AP testing will look different at Hickman this year because tests will be taken at school rather than the Christian Forum Church. The change in location is related to the shift to AP tests being taken online.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused tests to be taken online. The switch persisted for some classes like AP Drawing and not others. But, security issues have caused classes like AP Calculus and AP Biology to be taken online.
Last year, it was announced that AP Precalculus was going to be offered at Hickman. It is now close to the end of the first year this course was offered at Hickman, but not the first time it was offered by the College Board.
How the test looks is different for each class. Classes such as AP United States Government will type responses to free-response questions, but not all classes will be the same.
“Typically, [Free Response Questions] are on paper. And I think the way it will look on the exam is they will be reading the prompt off of a screen, but they’ll be answering in a booklet on paper,” AP Biology teacher Noelle Gilzow said.
AP Calculus BC is another class that will be responding to free-response questions.
“The students will access the test questions via Bluebook online, but still complete all of their short response work on paper. It is an interesting adjustment to how I am teaching the course as Calculus is a very tactile subject and students need to be able to work with figures from the test questions,” AP Calculus BC teacher Matthew Weinsting said.
In the past, the AP tests have been taken at Christian Forum Church, but this year, they are being held at Hickman.
“Because these are all online and everybody [is] having to log [in] and use internet, they thought the internet is stronger here to be able to handle that,” guidance office secretary Lisa Chalupny said.
The school’s ability to handle issues is greater in Hickman.
“I was concerned that the infrastructure and the support for tech situations that arise wouldn’t be available at the usual testing location. So I’m glad that it’s going to be here…if something does go sideways, we do have tech support personnel on site that can help,” Gilzow said.
Because the tests are being taken online, there are different things students need to do to prepare.
“It’s just all online, and that’s new, so they’ll have to come with fully charged laptops and chargers…It has to be CPS laptops. They all should have downloaded the Bluebook. This is what they had to do to get their computers ready,” Chalupny said.
How AP Precalculus teacher Michael Westcott prepares his students in the class has also changed. The exam focuses the class’ topic to what is covered in the test.
“I’ve been preparing for the exam, one change is, I’ll lose the extra stuff that I cover. I won’t get to [cover them] as much,” Westcott said.
Although the AP Precalculus test was offered by the college board last May, this school year was the first year AP Precalculus was offered as a class. The test is not needed if you take the AP Calculus exam.
“You don’t have to take the AP exam if you take calculus, when you get that credit that actually gives you your precalculus credit,” Westcott said.
The information about the tests is given to teachers by the College Board.
“They put out [a] pretty lengthy document of what’s being covered, and there’s four units, but they only test over three,” Westcott said.
Gilzow, who is also an AP grader, explained why the switch is happening.
“I sort of knew that we were moving towards an online platform because of…a situation where there was a breach in security on the exam…somebody got a hold of the test and released it before people took it,” Gilzow said.
Test security requirements for the AP tests have not entirely changed.
They are typically proctored by “counselors [and] a couple retired counselors that come back to help out,” Chalupny said.
Chalupny explained how AP testing being hosted at Hickman would impact other students.
“There will probably [be] no bells for a couple weeks,” Chalupny said.
The AP Drawing class is a bit different from some of the other AP tests offered in that it has already been taken online.
“They just have to log into the AP College Board website, and under their profile, they always have access to upload and to type their info in there,” Parker said.
There have been changes made in prior years that have already been implemented for AP Drawing. AP Drawing teacher Sheri Parker explained what caused these changes.
“Before COVID, the kids had to make more works of art and submit more pictures. And also, they used to have to send artwork to the AP College Board for people to actually look at and view. But since COVID happened, they put everything online,” Parker said.
It is also different in that students submit work they have worked on throughout the year rather than take a test in a timed environment.
“The AP College Board opens the portfolio for kids to be able to start uploading images in November, and then they have [until] May…ninth till seven at night to get it done,” Parker said.
Despite the new location providing some uncertainty, Gilzow believes that taking the test at Hickman could be beneficial for students.
“I also think the students may be more comfortable in a familiar building, even if it’s not their usual classroom, at least it’s a setting that they’re very familiar with,” Gilzow said.
The tests can be a good opportunity for students, even if they do not get a passing score for credit.
“I would want students to know that you are so much more than a number. Just give it your best, and even the experience itself is really good for you,” Gilzow said.
