AP exam experiences in this weird time

[Momto6inIN]

My oldest took a couple AP tests a few years ago. It was NBD. Our local high school was easy to work with and he self studied and did well. My 2nd guy wasn't really interested because he wanted to spend more time on his ECs than school, which was fine by me. I saw a couple threads on here about AP exam craziness during covid but didn't really care because I wasn't planning on anybody doing them so I didn't read them.

Now my DD might want to self study and take the psych AP exam next year (2021-2022) and I'm concerned it might not be NBD this time around. Anybody have anything to warn me about that's changed since covid? Anybody want to guess what things will look like as far as testing goes?

[Lilaclady]

You have to register with schools early- about  November though they make exceptions for homeschoolers but it still depends on the schools. Students need to have an

account with college board and will register with a code

provided by the school. 

[Momto6inIN]

OK, that sounds almost identical to the last time I signed a kid up for an AP test except the deadline is earlier. Good to know!

[Farrar]

I mean, who knows what it will be like. But the core process is the same as before. You need to get your syllabus approved or have your dd take an approved outside course to call it AP on the transcript, but you can do it at home. You need to register with a school or testing center and depending on your state they'll be nice or difficult about it. You need to register earlier because the College Board moved the deadlines up. However, a lot of that went out the window this year.

This year, they have multiple dates for each test, ditched a bit of the material, and are offering and online version. Next year is really anyone's guess. They only announced that like a week ago for this year. So count on the CB to string everyone along next year as well.

[Roadrunner]

I hope digital exams are here to stay. 

[Momto6inIN]

On 2/14/2021 at 1:37 AM, Farrar said:

Next year is really anyone's guess. They only announced that like a week ago for this year. So count on the CB to string everyone along next year as well.

This is what I'm afraid of!

On 2/14/2021 at 2:01 AM, Roadrunner said:

I hope digital exams are here to stay. 

What advantages did you see? I would have thought it would be more difficult and stressful, but maybe that's just because I'm more familiar with the paper/pencil process.

[Roadrunner]

5 minutes ago, Momto6inIN said:

This is what I'm afraid of!

What advantages did you see? I would have thought it would be more difficult and stressful, but maybe that's just because I'm more familiar with the paper/pencil process.

Accessibility? For example my kid is interested in taking microeconomics. We can’t find a single school in the 2 hour radius that offers AP Micro exam much less allows homeschoolers. So I am thinking of digital exams are allowed, maybe accessibility would be better? 

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, Momto6inIN said:

This is what I'm afraid of!

What advantages did you see? I would have thought it would be more difficult and stressful, but maybe that's just because I'm more familiar with the paper/pencil process.

One more thing. I think for exams with longer essays (English, history), it’s easier to type than hand write. But then again I have a left handed kid who writes like a kindergartner (blaming PS for never correcting his grip) and complains of pain constantly. 

[Farrar]

I see both bonuses and drawbacks to the online versions. I'll be curious if they manage to make them work better this year than last year when they were plagued by a ton of problems, including a lot of cheating. There are a lot of students who had strings of 4's and 5's on many AP exams throughout school only to end up with 1's or 2's on an exam they expected to ace - likely due to some unseen tech glitch. And then there were kids who half-assed it and prayed they would squeak by with a 3 only to get 5's. Right now, I see pretty mixed validity with the online exams, basically. But the accessibility is a huge improvement and if they can make them work, it would be a really good thing for many students.

[Arcadia]

What I have seen local to me is that schools are not willing to commit to being in person until this fall. Its more a wait and see when their teachers would be vaccinated. 

Before COVID, it was more a case of whether they have vacancies or not. Last fall, it was a case of whether they can accommodate their own students with the social distancing requirements if the exams are in school. Even with the online option being announced recently, not all schools are interested in the small “commission” they earn per student from CollegeBoard for hosting. 
 

Private schools might be more accommodating next academic year. My public school district is kind of burnt out with all the anger from parents, the teachers union and the school boards. They are even more wary about committing to anything without an escape clause. 

