Counseling Corner: Addison Trail Guidance Department shares important information regarding Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level exams

At District 88 and Addison Trail, we strive to provide all students with access to the most rigorous curriculum to prepare them for success in college and careers. Those courses include Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level classes. Each AP course has an optional corresponding exam, and those assessments will be administered from May 6 to 17. General information about the AP program can be found at https://apstudent.collegeboard.org. 

A benefit of taking AP exams is they offer students the opportunity to earn college credit. Students must receive a certain score to obtain college credit, and that score varies depending on the college/university. However, all public colleges in Illinois must give students credit if they get a 3 or higher on the exam. For more information about AP credit, go to www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy. Gaining college credit while in high school can save students money by not having to take those courses in college. Exposure to AP exams also familiarizes students with high-stakes, college-level tests. The more comfortable and confident students become with those types of assessments, the better they typically perform. 

Below are tips to assist students:

• Attend review sessions provided by your teachers.
  
  
• Familiarize yourself with the content of the exam, including:
• How long it will be
  
  
• When and where it will take place (view the AP exam schedule at www.dupage88.net/ATAPExamSchedule2024)
  
  
• Items that are allowed in the room, and items that are prohibited
  
  
• The type of exam it will be (digital versus paper/pencil, etc.)
  
  
• The types of questions that might be on the assessment (you can download past free-response questions from real AP exams at https://tinyurl.com/d3rev9mt)
  
  
• Put together a study plan.
  
  
• Take advantage of the “AP Daily: Practice Sessions,” which will launch on April 22. These short, 15-minute video sessions are led by experienced AP teachers and focus on practicing free-response and multiple-choice questions. All videos can be found on the AP Google Classroom.
  
  
• Here are some more resources to help students prepare: https://blog.collegeboard.org/free-resources-prepare-ap-exams. 

Important test-day reminders:

• View the AP exam schedule at www.dupage88.net/ATAPExamSchedule2024.
  
  
• Exams typically last three hours and contain a multiple choice and a free-response component.
  
  
• Students will be excused from classes they miss for testing.
  
  
• Students will eat lunch before or after their exam.

For questions or more information, contact the Addison Trail Guidance Department at https://dupage88.libguides.com/Guidance.