AP Exams are coming up fast! Are you prepared for your tests? Primary dates are above, but if you desire to see the full list, click here.

The exams are offered to all AP students by College Board to test students on the curriculum taught in Advanced Placement classes. They have a section of multiple choice paired with between 1-3 free response/essay questions. There are a total of 37 tests across 22 subjects, and they tend to take about 2-3 hours to complete. Passing the exams could greatly help you as it will allow you to be exempt from college courses that match that chosen exam. They are normally graded on a 5 point scale:

5: Extremely well qualified

4: Very well qualified

3: Qualified

2: Possibly qualified

1: Not recommended

The exam tends to be easier and shorter than the ACT. For example, the English ACT has 75 questions in complete in 45 minutes. The AP Exam, however, has 45 questions to complete in one full hour. This is then paired with about 2 hours to write 3 fully developed essays. According to the AP Exam website, Calculators are permitted for math and science based exams. You are allowed to bring 2 permitted calculators, and you are not required to clear history on it. If you are caught “experimenting” exam content outside of the classroom, however, your scored will be cancelled. To see the list of permitted calculators, click here.

Cheating is absolutely forbidden. According to DC Student Defense, many students have been accused of cheating. When this happens, that students scores are cancelled. These children are allowed to take the exam again next year. Children that are explicitly caught cheating are immediately dismissed, and the high school and state colleges are alerted of that students misdoings.

If you do not do well on the AP exam, don’t panic! It won’t effect your grade or GPA. According to College Board, the AP Exam does not hinder any students of going to college. It merely supports their chances of being exempt from classes and being perceived as qualified. This DOES NOT mean you should not try. Just don’t panic about it! Good luck, Seniors and Juniors!