College Board holds AP testing standards through pandemic
by Cole Adams-Beyea
May 27, 2021
A.P. exams are drawing to an end at Yarmouth High School, and, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Yarmouth has still been able to perform “exceptionally well,” said Mrs. Doane, the College Board coordinator at Yarmouth High. It is still unclear how the students did on the 2021 exams, but Doane is optimistic after seeing the 2020 scores.
In previous years the A.P. Exams have been set on a singular date, but this year the College Board has given schools the option to choose between two testing dates. This gives schools the opportunity to choose later dates when needed.
Another adjustment has been the addition of digital testing alongside paper and pencil tests. With the pandemic shutting down schools across the country, some have reopened more than others. This addition allows students who remain fully remote to participate in the A.P. Exams.
Complications in Exam Rollout
AP Psych teacher Sarah Carrigan said, “Preparing for the AP was definitely difficult. I just didn’t feel like I had enough time, especially to review. That said, I think the kids did as best they could!” This theme of being short on time was apparent with the majority of the other AP teachers at Yarmouth.
Uniquely, AP Physics test curriculum was different this year. The final two units were exempted from the exam. Doane said, “The physics exam was shortened because it was able to be cut down and still fit a college physics one course.”
“AP physics is a difficult class but myself and the majority of the class felt well prepared for the exam,” said senior Natalie Teare. A When asked if the reduction in content was necessary, Teare said, “I do believe it’s necessary. I felt confident taking the exam in most part because of our time to prepare. If we had been required to learn two more units I don’t think the class would have been as confident.”
Some things this year did not change. The AP language exams as well as the AP music exams did not have a digital option like the other AP classes.
This did not have a major impact at Yarmouth since paper and pencil tests and preparation was available. This decision to only hold paper and pencil exams was due to the high security and cheating risks associated with these topics.
Doane said she is “proud” of how Yarmouth High school has handled AP testing in the past two years. According to Doane, schools have handled the multiple testing dates differently across the country. Yarmouth decided to give the teachers of the AP classes the choice of testing dates, allowing them to have more control over the review and test prep for their classes.
“This is just one of the small things Yarmouth has done well during this difficult time,” Doane said.