AP questions...again

[Kelly on the prairie]

I am still not wrapping my mind around the whole AP thing and am needing some clarity. I understand that a person can take a prep class or make a "homegrown class" using the texts recommended for the exam.

 

I am wondering if there is a cut off date in which you can sign up for the exam? Do you just start calling community colleges and universities in the area to find out if they offer the exam? What is the cost of the exam? If they don't do well is it still recorded like SAT tests?

 

Also, I am reading some posts that are leading me to believe that the SAT Subject Tests may be of more benefit to students. Are the SAT Subject Tests a one time deal, or if they want to improve their score, can they try again?

 

I appreciate any help. I am still trying to make sense of this whole thing. I have a ninth grader that I don't want to overwhelm, however, the experience would be very valuable to him.

 

I am thinking of having him do the AP Geography exam as a "taste". He says he would like to try it. He was going to follow along with his sister who is doing Runkle this year. I was going to have him do further cultural study to beef it up for him. Now I am thinking why not make it an AP class.

[Gwen in VA]

AP tests are offered in May. The deadline for signing up is sometime in late March, but I recommend that you start to contact the school about signing up for the AP exam in late January or early February.

 

Last year the AP exams cost $85 each. Some school districts cover the cost of the exam -- when my kids take AP exams through the public schools we do not pay anything, but when they take AP exams through the local private school we pay the $85 per exam.

 

You can send AP scores selectively, but the College Board requires that you pay to "hide" any of your AP exam scores. If you go to the collegeboard.com website there should be more information there.

 

The SAT subject tests are 1-hour exams that are generally offered at the same time and place as the SAT's. They are all multiple choice. Some colleges require them for admissions. The SAT subject exams are supposed to show competency in a given subject at the high school level; AP exams (3 hour exams that include an essay portion) are supposed to show competency in a given subjectt at the college level.

 

STRONG RECOMMENDATION -- buy a prep book or two for any SAT or AP subjects. Have your child work through one during the year as he masters various portions of the subject. Have him work through the other near exam time and then have him take some of the practice exams so he has some indication of what his score might be. (Caution -- my kids have ALWAYS done better on the real exam than on the practice ones). If he is very concerned about how low his score might be, have him skip the exam!

 

I hope this helps! And keep on asking questions!

 

2 reasons for taking AP exams --

 

1)To show competency in subject/academic prowess to admissions folks. (In other words, to verify Mommy grades)

2) To get college credit. Colleges vary widely in how (or if) they handle AP credit, but it is possible to earn many credits through AP exams.

 

2 reasons for taking SAT subject exams --

 

1) Some colleges require them

2) To show competency in subject/academic prowess to admissions folks. (In other words, to verify Mommy grades)

[danielle]

Be sure to look at at least a review book for Human Geo. The test draws very heavily from the three recommended texts. My understandiing is that Runkle emphasizes physical geography (I could be wrong), whereas Human Geo is more about sociology, and has very specific themes that are covered.

Finding a testing site in our area (north suburban Chicago) was a challenge for Human Geo as it is a newer, less given test. I had to call 5 schools! So definitely, start looking by January.

Danielle