Monday, 17 May, 2010 Newtown High SchoolFeature
AP Test Update
Every year when May rolls around, upperclassmen students dread and fear the infamous advanced placement tests that take place.
Advanced placement classes differ from any other class offered because they are graded on a college scale. An 88.5% and higher is rounded to an A. The AP program has been running since 1955 by the College Board, a non-profit organization based in New York City.
In 2006, over one million students took advanced placement tests. Another difference between advanced placement and regular classes is that the College Board allows any student to take an exam, whether they go to a private or public high school or are homeschooled.
AP tests are scored between 1 and 5, 5 being the best score a student can receive. Scoring the AP tests takes a long time and is somewhat complex.
As of 2010 testing, each exam costs $86, and there is financial aid available for students that qualify for it.
The multiple choice portion is graded by a computer, and the free response or essay portions are graded by qualified readers every June.
The scores from each section are combined and weighted into a raw score. The raw score is altered into the final grade when the ‘Chief Reader’ for each exam decides on the grade cutoffs.
The overall goal for the grading is to represent an absolute scale of performance which can compare between each year.
Some colleges use AP test scores to excuse students from preparatory assignments. Each university's advanced placement policy is different; however, most accept scores of 4 or 5, and some colleges accept a 3.
The advanced placement classes offered at Newtown High School include Psychology, US History, Language and Composition, Literature and Composition, Economics, Government and Politics, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, Statistics, Calculus, Biology, and Art History. These are only a few out of the 30+ advanced placement classes offered throughout the US.
Mr. Pescarmona, a social studies teacher at NHS, teaches AP Psychology, and is proud that his class is the most popular throughout the school.
"Don’t cram the night before, pick a few areas you need to improve in and focus your studying on those. Also, go in to the test confident, your teachers prepared you well," Pescarmona says.
Good luck to any student taking an AP test this May. Study hard, get a good night’s sleep, and eat a good breakfast and you’re bound to ace the exam.
2010 AP Exam Schedule
Week 1: May 3 - May 7
8 AM
Monday United States Government and Politics
Tuesday Computer Science A and Spanish Language
Wednesday Calculus AB and BC
Thursday English Literature and Composition and German Language
Friday United States History
Afternoon 12 NOON
Monday Comparative Government and Politics and French
Tuesday Statistics
Wednesday Chinese Language and Culture
Thursday Japanese Language and Culture
Friday European History and Studio Art
Week 2: May 10 - May 14
8 AM
Monday Biology and Music Theory
Tuesday Chemistry and Environmental Science
Wednesday English Language and Composition
Thursday Macroeconomics and World History
Friday Human Geography and Spanish Literature
Afternoon 12 NOON
Monday Physics B and Physics C: Mechanics
Tuesday Psychology
Wednesday Art History
Thursday Microeconomics
Friday Latin: Virgil
Afternoon 2 PM
Monday Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism