Want to take Calc BC exam instead of AB [school ordered only enough BC exams for students who previously signed up for BC and has no extras]

Hello!

I have a little trouble here. So, this year I am self-studying AP Calc AB and I registered for that exam. But over time I find myself prepared for Calc BC exam, like, I studied the units and am constantly doing well on practice tests and tests from previous years. So now I try to ask my AP coordinator if I can switch to BC. I know that on the day of the exam, when registering you can choose which exam you would like to take for Calculus. I recently confirmed with the College Board that there is the official right, and it is true only specifically to Calculus since both exams are on the same day, during the same time and in the same room. So if the student is ready, they can come on the exam day and take either AB or BC, not depending on what they registered for. This was true for more than 20 years as far as I know, and when I called them they confirmed that this rule didn’t change. They just advised me to talk to guidance to be 100% sure.

And recently I am receiving the answer from my AP coordinator: “I am fine with you taking either exam, but I only have one Calc BC exam in my posession and one student registered for that exam, so she will need that test and I don’t have an extra.” Does it mean that she is not able by now to order some more exams? Is it okay if I try to ask her to still order the exam?

How does the exam usually go? I have heard that usually there comes a college board representative to the school and that representative has the exams. In this case as far as I understand it doesn’t really matter how many students register, right?

The exams are ordered based on registration numbers. So if the school has one BC exam ordered, that’s how many they’ll receive. The date for even ordering the exam late is long past.

There will be no CB representative with extra exams to pull out of the trunk of his car.

3 Likes

you might call around to other local high schools to see if you could take the test with them. (It’s a long shot, but you might get lucky and find someone sympathetic who just had a cancellation.)

2 Likes

It sounds like it’s too late to change. Try contacting other schools in your area to see if you can take it there if they have extra ( a long shot.) Otherwise you will just need to take the AB exam. Are you a junior or a senior? I’m just wondering why you self studied and what math you are currently taking. I wouldn’t recommend trying to place out of Calculus with an AP exam without actually taking a Calculus class. The test is not the same as a class.

1 Like

Thank you everybody who answered! My AP coordinator called directly the collegeboard and ordered an extra exam today. But thank you everybody who took time to read and answer! I will change the title to “closed”

1 Like