AP tests are set to change in accordance to Common Core
Common Core continues change the education system, altering the content of Advanced Placement (AP) tests. According to the Collegeboard website, the new test model, applied to a majority of subjects, is designed to create a content-based test that measures a true understanding of the topics — a more college-level exam additional questions involving deductive reasoning, critical thinking and fewer multiple choice questions. Multiple choice questions are to be reduced to 55 questions (compared to the original 80) and replaced with short answer questions in Social Science tests. The tests scheduled to change in the 2014-2015 school year include AP Physics 1 and 2, AP Seminar and AP US History.
“There will be analysis-based questions on a primary source and there’s two to five questions based on that source,” European History AP (EHAP) teacher Don Frazier said, referring to the subject of EHAP whose test is to change in the 2015-2016 school year. “That part is pretty different.”
Studying for the exam proves difficult. Students in an AP Social Science class will have to shift study methods from mainly content memorization to cause and effect thinking. The ability to recognize patterns and compare various historical events will also be assessed. Last year’s AP tests included some of these changes, unbeknownst to the students. However, it didn’t seem to affect the scores; subjects that mostly had a 3 or 4 average in 2013 maintained that in the 2014 year.
“The class prepared me, but the practice tests didn’t,” junior Tatiana Guilnnet said after taking the EHAP test last spring. “We thought we were getting multiple choice. We thought we were memorizing dates.”
This change came suddenly, not allowing much time for preparation. Most practice tests continue to be out of sync with the upcoming. However, there are a few prep books that have adjusted to it.
“The [AP] summer workshop for teachers spent 20 percent of the four days on the new test and 80 percent on the old test” Frazier said.
