From May 4th to May 15th, many students took multiple AP tests at Shadow Ridge High School. These students experienced a demanding two weeks of AP testing as they balanced multiple exams, long check-in processes, and busy schedules. With a wide variety of AP courses offered, many students had back-to-back exams on certain days, making the testing season stressful and exhausting.
Students were required to arrive an hour early to exams to allow enough time for check-in, Wi-Fi setup, and login verification. Delays sometimes occurred when large groups of students were testing at the same time or when students forgot their login information, causing the process to take longer than expected. The extra time felt tedious to some, however, all students were able to complete their exams successfully. In addition, students were allowed to bring a snack and a water bottle, along with their Chromebook, into testing. Students had to leave their backpacks and electronic devices at the front of the room during testing and were not allowed to access them.
Students and staff experienced the AP testing schedule differently, with some viewing it as manageable while others found certain aspects of the exam stressful.
“The AP schedule can be busy,” Dr. Hannah Small, a counselor who proctored AP exams, states. “We offer so many different AP courses that the 2 weeks of AP testing can be busy, with some students having to test back-to-back on certain days!”
Some staff members saw that the busy testing calendar created challenges for students and the overall testing processes. However, with the wide variety of AP classes it led to this type of schedule.
“I thought the AP exam schedule wasn’t the best,” Lilliana Fogel, a junior, states. “I understand that some of the hours are set by the College Board, but I also think for the morning exams, having people come in at 7 AM, and then having us sit there for 30 minutes after already being checked in is doing too much. We’re already testing for, like, 3 to 3.5 hours for every test. I don’t want to sit there for an extra hour when I only need to be there for 30 minutes.”
Some students felt that the early arrival times and long waiting periods made the testing experience more difficult than necessary. There were also concerns about how much time was spent waiting rather than actually testing.
“I balanced studying by mainly focusing on whichever AP test was next,” Mateos Perez, a junior, states. “I had Biology Monday, English Literature Wednesday, and United States History Friday, so I just switched focus throughout the week. I was only a little stressed during AP testing season, but not super overwhelmed. Since the tests were spread out, it felt manageable.”
Other students had more spread-out exams, which made the workload more manageable. By focusing on one test at a time, they were able to reduce stress and stay organized during the two-week testing period.
Overall, AP students had mixed reactions to the two-week testing schedule at Shadow Ridge, with experiences ranging from manageable to overwhelming.
