AP - pros and cons of taking AP classes / test early?

[Porridge]

A friend approached me to suggest that my DD12 study for the AP Chinese exam with her DD this coming year. I hadn't really had any AP tests on my planning horizon for at least a few years.  Both children might be able to perform well on the AP Chinese test, but (up until now) I didn't see any point in having her do it 7th grade. Are there benefits to taking AP tests early? Are there downsides?  I seem to recall seeing on these forums (but now I can't find the threads) that there is some time limit after which AP exam scores are no longer valid. Since DD is only 7th, and I don't anticipate having her enter college early, I wonder if an exam taken this year will still be valid by the time she applies to college? I tried to find info on the AP  / College Board website, but so far haven't been able to find the info I needed. 

If you could point me to any prior threads that discuss this, or to good links on the internet, I'd be very appreciative!

Thank you!

 

[Runningmom80]

Yes from what I've read the scores are good for 4 years? I think there is a way to get them after that, there is a great post on medium that explains AP in homeschool, I'll see if I can find it.

 

For me personally, I wouldn't do it early unless my kid was planning on graduating early, because it gives you less freedom and I'm just not that into tests. YMMV.

 

ETA: here's the post https://medium.com/@lisadavis_homeschool/what-every-savvy-homeschooler-needs-to-know-about-taking-ap-classes-and-exams-4483dc2638a6

Edited June 30, 2020 by Runningmom80

[Arcadia]

AP Chinese is one of those exams where colleges are looking at a score of 5 for credit. The people who took AP Chinese early in school (private and public) went on to take another AP foreign language by senior year (usually AP Spanish because it’s popular in California, AP French is a popular second choice as it’s offered in some public schools) 

[Runningmom80]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

AP Chinese is one of those exams where colleges are looking at a score of 5 for credit. The people who took AP Chinese early in school (private and public) went on to take another AP foreign language by senior year (usually AP Spanish because it’s popular in California, AP French is a popular second choice as it’s offered in some public schools) 

 

Is this the same for all foreign language AP's? Just curious. 🙂

[mathnerd]

The only reason that I have heard IRL for taking early AP for languages is so that the child can take another foreign language starting in 9th grade (this is typical in some public schools in CA) and get another foreign language AP under their belt. I have seen many kids take Spanish AP in middle school and then move on to other language AP's (including Chinese) in high school. Many mandarin speaking kids actually opt to take AP Chinese in high school locally, perhaps because they can have more time to focus on other subjects at that time since they are proficient in mandarin already.

[Arcadia]

8 minutes ago, Runningmom80 said:

 

Is this the same for all foreign language AP's? Just curious. 🙂

For heritage speakers who learned since “toddlerhood”. So there are people here taking AP Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese in middle school and 9th grade, then take another foreign language in high school.  There is unfortunately no AP exams for Korean 

 

Do you mean the score of 5 part? Some colleges are more stringent than others. 

e.g. 

Stanford goes for 5

https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/transfer-credit-and-advanced-placement/advanced-placement/ap-credit-chart

SCU accepts 4 or 5

https://www.scu.edu/bulletin/undergraduate/chapter-8/AcademicCreditEvaluation.html

[Runningmom80]

14 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

For heritage speakers who learned since “toddlerhood”. So there are people here taking AP Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese in middle school and 9th grade, then take another foreign language in high school.  There is unfortunately no AP exams for Korean 

 

Do you mean the score of 5 part? Some colleges are more stringent than others. 

e.g. 

Stanford goes for 5

https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/transfer-credit-and-advanced-placement/advanced-placement/ap-credit-chart

SCU accepts 4 or 5

https://www.scu.edu/bulletin/undergraduate/chapter-8/AcademicCreditEvaluation.html

 

Thank you! Yes I meant the score of 5. 

[Lilaclady]

AP tests are valid for 4 years beyond the last year an exam was taken so it doesn’t matter when they start. It will be on the record. My student started in 7th and it was still on the records for college application.