Within the next two weeks, St. Charles West sophomores, juniors, and seniors will begin taking their AP exams with the first of the exams starting on May 2nd.  What are these exams?  What goes into these exams?  How is the school helping prepare for these complicated tests?

An AP exam is an Advanced Placement exam given by the College Board for designated areas and classes.  These exams are usually taken at the end of an AP course that is offered at St. Charles or St. Charles West high schools within the City of St. Charles School District.  These courses, depending on the score of the exam, could potentially qualify for college credit.  This is determined on a scale of one to five: one as the lowest score on the exam and five as the highest.  There is, however, a difference between an AP course and a college course.  When taking a college course in high school, college credit is determined by the teacher of the course, not on an exam like the AP classes.

The AP exams are made up by the College Board on certain subjects, meaning the questions are college level.  This makes it harder for students to get the credit, but with planning and studying, a score of five is within reach.

In order to prepare for these exams, teachers and students do constant reviews during the designated class period, AIP, and before and after school.  Most of these exams could take months to prepare for, but the college credit is worth it in the long run.

According to a poll done, about half the students are reading and reviewing with peers in order to study.  These are proven to be excellent techniques, as research shows that repetition and using a peer to help you can help retain your memory.  In order to enhance this, St. Charles West will host their first ever AP Study Scramble, which allows students to review with their friends/AP teachers on April 27th.

While the AP exams are hard and testing, they ca be a huge resource for college credit in the future.