Connections Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 For those of you who have students who have sat for multiple AP exams, do you have any recommendations for grouping classes/exams together to study in the same year? A BTDT AP veteran I know indicated that there are certain AP exams that one would do well to study in the same year. (BTW- There are wonderful threads on this board that discuss the merits of AP's and make it clear that whether one sits for an AP is dependent on the individual student. If possible, I would prefer that this thread not debate the merit of taking multiple exams.) Here are some exams that I have been told would "go together" World History, Art History, European History World History, Human Geography European History and APUSH US History and US Gov. (and maybe even Comparative Gov.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 AP English Language + AP US History (APUSH). ;) The DBQ in APUSH and the synthesis essay in Lang match up well. Also, the other Lang prompts often have a history/philosphy slant to them. I would have a hard time justifying two AP history classes in the same year. AP Euro and World are huge. Tremendously time consuming--and something would have to give in the other subject areas. Unless you have a real history aficionado, I would spread the history APs out to one per year. Just my couple-a cents. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNC Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I thought... APUSH and USGov AP Euro and Comp Gov but we have to reverse the histories bc of changes to AP tests. I want to wait a year until the new APUSH scores are released to buy study guides etc. I also thought AP Art History went with Euro but my daughter decided it was too much memory work. Next year for 10th, she is taking AP Psych, AP Euro, AP US Gov. I looked at our local private high school test site schedule and they are offered on separate days. The most important consideration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttichen Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I definitely wouldn't do APUSH and AP Euro the same year. They both involve a lot of memorizing and they are given back to back on the same day. We try to balance classes that require a lot of studying/memorizing with those where you master the material and you're done (e.g., languages, calc, comp sci). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I would be careful to look at the test schedule on College Board's website. It rarely changes from year to year. It is tough to take two exams on the same day. It would be impossible if you couldn't find both exams at the same school. You won't have time to travel between schools for tests on the same day. We are required to have tests start by a certain hour and can't wait. At my school, we always have a group of students taking two tests on one day. We cater lunch for them between the tests because we don't have time for them to even run to the cafeteria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigid in NC Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I would be careful to look at the test schedule on College Board's website. It rarely changes from year to year. It is tough to take two exams on the same day. It would be impossible if you couldn't find both exams at the same school. You won't have time to travel between schools for tests on the same day. We are required to have tests start by a certain hour and can't wait. At my school, we always have a group of students taking two tests on one day. We cater lunch for them between the tests because we don't have time for them to even run to the cafeteria. Super point! Here's the 2015 schedule: AP Exam Test Dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Another thought is to create groups that build well on each other. Just as an example APUSH and US Gov would be good one after the other. I've seen gov and Econ or US and Comp gov as two one semester classes the same year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I'd think AP Biology and AP Psychology would go well together, since there's common ground as far as physiology goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 That certainly can work, but just as another perspective to I often find student often prefer to have two really different APs. It brings more variety to their school day and allows them to switch over from one thing they are sick of to something else. Greater variety is also of more value for admissions purposes because it provides n objective measure of student acheivement in a variety of subjects. If the college credit for APs it may be more likely to result in credit that will meet requirements if there is diversity in the courses taken. Just to give an example, AP world and AP US will often meet the same kind of intro history sort of requirement. It may be a duplication of effort to do both. If the same student took AP world and AP bio they may knock of two different sets of requirements. Of course credits are not a concern to all students and not every college offers these credits, but if credit is part of the reason for taking APs looking at diversity in the subjects covered may be of benefit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiaTia Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I agree with the downside of two histories in one year (risk of messy brain explosion), except for AP World & AP Art History. I think they can make a good combo. Some overlap, but a lot of complementarity. AP World (WHAP) is 20% western; AP Art History (APAH) is 80% western. WHAP is about cross-cutting themes in many categories (social, political, environmental, cultural, economic) and has a lot of historical thinking and argumentation; while APAH is more about material culture (paintings, prints, sculpture, architecture) and adds visual analysis to contextual analysis The essays in WHAP are much more "heady" while the essays in APAH are much more on the "just the facts, ma'am" end of the spectrum (though it doesn't go as far as AP US Government and Politics -- you still want a basic thesis statement). WHAP and APAH both teach SOAPSTONE skills for primary sources -- that is, look at what's in front of you, and place it in context by author, audience, and so forth If taken in sequence, I'd vote for WHAP first. It would give you a great context for APAH later. A nice plan could be WHAP in 11th grade (although I know many take it earlier) and APAH in 12th grade, just as your brain is beginning to fry. Some pretty slides in a dark room . . . nice for seniors! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Super point! Here's the 2015 schedule: AP Exam Test Dates. Well, wait, whaaaat???!!! Dd's planning on taking the AP Comp Sci and AP Spanish Lang - which are not only on the same day, but at the same time! WTH is she supposed to do about that? It would be the same problem if she stayed in school next year - and kids taking the classes at school are supposed to be required to take the exams. And both classes are part of a progression - it's not like you can just skip a year. :confused1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Well, wait, whaaaat???!!! Dd's planning on taking the AP Comp Sci and AP Spanish Lang - which are not only on the same day, but at the same time! WTH is she supposed to do about that? It would be the same problem if she stayed in school next year - and kids taking the classes at school are supposed to be required to take the exams. And both classes are part of a progression - it's not like you can just skip a year. :confused1: She'll have to take the late exam for one of them. That is one of the allowed reasons to take the late exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 She'll have to take the late exam for one of them. That is one of the allowed reasons to take the late exam. Please 'splain the "late exam" ?? Next year will be her first APs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Please 'splain the "late exam" ?? Next year will be her first APs... College Board has another version of the exam called the late exam. There are only a few circumstances where late exams are allowed. One is if the student has two simultaneously scheduled exams. Here is the schedule for late exams: https://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ap/coordinate/late/schedule Here is more info... https://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ap/coordinate/late I don't know how you would go about scheduling this. But if you know a school will have a number of kids with the same conflict, that would be a place to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttichen Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Last year my ds took German and US History, which were given at the same time. I just went in and talked to the only school in our area that offers German. They were willing to give him German on the regular date and US History on the late day. It was much easier to arrange than I expected. I just asked, and they said it was no problem. I guess it's something they're used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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