AP Calculus AB Exam - Show up or not?

[Haken]

I registered dc for AP Calc AB exam. However, I missed the deadline for accommodations. We're learning towards not showing up. If we don't show up do we have to call somewhere? Otherwise, do you think we should show up? Is there any benefit to showing up? Thanks!   

[purpleowl]

If you decide that your child will not show up, I'd say let the AP coordinator at the school know, so the school knows not to expect your child. 

As to whether to show up or not, I think it would depend on how well you think your child would do without accommodations, and on how important it is to your child to try.

[JennyD]

The College Board charges schools $40 per unused exam, so I would absolutely contact the AP coordinator at the host school to let them know and to offer to pay that charge.

 

[jplain]

2 hours ago, JennyD said:

The College Board charges schools $40 per unused exam, so I would absolutely contact the AP coordinator at the host school to let them know and to offer to pay that charge.

 

Schools are not charged for exams until after all exams have been administered.  The invoice is sent shortly after the late testing date.  The unused exam fee of $40 is charged instead of the (higher) completed exam fee.  So as long as the school marks the exam unused, the school comes out ahead.  

Edited May 8 by jplain

[JennyD]

59 minutes ago, jplain said:

Schools are not charged for exams until after all exams have been administered.  The invoice is sent shortly after the late testing date.  The unused exam fee of $40 is charged instead of the (higher) completed exam fee.  So as long as the school marks the exam unused, the school comes out ahead.  

I did not realize that, thanks for the clarification!  

As a homeschooler depending on the kindness of community-minded AP coordinators, though, I would still double-check with the host school that there were no additional charges that needed to be covered.  

[jplain]

36 minutes ago, JennyD said:

I did not realize that, thanks for the clarification!  

As a homeschooler depending on the kindness of community-minded AP coordinators, though, I would still double-check with the host school that there were no additional charges that needed to be covered.  

If you want to know everything there is to know about AP exam procedures, the AP coordinator's manual can be accessed without a login. 👍

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/ap-coordinators/resource-library/coordinator-manual

[Roadrunner]

I would ask a number of questions. 
If you plan on taking calculus BC next year, you don’t need to bother taking AB exam this year. You will get AB sub score with BC exam. 
If your kid is a senior and AB score gets him out of a math class he really doesn’t want to take, I would go and take an exam. What are you losing? My kid’s friend is terrible at math and needs Calculus 1 for his degree. He is hoping by getting a 3 this year, he never has to do math again. If you are in that situation, take an exam. 
If there is no chance he passes the exam, and you are certain of that, let the coordinator know and don’t bother putting him under stress. 

[jplain]

In case this perspective is useful, here's what's going on in our house.  My humanities-bound graduating senior did Derek Owens' Precalculus last year and completed Thinkwell's AP Calc AB-compatible curriculum this year.  However, she didn't have time for AP-specific exam prep because the rest of her 12th grade course load was pretty ambitious. 

Her college orientation and course selection will take place in mid-June (before AP scores are released), so she decided to skip the AP Calculus AB exam.  She is spending the freed-up time zooming through a couple of self-paced Arizona State University Universal Learner classes instead: MAT 170 Precalculus and MAT 265 Calculus for Engineers 1.  Those will transfer as Precalculus and Calculus 1 to her chosen university, satisfying her undergrad math requirement (though she'll likely also take statistics at some point). 

One thing to be aware of with 3 and 4 unit self-paced ASU courses is in regard to timing.  After registering, the student needs to wait a minimum of 6 weeks before the class can be transcripted.  In other words, you can work through a self-paced course as quickly as you'd like, but the course will not be officially completed until 6 weeks have passed.  

Edited May 10 by jplain

[cintinative]

Another option is to apply for accommodations and then take the Calculus CLEP (if the point is to test out of Calculus)

[jplain]

6 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Another option is to apply for accommodations and then take the Calculus CLEP (if the point is to test out of Calculus)

With the caveat that not all schools award credits for CLEP scores.  Most private schools do not.  One of the out-of-state public flagships my kid was considering accepts CLEP scores.  However, the out-of-state flagship she ultimately chose does not, nor do any of our in-state public universities.

[EKS]

If there is any possibility that the student will be applying for accommodations for any other College Board test, particularly an extended time accommodation, I would not have them take the test without accommodations.  I was told that if a student gets an average score without accommodations the CB might deny future accommodation requests.

[mckittre]

I had a kid get a 4 on an AP test without accommodations, then got accommodations the next year, so the College Board doesn't always look at that.

[EKS]

10 hours ago, mckittre said:

I had a kid get a 4 on an AP test without accommodations, then got accommodations the next year, so the College Board doesn't always look at that.

I'm glad to hear you had a good experience.  I wasn't willing to chance it.

[Roadrunner]

11 hours ago, EKS said:

I'm glad to hear you had a good experience.  I wasn't willing to chance it.

But if she is a senior, this is the last rodeo on APs. She wouldn’t be taking more of those. 

[EKS]

40 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

But if she is a senior, this is the last rodeo on APs. She wouldn’t be taking more of those. 

Homeschoolers in particular seem to take AP exams at all times.  So I didn't assume that the student was a senior (or even a junior).  But you're right--if a senior, then it doesn't really matter.