Perry High School is starting to adapt to the new normal with end-of-the-year activities and graduation. Advanced Placement (AP) Testing is another area that students can expect to see a return to more traditional activities. Last year, AP Tests were moved online while students across the nation were quarantined. All of the tests were shortened to 45 minutes, while this was necessary to student’s success online, it was not ideal. 

Many AP students gratefully acknowledge that their tests will be in person. Senior Justin Fountain will be taking five AP tests this year, which will be the traditional 3-hour test. “I don’t think last year it demonstrated our full understanding of the class because it was one free response, depending on the test. I’m glad it is back in person because it will be the full length of the AP test.” 

Assistant principal Heather Patterson has the responsibility of administering the AP tests and organizing testing groups.  “It is done by test. I test no matter who teaches it, [and] we give the test to all the English language testers, Stats testers, or BC testers all in the same place,” she explained. 

The exams are quickly approaching, but students’ have been prepared for success from the beginning of the year. AP Literature teacher Kimberly Rygiel said, “Our whole class is focused around that [preparing for the AP Test] so all of our assessments are based on what the questions might look like. We do poetry analysis for the most part because one of the questions they will see in the test is poetry analysis. Mostly the whole class is centered around test prep so I feel confident that they will be prepared.” 

While the class itself is centered around the exams, AP classes are meant to mirror college classes and earn students college credit. For that reason, self-studying is required outside of class as well. For Fountain, this extra effort is very important as his AP Government and Politics class was only a semester-long. He explains, “Besides doing work inside the class, I have been doing essay response questions and multiple choice.” 

No matter the form these tests take or the setbacks or pressure associated with it, AP students and teachers “just grind it out 24/7. Even through the pandemic, teachers kept up with their kids and went out of their way to make connections and give them the resources they need,” Patterson explained. 

AP tests taken in the traditional in-person method will be offered for students from May 3 to May 17 at Perry High School.