the biggest cons of taking AP’s in TCS: the challenging material and big workload, the cost of taking the exams, feeling burnt out, and the limited course options to take on. 

The material and workload are challenging.

Advanced Placement courses, as said by the name, are made up of advanced content. They are typically more challenging than standard high school courses and require more work, effort, and time. They also include content not seen in normal-curriculum classes, so a student taking AP Calculus cannot receive much help from a student taking normal Calculus.

“I hadn’t taken an AP class until 12th grade, and with AP Psychology, there was a clear increase in my academic workload, which also crashed with university applications and increased my overall stress level. Nonetheless, I think taking this course will also give me an edge when applying to college, and it may be reflected in my acceptance,” Senior Camila Salazar said. 

These exams are expen$ive!

Many students in TCS chose not to take the exam because costs $126 USD per exam.

“I am taking 4 AP classes. If I were to take all the exams, it would add up to more than $500 USD. Adding this to last and next year’s exams would equal more than $1300 USD,” Ambar Alvarez, Grade 11, said. 

At TCS and schools worldwide, there are many academic expenses the last three years of school. Ranging from MUN costs to college application fees and SAT costs, adding an exam to the pile may not seem worth it. 

“I have to pay for the SAT, materials for projects, hoodies for my extracurriculars and senior year, and more. AP classes are expensive and I don’t even know if I would use them for college credit. I feel like the curriculum for AP Lit would be different to a literature class in college, and it would be valuable to take both,” Amalia Sierra, Grade 11, said. 

AP classes will burn you out.

Some students feel like it’s not worth it to take the class and not take the exam. Studying for the exam is stressful because you only get one shot, contrary to the recoup policy in TCS, and if you flunk it, you lose the money and your chance to get college credit. Many students say they study so much they reach a point where they can’t keep up anymore, and they start falling back on their normal classes too. 

“Studying for my exams last year I was faced with the biggest amount of stress I’ve felt in my life. I remember not going out for weeks, not exercising, and crying because of all of the content I had to remember,” Maria Correa, Grade 11, said. 

The options are limited.

While the AP curriculum is wide, offering 38 courses in areas of history, science, math, arts, and more. Currently, TCS only offers 18 of them. To be precise, there are 7 science courses, 3 math courses, 4 language courses, 3 humanities courses, and 1 art course.

“I have a passion for history, and I am sad that the only History AP course the school offers is AP World History. I have friends outside the school who have taken AP European History and AP US history, and I wish that the school offered the option. Instead, I had to take on more science APs than I would like because of the lack of options,” Maria Echeverri, Grade 11, said. 

Let’s review.

Taking AP classes is a challenge that for some, brings unnecessary stress to the pleasant high school experience. Classes are time-consuming, and not all students may be ready or willing to take on the added workload. 

“You can still have a fulfilling and accomplished high school curriculum without taking AP classes: it doesn’t bring down your value or mean that you are dumb. AP classes are a choice, and if you think you can spend your time in a more valuable manner, go for it!” Mariana Gomez, Grade 11, said.