COVINGTON TWP, Pa., September 27, 2024 – Every school year, students can be found in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, challenging themselves with a bigger workload. Once May comes around, these students read over textbooks and pages of notes, preparing for their exams. Earning a college credit as a high school student isn’t an easy task, but North Pocono students have proven that they are dedicated to their studies. However, this coming May’s exams will look different for many AP students.
Over the summer, College Board announced that 28 of their AP exams would be administered online. These changes affected many different subjects, from AP World History to AP Environmental Science. As this change takes effect this May, many students and teachers are starting to wonder what this might mean for their exams. AP Government teacher Mr. Brian Croom was “indifferent” about the change. “Some of it [opinions on the virtual testing] is my own being… I test on paper, and that’s what I learned and what I’m comfortable with.” There are many different ways for students to learn, and some students find it easier to work online rather than on paper. Junior Abigail Havenstrite didn’t seem too fazed by this switch, as she is taking her first AP exams this year. “I feel like it’s easier for me to focus on my own testing when it’s online, and I don’t as much on anyone else.” Abby finds it stressful to see other students finishing tests before she does, and she thinks that an online test will ease that anxiety for her.
This change doesn’t seem to affect much more than people’s opinions – teachers don’t seem to think that this will change the way they teach. Mr. Croom “already uses a lot of the online materials and resources AP Classroom offers”, so it doesn’t seem like much will change for his class. However, he did show some concern about his practice exams. Mr. Croom offers Saturday classes to his students as the exam date approaches. These classes are a good way for students to know how the three-hour test will go, as they can take the entire practice exam from multiple choice to written response. He stated that he “might have to rotate in a little more online material”, but even that wasn’t a big deal for him. Havenstrite was happy with the fact that her “hand won’t cramp” when she’s working through any free response questions.
Following the decision to make the SATs virtual, North Pocono has to transition into more online testing. Thankfully, the school is well-versed in how this change will go, and many teachers and students don’t seem bothered by this change. When May comes around, students will see their hours of studying and effort pay off, though it might not be on paper. Teachers won’t be worried, however, as they know how to prepare their students for exams.