[NittanyJen]

On 2/15/2021 at 1:59 PM, Momto6inIN said:

This is what I'm afraid of!

What advantages did you see? I would have thought it would be more difficult and stressful, but maybe that's just because I'm more familiar with the paper/pencil process.

We are so happy about being able to take the exam from home online. It shortens the commute, which makes “arriving” on time easier, and he can either get up a little later, or eat a better meal first. We DO have the luxury of being on the east coast— digital exams are given synchronously everywhere worldwide (except China and Japan), so students will have some crazy start times— it’s not out of the question to have to start at midnight. 

It’s easier to take the test in a familiar, comfortable environment (again, this presupposes that ‘home’ is somewhere that is comfortable and has a reasonable achievable amount of quiet, which is not everyone’s reality). And it’s online, which means you get to type insted of writing everything. All tools for input are on the computer— there will be no scanning and uploading stuff this time around. It’s a lot easier to type for 3 hours than to write by hand at speed. And no having to fill in bubbles and worry about filling them in correcly or erasing enough.

The fact that we can test at home means the school was willing to offer DS a seat; without it he probably would have been shut out (again).

There will be an on-screen timer. One of my kids took an AP exam (lit) in a room with no clock and the proctor never announced the time remaining. Talk about stressful.

There is nothing to lose or mess up. No stickers to put in the right places, no info to bubble. You just finish, and it submits your test. Easy peasy.

 

 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, NittanyJen said:

It’s easier to take the test in a familiar, comfortable environment (again, this presupposes that ‘home’ is somewhere that is comfortable and has a reasonable achievable amount of quiet, which is not everyone’s reality). And it’s online, which means you get to type instead of writing everything. All tools for input are on the computer— there will be no scanning and uploading stuff this time around. It’s a lot easier to type for 3 hours than to write by hand at speed. And no having to fill in bubbles and worry about filling them in correctly or erasing enough.

My teens prefer pencil and paper especially for maths, sciences and economics. They have been seeing mainly computer screens since end March 2020 when schools and colleges have to go online. They are so happy when the community college homework and exams are print, write and scan. After not being in a classroom for a year, they are actual looking forward to being in a room with other teens even though it is taking an exam. While digital exams have the advantage of typing for papers like history and english lang/lit, my teens and I can definitely write the statistics exam faster than we can type.  

For the digital exams, there is no going back for the multiple choice section. You also have to ensure your internet connection stays stable for more than 3hrs. I live in a densely populated area and internet stability isn't a given if many students are taking a popular AP exam at the same time. During a recent power outage, a friend's husband used multiple powerbanks to power their modem.

[Farrar]

I think there's a lot of privilege in saying that the test is categorically easier from home. Not just the privilege of having stable internet and technology, but the familiarity with the tech, the ability to perform on tech - which can be tied to how students process on screen vs. paper, and the confidence to be able to not look over one's answers before the end. Plus, the privilege of location. Last year, at least, the digital exams were all at the same time, meaning international students had to take exams in the middle of the night or before dawn in many cases.

I'm not against them! Like I said above, I see big positives and negatives with them. I mean, it's also a privilege to live near a school giving the test in person, for example.

[kokotg]

We had a good experience with the online exams last year and got scores in line with what we'd have expected in a regular year; this year they've had time to work out the glitches, so I have some hope it will go smoothly for most people. My kids are happy to take them online, particularly my very slow writer for whom being able to type is a big advantage. I was also very nervous, when we had our scare the other day when the place we signed up in the fall threatened to back out on us, that we'd end up finding somewhere that was only testing in person and not taking any covid precautions (which is not at all unusual around here) and I'd have decide whether to let my kids go sit in a crowded room for 3-4 hours with a bunch of kids with no masks (x3 for my older kid). Next year who knows? I think the earlier registration deadline could be a problem, because I can see schools being very reluctant to add more uncertainty by taking outside students. I would imagine by spring all high school students will have the opportunity to be vaccinated, but in fall things might still be very up in the air (this year they extended the registration deadline for homeschoolers, but no guarantees about next year). All of that said, we still plan on trying to do APs next year and hoping for the best. I'll have a 12th grader, so it won't be a big deal if he ends up not actually able to test since he'll have already done college applications (we use APs more as a way to show rigor than for college credit and consider college credit a nice bonus when they get it). And I'll have a 10th grader who can't do DE yet at the school he's planning on, so it's AP or nothing. And since he'll only be 10th grade he'll have more opportunities later on.

