HSKLNG Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 :glare:...and something just occurred to me... Could it be possible to use this test (sample ones) as standardize test to evaluate our students? :bigear:I'm all ears. :grouphug:group meeting please. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Sure. I'm making ds(16) take the SAT Chem test Saturday as a term-end. I basically want to see if he learned anything. When I ask him about it, he doesn't focus at all but when the rubber hits the road, I find out what he's really learned. The sample test wouldn't create the same sense of urgency for him, so he has to take the real thing. Some of the AP tests cover a 2nd year of the subject (like chem or physics), so I thought it was only fair to choose the test that covers his course material. The National Latin(or German) exam has levels that can be used for evaluation too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSKLNG Posted June 4, 2008 Author Share Posted June 4, 2008 :hurray:Thank you very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merylvdm Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 My dd has taken 7 AP exams in all (she just graduated). I would say they are a good way to show colleges your kid can handle academic work, and a good way to get college credits BUT not good end-of-subject tests. MOst schools teach to the AP exam when they give AP classes. My dd has a very smart friend at a local high school who said he didn't learn any advanced chemistry all year - he just learned how to take the AP chem exam!! All AP exams have a specific slant and you need to get a reviwe book (we used Princeton Review) to see what they are looking for and how they want it. We chose to study the subject in the way I thought best (ie actually really cover the subject properly) - and then 2 weeks before th exam my daughter would start working thru the Princeton Review and prepare for the exam. Sometimes there would be a lot she had not covered, but because what we had covered she knew well, and she can write well, and take good educated guesses - she ended up with a 5 on the 3 we already the results for (this year's only come out in July) I think it would be overwhelming to just take an AP as an end-of-subject test as they are HARD! Meryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielle Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 My two cents after our one experience so far with AP. Dd took the Human Geography this year. I was pretty disappointed with the content. It was very jargon heavy--a lot of the test requires that you have an encyclopedic knowledge of definitions rather than an ability to discuss issues and broad concepts. One question on the FRQs has caused a lot of controversy--they asked students to comment on a model that is commonly known as Concentric Zone but on the exam a question appeared asking about the Burgess model. Turns out the Burgess model was the CZ, but only one textbook refers to it as Burgess in one line! That's not what I call a real test of learning, and no college level class I ever had would have asked a question about 1 line in over 1,000 pages of reading! I just took a look at AP Comparative Government and it looks like more of the same, sigh. Nevertheless we'll probably slog on through, as every admissions office I've spoken to seems quite impressed with the homeschooler who can produce a string of APs. It's a real taste of the exam driven style of learning, which I'm glad we will miss most of! Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Could it be possible to use this test (sample ones) as standardize test to evaluate our students? I don't see why not; if it's a sample test the only ones to see the score are you and your student. I wouldn't do it with the actual test in case you intend to submit the scores and they are not to your liking. Sure. I'm making ds(16) take the SAT Chem test Saturday as a term-end. I basically want to see if he learned anything. The SAT Chem test is, in my opinion, a tough one. Is he familiar with the test format through a review book? There was one section in which one had to determine if point B was fact, if point A was fact and if B followed due to A. (... or something to that extent!) ... It was very jargon heavy--a lot of the test requires that you have an encyclopedic knowledge of definitions rather than an ability to discuss issues and broad concepts. ...I just took a look at AP Comparative Government and it looks like more of the same, sigh. I don't dispute what you say. However, my teen took an out of the home AP Comp. Gov't class this year and learned a tremendous amount. Even if her score on the actual exam is not stellar, it has not been a waste of time in my book. (Incidentally, I have AP Comp. Gov't stuff for sale on the Sale board.) Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The SAT Chem test is, in my opinion, a tough one. Is he familiar with the test format through a review book? There was one section in which one had to determine if point B was fact, if point A was fact and if B followed due to A. (... or something to that extent He has a test review booklet and those did throw him a curveball the first time he took a practice test. He's done three now and seems to have gotten the hang of it. This will be his first standardized test experience (which I wanted to get in before the PSAT in the fall.) He did the Apologia chem book this year. I'll let you know how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summer Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 My dd has taken 7 AP exams in all (she just graduated). I would say they are a good way to show colleges your kid can handle academic work, and a good way to get college credits BUT not good end-of-subject tests. MOst schools teach to the AP exam when they give AP classes. My dd has a very smart friend at a local high school who said he didn't learn any advanced chemistry all year - he just learned how to take the AP chem exam!! All AP exams have a specific slant and you need to get a reviwe book (we used Princeton Review) to see what they are looking for and how they want it. We chose to study the subject in the way I thought best (ie actually really cover the subject properly) - and then 2 weeks before th exam my daughter would start working thru the Princeton Review and prepare for the exam. Sometimes there would be a lot she had not covered, but because what we had covered she knew well, and she can write well, and take good educated guesses - she ended up with a 5 on the 3 we already the results for (this year's only come out in July) I think it would be overwhelming to just take an AP as an end-of-subject test as they are HARD! Meryl That is wonderful Meryl!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Best wishes to your son, In The Great White North. My teen will be taking a couple of SAT subject tests this Saturday too. In her case they'll be Math 2 and Latin. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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