As the academic year comes to an end, North Atlanta students and teachers alike are feeling the mounting anticipation for the upcoming Advanced Placement (AP) exams, just two months away. Offering a diverse array of AP courses, North Atlanta immerses AP students in rigorous preparation to conquer these challenging cumulative assessments. This year, 599 North Atlanta students will be taking at least one AP exam and 920 AP exams will be administered in total.
North Atlanta offers approximately thirteen AP classes, covering a wide spectrum of subjects. From AP Human Geography to AP Calculus BC to AP Physics I to AP World History, students are almost guaranteed to find a course suited for them. The most popular AP class at North Atlanta is AP English Language and Composition, with 210 students. The format of AP exams typically consists of both multiple-choice and free-response questions, providing a comprehensive evaluation of students’ understanding and application of course material. Courses such as AP English Language and Composition heavily emphasize the writing portions, while others like AP Psychology, focus more on the multiple-choice section. While the same concepts will be tested in both of these sections, they require slightly different strategies that teachers must account for in their lesson plans. “I think my students are more prepared for multiple choice,” said AP Physics teacher Gregory Baeza. “Though I do feel as though my students are more prepared for the free response questions this year than they have been in previous years.”
Given the large size of North Atlanta, many of the larger AP classes such as AP World History, AP Human Geography, AP Language and Composition, and AP Calculus AB take their exams in the multipurpose room which can hold more than one hundred students. Smaller exams, such as AP Computer Science Principles, will be administered in regular classrooms. AP Exams are held over two weeks, spanning from Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 17 this year. The only AP class offered to freshmen is AP Human Geography, while sophomores, juniors and seniors have many more options. This means many students are taking multiple exams this year and have to decide where to allocate most of their studying time. Sophomore Molly Laing feels most prepared for AP World History and least prepared for AP Language and Composition. “AP Lang requires more of a skill set whereas other AP exams require more content memorization and comprehension which is what makes AP Lang difficult for me,” said Laing.
There are many test prep strategies students like using to adequately prepare for their exams. One such strategy is test prep books. There is a plethora of test book companies, such as Princeton Review, 5 Steps to a 5, Barron’s, AMSCO, and Crash Course that have books for nearly every AP subject and offer practice tests as well as content review. Another test prep strategy is completing mock exams. Some classes, such as AP Lang and AP Physics, offer official mock exams at North Atlanta, while for other classes, students must emulate testing conditions at home. Another popular strategy used by many students is watching videos produced by both College Board as well as individuals with online videos such as Mr. Sinn, Heimler’s History, and Organic Chemistry Tutor. “I really like using review books like 5 Steps to a 5 and Barron’s,” said sophomore Roddey Bird who is taking AP Physics, AP Calculus AB, AP Language and Composition, and AP World History. “I also like going back and looking at class notes from the past, especially for Physics and Calculus.”
While AP exam season is undoubtedly going to become more and more stressful for all AP students and teachers as it creeps closer, it is important to remember to stay as calm as possible. Each student taking AP classes at NAHS has dedicated countless hours to mastering course content, honing critical thinking skills, and refining exam-taking strategies. You’ve got this, Warriors!
