By: Chris Cummins
Staff Writer

It’s nearly May, and for the many students in CHS taking AP Classes, that means that AP Exams are around the corner. With the enticing offer of college credit if scores are high enough, the exams are a major part of high school for most students, and give them a chance to show off their mastery of an individual subject, regardless of the difficulty of the course offered by the school. Scored on a five point scale, where a five is the best score possible, getting a five in multiple exams is regarded as one of the requisites to admittance into the nation’s best universities, which explains why, as mid-April rolls around, many of the familiar AP Review books, all with commendations, all promising to give the buyer a five, can be seen gracing the arms of dedicated students throughout the school.

Teachers also feel the pressure, as having a high percentage of passing students is seen as a reflection of their teaching skill. In the end, eventually both students and teachers end up getting caught up in a vicious cycle of stress, started by the students themselves in response to the tests, and compounded by teachers worried about their reputation. One of the main reasons for all the stress is the hectic scheduling of the tests, as the most dedicated students have, in some cases, mere minutes until the next test. If the tests were spaced out, say over two months, I students would be under such a time crunch. Of course, some students prefer to take them all in a rush, as opposed to a long drawn out ordeal, but this suggestion is just that, a suggestion, and put forward in the hope that next year, as May and it’s soft hint of summer rolls around once again, not quite as many worried faces will be seen around CHS.

For more information on AP Exams and Schedules, go to: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/calendar/index.html