Several Advanced Placement (AP) classes have held full length practice exams over the weekends during the past few weeks as they prepare for the start of 71st annual AP exams held between May 1st-12th. This past Saturday’s full length practice exam for the AP Calculus AB class required students to arrive at 7:30 am and ran all the way till about 30 minutes before noon giving students a perfect practice timeline.

“Most students haven’t taken a three and a half hour test, let alone a math test. So more than anything, I wanted them to know what that feels like,” AP Calculus AB teacher, Mr. Adam Sjol said. 

AP Calculus AB has among the highest pass rates of all the AP courses in the school. One reason for such a high pass rate seems to be the full length practice exam and relatively new AP university that have kept scores high despite the effects of COVID-19.

“I tell my kids in classes that your job is to show it and that on the test, you don’t have to know everything…being able to keep working when you’re tired, when you’ve missed things [is important],” Sjol said.

Not only just AP Calculus AB, but AP Biology and AP English language have had full length practice exams for the same purpose. All of these practice sessions aim to expose students to the exam routine and give them valuable practice as testing approaches closer and closer. In addition to allowing students to see what kind of questions and concepts are tested, addressing students fears regarding what is allowed, what isn’t, and how to do things specific to the AP exam guidelines is what many students feel is beneficial from these practices. 

“I plan to take note of where I need to improve and how my current level of understanding compares to the AP grading scale,” Michelle Choi (11) said.

The practice exams can also count for making up absences as a Saturday school day under certain circumstances for a few of them, allowing students to both gain valuable practice to prepare for the AP exam as well as recover unexcused missed school days.

“I feel like it was a good opportunity to practice for the exam and overall [the test] was pretty average,” Ethan Wu (11) said.