Pro: Classes should be taken prior to testing
By Braden Currey
Contributing Writer
With an increasingly-competitive college admissions atmosphere, some students seek to pad their resume by taking Advanced Placement tests without taking the corresponding AP class. This often means trying to cram an entire year’s curriculum into, at best, a few months of work and is not a sufficient strategy for success in coursework and exams.
Students have every right to take AP exams without taking the class. But they will miss major benefits of AP classes: preparing for college life by taking college-level courses and mastering core subject matter that will enable success in collegiate-level courses in the same subject.
The AP program was designed to give high-achieving students a chance to enrich their curriculum and pursue college-level courses, and the AP test was intended to be a quality-assurance measure to ensure that students actually mastered the material presented in the course.
The AP system has expanded over the last 50 years from a small initiative at elite private schools to a nationwide program; more than one million American students took an AP test last year according to the College Board.
At Mira Costa and other historically high-achieving schools, there is no need to take an AP test without taking the class. Unlike some schools, which offer few or no APs, Mira Costa students have the luxury of choosing from 18 different AP classes.
And as students who take the most popular AP courses can attest, few people areturned away for lack of space.
Ultimately, these students who take the AP test without taking the class are doing so to game the system, attempting to pad their resume without doing the work required for an AP class.
Students most commonly take a class like CP United States history, which focuses primarily on modern American history, and then try to take the AP United States history test, which draws from a much larger knowledge base. The majority of students who go this route earn a score of a three or lower on the AP Test, according to history teacher William Fauver.
These scores are not high enough to provide college credit at higher-tier universities. After all, one of the major purposes of the AP test is to waive out of college course prerequisites and distribution requirements, something that can’t usually be done with a low score.
In an era where college admissions officers stress the need for students to pursue their high school’s most rigorous curriculum, those taking the short cut are only hurting their application. For college admissions, it isn’t the AP test that matters; it is the rigorous AP course.
And for college success, there is no substitute for mastering the curriculum before moving on to higher-level college courses. Success in AP classes gives colleges evidence of potential student success.
There’s no rule or policy stopping students from taking AP tests without taking the course. However, taking them to pad resumes and artificially augment college applications is at best a waste of money and at worst a path for failure at the collegiate level.
Con: Students should take the AP tests they want
By Alec Lautanen
Executive Opinion Editor
Every May, hundreds of Mira Costa students participate in Advanced Placement testing over a wide variety of subjects. Students should not feel restricted from taking an AP test in a class they’re not enrolled in, nor should the AP test be the required end to coursework.
Although most test-takers are prepped by a full year of class, some study on their own without the aid of a formal teacher. These students should be lauded for their personal initiative and given the opportunity to test how they want to exhibit their knowledge.
On the opposite side of the equation, students enrolled in AP classes should not be mandated to take the Advanced Placement test at the end of the year. If students wish to take more challenging classes for the college experience, they should not be punished, sometimes by nullifying all course credit, for not taking one exam.
With strict commitment forms and two semesters of heavy coursework, many students are discouraged from taking rigorous AP classes during the school year.
Those students may be legitimately interested in the material the course provides and still want to demonstrate that knowledge to prospective colleges through AP exams.
Additionally, those who already have full schedules and not enough room to take the course may feel that a few months of preparation time is adequate for the exam. There should be nothing prohibiting them from taking the test, and they are totally justified in their efforts.
Furthermore, students who take normal college preparatory courses during the year should be encouraged to take the corresponding AP test if they feel they have mastered the material.
Critics argue that having CP students take an exam meant for an AP class isn’t logical, as CP material doesn’t cover the depth of its AP counterpart. However, if students feel they have mastered the original curriculum, simply supplementing it with further AP review will be enough in most cases.
Students, especially advanced ones, should easily be able to pass an AP test with adequate prep, even though they may lack in-class experience.
Some teachers also claim that having CP students take the AP test will decrease pass rates and tarnish reputations.
However, this attitude ignores the fact that non-AP students who take AP tests are likely well versed in the material and confident enough to take a non-required exam.
On the other end of the spectrum, AP students should not be required to take the AP exam at the end of the school year.
Although many class outlines mandate taking this test, it should ultimately be the student’s decision whether or not he or she proceeds with the exam.
By having an entire year of coursework dependent on participation in one three-hour exam, teachers sometimes marginalize previous work by students in the class.
The ideal situation for all involved would be to place no restrictions on which students can take which AP test. By having a system in which students can take additional tests if they wish (such is the current program), but not mandating that everyone take the exam, the learning environment can be enriched for all. Students will be able to demonstrate AP class knowledge to universities, and those seeking only the challenge of classes will be fulfilled as well.
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