Finding an AP exam site

[mirabillis]

We are currently taking a few AP courses this year and I've been putting off the dreaded 'search' for a place to take the AP exam... mostly b/c early results when asking about the PSAT are fairly abysmal. So lots of legwork for me. In any case, my question is thus:

 

For those schools willing to 'order' tests for those APs that they don't offer, how does that work? I have a wonderful Christian private school nearby who was more than willing to accommodate my ds for the PSAT. They seem more than willing for AP exams, but they only offer a few - and none of the ones we're taking. How does it work for a school to proctor you on an exam they don't normally offer? Can we take that AP the same day they're proctoring other exams? Or would it require them to have someone come proctor my single student on some off-day? Please tell me the details, so I'll have everything I need to know, to help them know if they can help us.

 

Otherwise, our local public schools all at first glance, are unhelpful in the extreme. But I'll still look into all private schools and heading 30min-1hr away, I am sure to find lots of options.

 

Thanks for your help!

[3andme]

All AP exams are supposed to be administered at the same time based on the AP exam schedule. So, the school would need to administer the exam at the given time for that specific exam. If you wanted to take an exam they do not offer, they would have to proctor it during the scheduled time period. The school may offer an additional late testing date in some circumstances.

[G5052]

Just make a lot of phone calls. Seriously. You have to take it on the same day that everyone does. The late testing date is for illness, conflicts with other exams, or if there's an unexpected school closing, not for convenience.

 

I had to make literally dozens of calls to get a Latin exam set up several years ago. I called public, private, and parochial schools. None of the local high schools offered it, but several 45 minutes away did; however, I had missed their December deadline. Sigh. In the end, someone I had corresponded with online about a writing workshop pointed me to a public school that was willing to order and give any exam to homeschoolers. It was 90 minutes each way to get there, and we had to go three times -- once to register because they held the packet for me, once for orientation/forms several weeks before, and once for the exam. It was a pain, to say the least. After that offering, the school board decided that they could only offer the exams they were already giving to homeschoolers.

 

Thankfully we've had zero issues with the rest because they were offered at the local high school. In my state, they have to give you the exam if they are already giving it, and if you meet their deadlines. The local director of guidance had me email in December for a slot, then again in January to confirm. He emailed me a form that I had to return with a check by a certain date. He emailed when he received it. Then I was to email him a week before for last minute instructions, and that was that. In other words, they included us, but the onus was on me to keep up with it.

 

Other than the Latin one, it wasn't too bad.

Edited November 15, 2016 by G5052

[mjbucks1]

Our local high school has been more than willing to proctor AP exams for classes that the school does not offer.  The above posters are right in that the tests must be given on the national exam date.  I would start with the private school and see if they would be willing to do it.  You could offer to pay an additional testing fee if they would be willing to proctor the exam (I know some on this board have done this).  

[mirabillis]

Just curious - does that mean that effectively, your dc could be the only one there taking a test that day?

 

And in other news- I FOUND A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL for 2 of the tests!!! I am beyond thrilled. And it's from a PM from someone on the boards, locally, who suggested I email directly a particular superintendent, cc'ing the AP coordinator. Got an email back - and voila - 2 out of 3 accommodated! YAY!!!  :hurray:

[mjbucks1]

Just curious - does that mean that effectively, your dc could be the only one there taking a test that day?

 

 

Yes, that is correct.  My ds took AP Latin, AP Comp Sci, and AP Physics C exams all by himself.  My dd took the AP Human Geography exam last spring and she was alone as well.  The proctor just sat in the room and did work they needed to complete.  

[Roadrunner]

Yes, that is correct. My ds took AP Latin, AP Comp Sci, and AP Physics C exams all by himself. My dd took the AP Human Geography exam last spring and she was alone as well. The proctor just sat in the room and did work they needed to complete.

Does that mean a community college testing center can proctor AP as well?

[daijobu]

Does anyone here recommend signing up to take the AP a 2 different locations, as a back up?  (I remember reading here about an AP exam that had been reserved, but then it fell through, too late to do anything about it. )  

[G5052]

Does that mean a community college testing center can proctor AP as well?

 

Not in my state. I'm a community college professor (18 years now), and I called every college contact I had. Apparently it's in the state regulations that public community colleges can't offer that service. 

 

I think I remember a board member being able to arrange with a community college where they were already handling the testing for all of the local public schools, but that's unusual.

 

In other words, you can't just contact the college for proctoring service like you can with certain other exams. They have to be approved by the College Board to do that.

[Luckymama]

D took one AP exam on a community college campus BUT it was administered by the (charter) high school. The high school just used the cc space so that their students would not be interrupted by the high school bell schedule.

[mirabillis]

Yes, that is correct.  My ds took AP Latin, AP Comp Sci, and AP Physics C exams all by himself.  My dd took the AP Human Geography exam last spring and she was alone as well.  The proctor just sat in the room and did work they needed to complete.  

 

That is so fascinating. No wonder not many schools want to do this! 

[GoodGrief]

There was a program (charter for homeschoolers, but not the one I was enrolled in) that was willing to proctor my daughter's AP tests. Three times she was the only one taking the exam there. Also one public school was willing to do it, and again, she was the only one there. It really does require a ton of calling around though, because in the end, it is really up to the person who coordinates the AP thing at any given school. I ran into one school last year that would not include my daughter in the AP Comp Sci exam even though they were offering it for their students.

[mirabillis]

That's the last one I'm looking at - AP Comp Sci. I have a list from the AP Board of about a dozen schools from here to about 1 hour away (so far - many more 1 hr 15 min away) to begin my search. Those are just the ones that offer AP CS - I figure we'll start there. I'm just so thrilled since starting this thread, that 2 of the 3 are now accounted for. I have an appt with that high school's AP coordinator first week of Dec, so I feel pretty good about that one.