By Travis Wu
Disclaimer: Keep in mind while reading that this article is about AP exams and not about AP courses. These two categories are completely different. I’d highly recommend students to take AP courses because it offers a year-long curriculum and allows students to connect with more academically-driven students.
Advanced Placement (AP) exams are at the core of the high school education system. Across the globe, millions of students sign up for these tests each year, dedicating countless hours to learning course content and preparing for the final assessment.
These exams, distributed and directed solely by the non-profit organization The College Board, are designed to offer students a taste of college-level coursework and the opportunity to earn college credit as well as an upper hand in college applications if they score well.
According to the College Board, AP courses grant “a unique learning experience that allows high school students a deeper dive into subjects they love, develop critical thinking skills, and save money on college tuition”.
With such benefits, one might think that AP exams are a clear-cut win for ambitious students. However, with the rising costs — around $107 per exam and $53 for fee waivers — and mounting pressure to take multiple exams, many are left wondering: are AP exams truly worth it?
To dig deeper into this topic, here are the thoughts of four FVHS seniors who have collectively taken over 40 AP courses and over 30 exams throughout their time in high school to understand if the benefits justify the costs.
One of the biggest selling points of taking AP exams is the potential to earn college credit and reduce future tuition expenses. Yet, this benefit is not as straightforward as it may seem. While some institutions do award credit for passing scores, at prestigious universities like the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University, the credits that transfer are minimal if they transfer at all.
“Students should determine what exams they take based on the credit transferability of the exams. This means that they have to research what credit each exam gives and if their desired institution even accepts said credit,” experienced AP exam taker and senior Kyle Delengocky said.
How about University of California (UC) campuses? While UC policies vary depending on the selected major and campus, AP scores at UCs typically only fulfill elective credit or credit that does not help in your intended major requirements.
An increasingly popular alternative at FVHS is concurrent or dual enrollment courses at local community colleges. FVHS partners with the Golden West College (GWC) dual enrollment program, which allows students to take college courses at little to no cost and earn both high school and college credit simultaneously.
The agreement between GWC and FVHS enables students to gain high school and college credits for subjects such as humanities, mathematics, performing arts and more. This option not only provides credit at a fraction of the cost of an AP exam, but it also gives students a real-world experience of navigating a college environment.
“If your goal is to obtain college credit as a high school student, AP exams might be the absolute worst way to achieve it,” Delengocky said. “Comparing AP exams to something like concurrent enrollment, one only has to pass the course itself to earn credit.”
Personal preferences and academic pathways should be considered when choosing between AP exams and concurrent enrollment. However, objectively speaking, concurrent enrollment courses tend to be cheaper, with only a $20 to $30 health fee required for a full semester of college.
Most community colleges offer free or significantly reduced tuition for high school students, making higher education more accessible and affordable. In some cases, institutions completely waive tuition fees, meaning that attending community college can be virtually free for high school students.
For example, the GWC-FVHS dual enrollment partnership fully covers the cost of textbooks. Other courses outside of the partnership have reduced textbook costs or no textbook costs, making it a very affordable option than traditional AP exams.
K-12 students can take up to 11 units per term, averaging around three courses. For those planning to attend a California State University (CSU) or UC campus, these concurrent enrollment credits are often equivalent to AP exam credit — with less financial burden and less stress.
However, there’s one caveat in terms of this alternative option.
“Not all students are able to handle taking extra classes outside of the ones in their high school as they will likely also be taking AP classes to improve their GPA or to improve their course rigor,” senior and College Board enthusiast Jackie Nguyen said.
And, let’s not overlook the stress factor. AP exams require a significant investment of time and energy, which can take a toll on students’ well-being.
CollegeVine, a popular college admissions website, “advises students to aim for around 40-50 hours of study time per AP exam, spreading this out over several weeks or months”.
“Realistically, I think one would need to study about an hour a week per exam for two months leading up to the exam date to succeed,” Delengocky said.
Of course, the amount of preparation varies depending on the student and the subject. Still, the extensive preparation needed to earn a score that qualifies for college credit can be daunting.
“With AP exams, they require lots of preparation for credit that may not even be guaranteed depending on the college,” senior Andrew Hinh said.
For those seeking a competitive advantage in college applications, it’s important to note that AP exam scores “are not generally a highly weighted component of your college application,” according to CollegeVine. For clarification, AP courses are important in establishing your course rigor competitiveness; however, AP exam scores are not a “highly weighted” component in your college application.
“It is definitely becoming an expectation now. As more schools nationwide implement AP courses into their curriculum, the advantage that AP exams give is diminishing,” Delengocky said.
In an official document released by CollegeBoard for statistical data on the number of AP Exams Per Student, the frequency of students taking more than three AP exams has increased by nearly 5%.
“Since everyone takes AP exams, it won’t make you stand out compared to your GPA, essays and extracurriculars done outside of school,” Hinh said.
With all said, these are just thoughts to keep in mind when evaluating the worthiness of AP exams. The key is to prioritize what works best for your goals and future, whether that means taking AP exams or exploring alternative opportunities.
Now rethink the question: are AP exams worth it?
