AP test format, is it really that complicated?

[Elisabet1]

I told my daughter she still has to take the AP Math AB test this spring. She says she cannot, but then claims it is because there is a special format and unless you are in a class to teach you the format for that specific test, then even if you know the material backward and forward, you cannot pass the test. She claims it has nothing to do with the material.

 

Honestly, I am not really believing her. I am suspecting she coasted by in her AP Math class, which I paid a lot of money for, and that is the real reason she does not want to take the test. I find it a little hard to believe that no matter how much you know the material, the AP format for each test is so specific (she has already taken and passed several with 4's) that she could not pass this test too. I should add, she did self study for, and pass (with only a 3 though) Music Theory. That score was her only 3. She never had a music theory class before that. In the case of the Ap Math, she completed AP Math A through EPGY with a 97 and started but did not finish B. They separate it by A, B, and C. So part of B would really go toward the BC class. Plus, she still has several months left until the test date in May. 

 

What do you think? Is there really this complicated format that is too hard to get? Or should someone with her prep be capable of doing this test? 

[Barbara H]

Many students self study for APs.  I suggest looking at the materials available on the College Board site. There she can learn about the test format and can see grades practice tests from previous years.

[AK_Mom4]

DS18 took the Calc AB exam last spring.  Doing the sample questions on the college board site was extremely helpful.  There are some things about formatting the answers that are important to know, as well as the difference in how to tackle the free response vs multiple choice questions.  Working the samples did not take that much time - his class did 4-5 problems a week for 4 weeks prior to taking the test.

 

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/1997.html

 

[8filltheheart]

I told my daughter she still has to take the AP Math AB test this spring. She says she cannot, but then claims it is because there is a special format and unless you are in a class to teach you the format for that specific test, then even if you know the material backward and forward, you cannot pass the test. She claims it has nothing to do with the material.

 

Honestly, I am not really believing her. I am suspecting she coasted by in her AP Math class, which I paid a lot of money for, and that is the real reason she does not want to take the test. I find it a little hard to believe that no matter how much you know the material, the AP format for each test is so specific (she has already taken and passed several with 4's) that she could not pass this test too. I should add, she did self study for, and pass (with only a 3 though) Music Theory. That score was her only 3. She never had a music theory class before that. In the case of the Ap Math, she completed AP Math A through EPGY with a 97 and started but did not finish B. They separate it by A, B, and C. So part of B would really go toward the BC class. Plus, she still has several months left until the test date in May.

 

What do you think? Is there really this complicated format that is too hard to get? Or should someone with her prep be capable of doing this test?

Your posts totally confuse me. Is she in school or is she at home doing Stanford OHS? What is she doing for math right now?

 

She is correct that students need to know how to write their answers in the correct format for the FRQ, but she can also learn that from a test prep book.

[Elisabet1]

She was in EPGY for individual courses from before she went to public school. So she took a class this summer. So it is not the OHS. But it is a class. 

[8filltheheart]

She was in EPGY for individual courses from before she went to public school. So she took a class this summer. So it is not the OHS. But it is a class.

Is she taking a math now or did she last semester?

[Caroline]

I really don't think the format for AP Calc is anything you need to learn. It's math problems. You answer them. I never teach my students how to format their answers, and I have kids who pass all the time.

[8filltheheart]

I really don't think the format for AP Calc is anything you need to learn. It's math problems. You answer them. I never teach my students how to format their answers, and I have kids who pass all the time.

I don't know about that. My ds did. He was used to writing proofs for AoPS and did have to learn the FRQ format.

[Caroline]

I don't know about that. My ds did. He was used to writing proofs for AoPS and did have to learn the FRQ format.

I have graded the AP Calculus exam before. There is no format needed. Answer the question asked. If the correct answer is anywhere we give them the points.

[nancy in nj]

I agree that there is no special "format."  However, the structure of the questions is such that a student could easily go through a calc class with an A and not get a 5 on the AP test.  My daughter took a very rigorous AP Calc BC class from PA Homeschoolers where the most common exam score is 5.  They went through the textbook material from late August until mid-March, leaving at least 6 weeks for focused exam prep.  My daughter and many of her peers worked hard all year, had A's on the chapter tests and final, but still needed to prep for the FRQ's of the AP Exam.  It may be possible to "pass"/ i.e., get a 3 on the exam without specific prep, but out of the 8 AP exams that my daughter got 5's on, this is the one that very definitely needed specific prep on those FRQ's and the experience of her classmates was the same.

 

Truly, those FRQ's looked like they were written in Greek even to high-achieving kids who truly understood the calculus until they got familiar with what they were looking for.  The good news is that there are about 8-10 often repeated problem FRQ problem types.  Master those and the FRQ's are easy.

[Caroline]

I stand corrected. I give application problems throughout the course so my students have seen those types of problems since day 1, along with proofs. I guess if it isn't taught that way then you would need to spend 6 weeks learning to do application type problems.

[nancy in nj]

Agreed, Caroline.  You are building the exposure to AP problems throughout the course and probably extending the material about 6 weeks throughout rather than leaving a large chunk for review at the end.  My dd's course had some of that, but the pace of the course was so fast that  the kids were naturally  focused on really understanding the material, working through the non-AP homework problems, preparing for the chapter tests, so yeah they had exposure to the AP FRQ's throughout, but definitely needed the last 6 weeks to drill the AP FRQ.

 

I think we also agree that if the OP's daughter had a strong calc I class, she should be able to do fine on the AP Test provided she spends some time working the AP FRQ's and probably working through some released exam MC's just to get the timing down and identify any weak content areas.   

[8filltheheart]

I just asked ds and he said it was b/c he was told to show every step, regardless how small.

 

He also said that he needed to pace himself for the calculator questions b/c he was not used to using a calculator.

[Supertechmom]

Mine self studied and we used a tutor from Live Online Math.  They met once every two weeks online for the school year and covered any questions he had.  She also had problems for him to work and gave him tips concerning the test. He made a 5 on the AB test and we are following the same format for the BC test this year, except we are just now starting the tutor part and will try to meet every week instead of every two. He worked through an AP test prep book during the last couple of months of the course and seemed pleased with the testing.  John Bovey from Live Online Math was great to work with and the tutor was excellent.