Opinion: Are AP exams truly benefiting talented students?
Introduction: The headline Costs of Academic Excellence
“Your card was declined.”
My joy and relief of finally being able to pay for my long-awaited lunch before my next stretch of afternoon classes was extinguished with embarrassment. The cashier’s words made my face grow hot, and my heart sank as I pulled up my transactions, seeing a recent $110 charge from the College Board labeled as AP exam. I’ve always prided myself on my hard work and dedication in school, earning top grades and excelling in advanced classes, but moments like this reminded me that my hard work alone isn’t enough. There will always be a gap between my academic achievements and the financial hurdles I face.
College Board, a non-profit educational organization, was founded to support students regardless of their background. Yet, the financial strain of affording AP exams and study materials prevents students from fully accessing the opportunities the AP programs promise: a high-quality education that the College Board guarantees for intellectually talented students. What should be an opportunity for advancement is a source of stress, shame, and frustration.
Brief History of the AP program: From Cold War Origins to Modern Challenges
Serving more than 7 million students globally each year with tests like the SAT and AP tests, the College Board stands as one of the biggest college-curriculum test providers. The pilot AP program started in 1952 as a reaction to increased education needs after the Cold War and was offered to a few select groups of students. During the Cold War, knowledge was crucial to staying ahead of the Soviet Union in the Space Race and developing nuclear weapons. The AP program was created to provide a jumpstart to college-level education for US high schoolers to address the perception that the US was lagging behind in education.
However, I believe that it is time to re-evaluate the AP system for it to truly support all students in their pursuit of higher education, as the educational framework should reflect the needs of today’s world, not the context of the post-Cold War era when it first was launched. The education landscape has evolved dramatically, and the AP program must adapt to these changes to remain relevant and equitable. By addressing current financial and systemic barriers, the College Board can better fulfill its mission of fostering educational excellence and equity for all students, especially ones who rely on school as a source of hope for their future.
Financial Barriers: The High Cost of Accessing Advanced Placement
The high cost of AP exams poses a significant barrier for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds, limiting their access to advanced coursework and the promised benefits that come with it. Each AP exam costs $98 in the United States as of 2024, with international students facing even higher fees. For students taking multiple exams, the financial burden can be overwhelming. Worse, the College Board has increased the price of AP tests by 18% over the last 16 years and is expected to continue doing so, making them beyond the reach of talented marginalized groups throughout the US and the world. This financial barrier is particularly challenging for students from low-income families, who may already be struggling to meet basic educational expenses.
Furthermore, a report from the United States Government Accountability Office shows that only 58.2% of high schools serving low-income students offer AP courses, compared to 71.2% of high schools in wealthier districts. Without support to subsidize exam fees or provide adequate AP course preparation, some academically gifted students are often unable to enroll in AP courses or take the exams, leading them to miss out on the chance to demonstrate their academic capabilities, earn college credit, and enhance their college applications.
Consequently, gifted students from underserved communities are disproportionately underrepresented in AP classes and less likely to benefit or even experience the opportunities that the College Board originally intended to provide. Instead of inspiring young people to develop their intellect by challenging themselves in rigorous courses, AP classes create more obstacles for students to overcome. This economic disparity blocks students’ academic growth and exacerbates systematic educational inequities, contradicting the principles of equal opportunity and fairness that the College Board should uphold as a nonprofit educational organization.
Quality and Rigor: A Double-Edged Sword of Standardized Testing
Besides the limited access due to the high AP exam cost, the standardized nature of AP courses and exams raises further concerns about the organization, regardless of its initial goal of providing high-quality education for intellectually talented students. The rigid structure of AP programs often leads to a “teaching to the test” approach, where educators focus primarily on preparing students to score well on exams rather than intellectual exploration, which is crucial for talented students. A study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that high-stakes testing can limit the depth and breadth of learning, as teachers are pressured to cover a vast amount of content quickly rather than allowing students to explore topics thoroughly.
Ironically, the AP exam itself blocks talented students from delving deeply into subjects, stifling their creativity and critical thinking; instead of encouraging a deep understanding of the material, the AP’s focus tends to be on rote memorization and test-taking strategies, contrasting its fundamental purpose of providing quality education for talented students. The pressure to perform well on AP tests can also reduce the joy of learning, as the students are often compelled to prioritize test-taking strategies over intellectual growth, sometimes even causing significant stress and anxiety among students. Research published by the City University of New York indicates that students in advanced courses like APs often experience higher stress levels than their peers, leading to a 10% decline in a student’s confidence to perform well in college. This stress can negatively impact their performance, creating a cycle where the pressure to succeed on standardized tests hinders their ability to learn effectively.
