Is a 5 on the AP test = A?

LifeUnfolding
Sat, 24 Feb 2007 20:00:31 +0000

Our AP Art History/ English Language/ English Literature teacher (same teacher for all 3 courses) will change your grade to an A if you get a 5 on the exam. Her classes are ridiculously hard, with only 1 or 2 A’s a year in the English classes. Art History is a bit of an “easier” A, but is an intimidating class nonetheless. Obviously, for a senior it doesn’t really matter for your grade, but as a junior it can be a big deal for valedictorian. Many students take honors instead of AP because it’s SO much easier to get an A (and val is unweighted GPA at my school). For me, it was a relief that even if I couldn’t get an A in the class during the year, due to her extreme grading style, I still had hope. In the end, she knows what grade you deserve and will make sure that is the grade you get, I was extremely close to an A (.2 or something) and she changed it, since 1 or 2 points on the final made the difference (I didn’t find out until I got a copy of my transcript when I was applying to college in the summer).

None of the other teachers at my school do it, though. Probably since so many students take APs and don’t care about the class, then get higher scores. For instance, we have an amazing AP Calcuklus teacher (AB and BC), and it is very easy to get a 4 or 5 after his class, but the class requires more than most students want to put in for homework and quizzes and such, so they slack off. Overall, they do learn the material well, he just doesn’t feel that one test should mean you wipe away a year’s worth of effort (or lack thereof). I think most AP teachers at my school have similar mentalities.

Sorry it was so long!