Are the AP Exams Too Much?

Ronece Pringle, Staff Reporter

If you didn’t know, students in MBHS that are currently taking AP Courses including AP Psychology, Language, etc. are getting ready for the exam in May. At the end of March, students paid their fees for the AP exams they will be taking and they weren’t too happy.  According to College Board, “The fee for the exam is $92. The school normally retains $9 to help with administration costs.” On the other hand, juniors in MBHS aren’t too worried about the costs.  Having to manage senior dues, after parties and attire for prom, taking the AP exam is another thing to add on the list. 

Soraya St.Clair, a senior at MBHS, is juggling between taking the exam because “[she] feels like the AP exam is too expensive for no reason even though you can possibly get college credit.”  The only factor that is pushing Soraya to take the test is that the credit will transfer over into college and that is convenient for her.  In her case she has an advantage because she realized she paid the fee late.  

An anonymous senior says, “it’s a lot to focus on being that I have to worry about my prom. Ninety two dollars plus my senior prom is too much.”  

On the other hand, after interviewing a junior at MBHS, Ariel Davson, she thinks the Ap exams are “ridiculous” because there’s no consistency with the price of the AP Exams.  The AP Exams should have a set price instead of the price varying. Furthermore, the AP exams are beneficial for the students because it can help them prepare for how college exams are like and that’s a major bonus.

After interviewing Tracy Syetta, an MBHS AP Psychology teacher, she’s preparing the students by “completing various timed portions of the exam in order to get a real feel for what the actual testing experience will feel like and to enable them to study and plan accordingly.”  By doing this, the students will learn how to manage their time and will be more than ready for the actual Exam.  In her opinion, “92 dollars is an appropriate price, as long as appropriate price reductions are made based on financial need,” while other students are not very happy about the price, especially seniors. The issue with this is that it’s not guaranteed that everyone who pays for the exam is going to pass it.  After interviewing 2 seniors and 1 junior, the problem is not receiving their money back or at least half of the money that is going toward the exam.