Evolving Needs for Contemporary Paradigms
Furthermore, the AP curriculum does not reflect the evolving needs of contemporary educational paradigms, failing to account for students’ diverse learning styles and interests. By enforcing a one-size-fits-all approach, the College Board inadvertently marginalizes students who may excel in non-traditional or creative fields of learning experiences that do not fit neatly into the AP curriculum. For example, project-based learning, interdisciplinary courses, and digital literacy are increasingly important in today’s education landscape. However, the AP curriculum completely isolates this perspective of education and only promotes pure memorization and standardized tests. The AP’s lack of flexibility can discourage students from pursuing their unique academic interests and talents, ultimately hindering their academic potential and personal development.
Personal Reflections: The Impact of Financial And Systemic Barriers
My personal experience underscores the profound impact of these financial and systemic issues. Coming into high school, I was thrilled to finally take an AP test that I’d heard my friends brag about. However, my excitement for my first AP class quickly turned into anxiety as the rapid pace and heavy workload overwhelmed me. Outside of class, I found as many free resources as I could to make sure I understood the test format and questions. It felt like the criteria for doing well on the test were endless. I spent countless sleepless nights on practice problems, only to realize that a year’s worth of effort boiled down to this one expensive exam. The fact that a whole year’s worth of studying came down to a single test was surprising enough, but the price shocked me more. I had to save as much as I could in order to take the exam: I put aside hanging out with friends and had fewer snacks. Although my urge to point out the unfair pricing was high, I was too embarrassed to ask in class how everyone was affording all of their AP exam fees.
Would higher education always be like this? Working hard under a shadow of anxiety about money?
Peers’ Experiences: Voices From the Classroom
However, I have figured that I am not alone in this struggle: many of my peers have faced similar challenges. Sarah Anderson, a brilliant classmate who excels in biology, had to skip her AP exam in order to be able to afford a different AP test.
“It felt like all my hard work throughout the year went to waste,” she confided.
David Kim, shared how he had to juggle a part-time job to pay for his AP exams, which affected his academic performance due to the extra burden.
Alex Lee, a friend from my AP English class, struggled despite her love for literature. “I have always loved reading and writing stories, but the AP class took away my freedom to write and read what I want.”
Leon Chung echoed similar sentiments, “I used to love spending time trying to figure out a math problem that struck my mind,” he explained. “But the AP curriculum was so focused on covering a wide range of topics quickly that I never had the chance to really dive deep into any of them. It was all about getting the right answer as quickly as possible, not taking the time to understand the underlying principles.”
These stories are not unique; they echo the experiences of countless students across the country who are forced to make tough choices because of financial constraints and the rigid structure of the AP system. Jason Lee, a friend with whom I spent nights preparing for the AP Physics course, shared his concerns, too. “I spent hours each night working through problem sets, but it felt like I was just going through the motions,” he said. “I liked trying different experiments and approaches to figure out a physics concept, but it was replaced by the anxiety of whether I’d remember enough to pass the AP test.”
We all agree that rather than inspiring us to become the best students we can, the AP courses and exams can feel stifling, anxiety-inducing, and restrictive. In high school, when many students worry about their performance in getting into good colleges, this sense of fear is counterproductive.
Conclusion: Rethinking AP for a New Era in Education
For many curious students, the classroom is a safe haven–a place to explore their passions and the world through books. However, as we advance in high school and prepare for college, the reality of standardized testing, college exam fees, and tuition prices becomes clearer. I’ve had to learn how to balance my love of learning with the reality that, at the end of the day, school costs real money. Some days, I can’t pay for lunch, or I’m worried about how I’ll cover the cost of a new book; other days, I’m thrilled to talk about biology after class with my teacher, going over new terms and learning how people pursue the field in college and after. I’ve mostly kept my embarrassment around money to myself, trying to keep my head down and fit in at school.
So, as I mentally planned my road to college, I was shocked to learn that students face another barrier: the cost of AP classes. For talented students, APs seem to promise both passionate learning and academic achievement. However, I believe the nature of AP courses and exams significantly undermines intellectual exploration and deep learning, which are essential for nurturing talented students. Focusing on rote memorization and test-taking strategies diminishes genuine intellectual curiosity and creativity. Moreover, the disparities in resources and support exacerbate educational inequities, leaving many students unable to benefit fully from the AP program.
It is time to address these issues with the College Board to at least lift a dollar from the enormous burdens that all students face. To fulfill its mission of fostering educational excellence and equity, the College Board must re-evaluate the current system and implement reforms that prioritize deep learning, critical thinking, and the diverse needs of all students. It is time for the College Board to honor its promises of students’ higher education pursuits by making the AP exam more accessible and relevant to today’s diverse learning needs. My experience in the cafeteria, dismayed by my overdrawn account, is just one example of how the AP exams hinder students from achieving their dreams. As an organization that values excellence in education, we, students, deserve better from the College Board.