[stripe]

26 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I think there's a lot of privilege in saying that the test is categorically easier from home.

Yes. Having a quiet location to take a test by oneself is not possible for everyone. This is on top of the technology issues.

[NittanyJen]

I agree with all of what you said. 

I don’t think the digital exams are all good or all bad— they are indidvidual student dependent. I was responding to the question, “Why would anyone think they are a good thing?” There are reasons some students would think they are a good thing. There are reasons other students would prefer a paper exam. I think both students should have access to what they need in order to perform well.

[NittanyJen]

I’m not sure I’ve seen anybody make the case that the test is categorically easier from home— I certainly did not.

For students who prefer the digital format and have the environment to support it, it is the better option. For students who cannot get an in-person location to give them a seat, and the options are digital at home or no chance at all, it is the better option. For students who prefer paper testing and can get a seat at an in-person testing location, that is the better option.

I think the College Board needs to do a better job in supporting homeschooler access to both formats so that all students can have fair and equitable access, at least within the constraints the CB already imposes.

 

[NittanyJen]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

I think there's a lot of privilege in saying that the test is categorically easier from home. Not just the privilege of having stable internet and technology, but the familiarity with the tech, the ability to perform on tech - which can be tied to how students process on screen vs. paper, and the confidence to be able to not look over one's answers before the end. Plus, the privilege of location. Last year, at least, the digital exams were all at the same time, meaning international students had to take exams in the middle of the night or before dawn in many cases.

I'm not against them! Like I said above, I see big positives and negatives with them. I mean, it's also a privilege to live near a school giving the test in person, for example.

Just being clear here, because things can get mixed up online— *I* never said anything that can be construed as the test is categorically easier from home. I was responding to a specific question about why someone might prefer the online format, and I included specific acknowledgements that those factors would not be the case for every student.

You might not have meant me, and you might not have been saying that I said this. But in case it reads that way to anyone in the future, I certainly don’t want it construed that way.

 

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, stripe said:

Yes. Having a quiet location to take a test by oneself is not possible for everyone. This is on top of the technology issues.

Due to the Covid19 situation, my kids took the exams last year while my husband was having work conference calls. When both kids were taking the exams at the same time, one took the dining room table and the other had to use a lap desk to take his exam in bed. 
 

Hawaii students also had to take the morning exams very early since the digital exams were conducted at the same time worldwide. 
 

With two kids taking AP exams, my husband would be taking a few days of annual leave if he takes leave for all the days my kids are taking the exams this year. 

[Roadrunner]

17 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Due to the Covid19 situation, my kids took the exams last year while my husband was having work conference calls. When both kids were taking the exams at the same time, one took the dining room table and the other had to use a lap desk to take his exam in bed. 
 

Hawaii students also had to take the morning exams very early since the digital exams were conducted at the same time worldwide. 
 

With two kids taking AP exams, my husband would be taking a few days of annual leave if he takes leave for all the days my kids are taking the exams this year. 

It’s hard for people to understand in what sort of tiny places we in CA live. My children happened to see an HGTV episode once at a hotel and were floored that some complained how small their 2,000sf houses were and wanted to upgrade. They couldn’t believe people lived in such huge places and on top wanted more.

We use the garage (thank you weather!). 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Roadrunner

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, Roadrunner said:

We use the garage (thank you weather!). 

I live in a condo so my teens don’t even have that option.

When we look at single family homes in Tracy, they feel ginormous 😂 and cost less than my condo.