Change in AP exams should relieve stress

Expert says it is better to guess than to give no answer.

The Record (Hackensack N.J

HACKENSACK, N.J. — It might not be a millionaire’s lifeline, but high school students taking the rigorous Advanced Placement tests should now take a guess if they are unsure of an answer, experts say.

The quarter-point penalty for a wrong answer has been eliminated this year, so experts are advising students to play the odds.

“If you can eliminate one wrong answer, you should guess,” said Kristen Campbell, a vice president of Kaplan Test Prep. “That’s a significant change from a student standpoint. … It takes some stress off if you don’t have to worry about whether to guess.”

Nearly 1.8 million students nationwide — mostly juniors and seniors — now take the subject-specific tests in May with the hopes of earning college credit, or at least impressing college admissions officers. That number has more than doubled in the past decade and more than a quarter of the graduating class of 2009 took the tests, according to the College Board, which administers the AP exams.

In New Jersey, 47,000 students take AP exams — which ranks 10th in the nation. “There is a lot of interest in this,” said Frank Belluscio of the New Jersey School Boards Association. “There has been, over the years, a real growth in the number of AP classes.”

Most high schools offer some of the 30 AP classes now approved by the College Board, the most popular being U.S. history, English literature and calculus. The coursework, approved by the College Board, is rigorous, college-level work. A good test score means the course can count for college credit.

Even if they don’t earn college credit, students have come to view the classes as a help in distinguishing themselves in the competitive arena of college admissions.

“It shows they are qualified to do college work,” said Campbell, from the test preparation company. “Students are putting their best foot forward.”

The College Board claims a third of colleges say they look at AP scores when determining scholarship grants and that AP students are more likely to graduate from college within four years.

Earning college credit for the cost of the $87 test fee is also a bargain as compared to tuition — a draw for many families in this economy, Campbell said. Students can often satisfy requirements for introductory college classes and head off to college with a semester of credits, experts say.

“In Glen Rock there has always been a huge demand for AP classes,” said Superintendent David Verducci. He said sophomores even push to take some of the 14 AP classes offered at the high school.

“Kids realize this can be the thing that puts you over the top (for college admissions),” he said.

Verducci said sophomores often aren’t ready for AP classes. But many seniors have completed most of the high school curriculum after just three years. Those students have the time to get a leg up for college by taking advantage of AP and dual enrollment agreements with local colleges.

“My goal is, in five years, students would have a semester of college under their belts when they graduate,” said Verducci.