<p>College credits usually cost significantly more than the AP test fee (which was closer to $80-$85 at my school). And for schools that accept a 3 or better, that means that approximately 60% of the nation’s test-takers are earning some kind of credit. That’s not a bad deal.</p>
<p>While some college classes do have “class work”, I believe that high school classes have significantly more that “counts” towards a grade than college courses do. My first English course had two papers and three tests. My first history class had one paper (25 pages!) and three tests. My first math class had only four tests (the last double weighted). There were only a handful of classes in my entire collegiate career that had more than five assignments/papers/tests/finals that counted in the course grade.</p>
<p>The truth is, the final frequently was make or break for your grade at the college that I went to, which admittedly was competitive, but certainly not Ivy-caliber. Maybe colleges have changed in the last ten to fifteen years, but if not, there could be a rude awakening waiting for folks who don’t know how to prepare for one test that really counts.</p>