As the end of the year approaches, so do many events such as graduation and Taki Tiki. But AP exams have been an ever looming task for students taking the advanced placement classes. The AP exams provide many opportunities for juniors and seniors alike to receive college credit. Depending on the college that students plan on attending, the AP exams can test students out of certain college classes and high scores on the AP test reflect well on MSMS as a whole.

For the juniors, this will be the first time tackling the exam. Mayukh Datta, a junior who took the AP Chemistry exam and is scheduled to take the exam in the coming days for the AP Biology exam, said, “It’s my first exam … Dr. Morgan had us prepared and we took practice tests. I still have to take the AP Biology exam and I know Mrs. Wagner will also have us prepared. I took these classes to challenge myself more and help me to prepare for college.”

Preparing for these exams can be very intensive and students spend hours upon hours trying to achieve a good score. Wrishija Roy is a junior who took the AP Chemistry exam and is planning on taking the AP Biology exam. “I’ve been looking through all my notes throughout the year, especially the exams we’ve taken. We always have previous AP questions on our tests and I plan on attending Mrs. Wagner’s tutorial,” Roy said.

But is this preparation worth it? The primary benefit of these tests is the ability to test out of college courses and get a head start in college. Senior Aylin Memili described what it was like taking the exams last year and how they have helped her with her college courses, “Since the AP curriculum is modeled after the college requirements for various subjects the test score is pretty important. My scores from my junior year will allow me to skip over the biology and chemistry 101 courses.”

The AP exams are tools for students to attain college credit. They are reflective of a yearlong effort by a student to take an advanced course and take an accelerated approach toward academics.