Guess What? Taking AP Exams Just Got Easier

Don't forget all the stupid/lazy who cannot tell the difference between "to" and "too".

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A good score on an AP test doesn't have to earn you college credit. It may earn you college credit. It completely depends on the college you're interested in. Some colleges accept certain AP tests for credits, and some colleges don't accept any of them.

Generally, colleges won't accept scores from any of the newer AP tests because they want to see the kinks get worked out first. They're happy to give credits for the older tests, though. So I would think with this newer system, colleges might suspend giving out credits for good AP scores until they see how the new system works out.

I also think the College Board is making these changes for themselves. AP tests are expensive, and if students think they're easier now, more of them will take the tests. It generates more money for the Board without forcing it to spend any more.

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Who was the fact checker here? So much I read on line is simply INCORRECT! Collegeboard does penalized for incorrect answers on the SAT and SAT II - 1/4 point subtracted for each 5-choice question, 1/3 point subtracted for each 4-choice question and 1/2 point subtracted for each 3-choice question. Please before an article is posted - EDITORS DO YOUR JOB!!!!

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This is just another version of "dumbing down" America, besides, how the heck do they know if you are guessing or if you really do not know the material? Most of these "educators" who will be judging
these exams are the begining generation of the dumb down process, so it won't matter anyway.

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The AP exam set up is no different than you average college exam now. Also, scoring is based on a scale of 1-5 with the mean percentages being at 2 and 3. Although the raw scores will be higher the scale will still probably be the same.

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Hm. Since there is no penalty for guessing, then simply mark all answers correct, and ace the test. Had a course at Penn State a long time ago where one student simply filled in all the offered choices and aced the exam. After that the prof scored number of answers correct minus half the answers wrong. Tool care of that issue, and now here it comes back.

Dumbing down the test; so what else is new?

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This article is just one more nail in the coffin of the American education system. So, to create less anxiety and stress for the students, they can just guess if they don't know? Here's a novel idea, why don't they just study and be prepared? I know we live in a society that treats children as if they were little geniuses walking around, but I've got news America, they're not. Since birth, many of these underachievers have been given trophies, awards and been told how special they are.

We live in a town where every car has a bumper sticker that states "My Child is on the Honor Roll at ***** School". The education system is clearly broken. Every parent I've ever talked to insists that their child is a genius and talented etc. I've met them and guess what? They're not. But, because they are constantly awarded for doing nothing, the underachievers of the future believe they are SPECIAL. If you're child plays a two person sport and he or she loses, they are not the second winner. They are the loser.

Twenty years from now I do not want some dimwitted doctor "guessing" what's wrong with me. I'd prefer one that actually has gained knowledge. Would you want to go to the doctor with a pain in your chest and have some last winner "guess" that you need a hip replacement? That's exactly what's going to happen if the education system continues it's downward spiral.

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As a high school teacher and the mother of one college junior and a high school senior who just took her SATs this past year,

1. The SAT does penalize for incorrect answers. This does not eliminate EDUCATED guesses but does decrease the tendency of students to just guess. Generally, if they are EDUCATED guesses, while some will be incorrect, most will be correct and the student's score will reflect this.
2. I'm one who has been pretty disgusted with the whole SAT process, especially now that it typically involves so many students "prepping" for the SAT. Thirty-five years ago (when I took the exam), it was designed as a way of getting some indication of what a student had retained after 11 years of education, not one more test to study for then forget the information. (The test has other weaknesses, too.) My kids did no preparation for the SAT other than a good night's sleep, a good breakfast, and encouragement for 11 years that the most important thing to get out of school was knowledge, not grades. (By the way, both earned over 1200 on the Math/English portions.)
3. It certainly isn't going to hurt students to be able to make the distinction between making educated guesses and "shots in the dark." As they enter their professions, making advances and going beyond current understanding is based on making educated guesses.

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This change makes sense. I am a college professor and when I give my students a test I do not penalize them more if they answer the question wrong than if they do not answer the question at all, that would be ridiculous. Not answering a question is just as wrong as writing down the incorrect answer. There is no difference and they should be scored the same.

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I have to agree with you. I took the SAT with no prep courses and did outstanding, the same with the LSAT where I scored in the 97th percentile. Now it is all about prep courses all designed to "beat the test". It goes even further. It is almost impossible to pass a bar exam without taking a bar review course. Forget 4 years of undergrad and 3 years of law school their (very expensive) bar review course is the key to passing.

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The raw scores should go up with this change, but so will the cut scores. You will now have to have a higer raw score to get a 5, 4, 3, etc. The cut scores are set each year after the test is evaluated. The scores are set so that a person making a 5 this year, demonstrates the same amount of knowledge as a person making a 5 last year, or 10 years ago.

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I think College Board is a monopoly, they are the only ones who can give these kind of tests, meaning they can price and grade it anyway they want. I taking 4 AP exams in May think this will make the test easier, yes, but I wish there was an alternative programe then spending 80 something on each exam I could possibly get credit for. I know that some colleges accept these scores and most others do not, but come on, I did all the work, studied my butt off and got a "you might get credit" on all that work... ridiculous.

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IN 1961 WHEN I GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, DULUTH....I DID NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANY OF THESE TESTS AND I WAS ALLOWED TO TEACH ANYWHERE I WANTED TO. I CHOSE SC....AND TO GET MORE PAY, WE HAD TO TAKE A TEST. AN "A" ON THIS TEST MEANT A HUGE JUMP IN PAY. OF COURSE OUR PAY WAS ONLY ABOUT $2000 FOR A WHOLE 9 MONTHS OF TEACHING. I TAUGHT FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND IF I WOULD HAVE TAUGHT ONE MORE YEAR, MY SALARY FOR THE YEAR WOULD HAVE MADE IT OVER THE $10,000 MARK. I LOVED TEACHING BUT EVEN MORE I LOVED BEING A MOM AND HOMEMAKER TO MY KIDS. I FINISHED UP BY SUBSTITUTING IN MN. EVERYONE NEEDED GOOD TEACHERS IN THOSE DAYS. NOW I'M OVER 70 AND I DON'T MISS THE TEACHING ONE BIT. WHEN MY SON DIED AT AGE19 I WAS SO GLAD I HAD BEEN AT HOME FOR THOSE YEARS, PLAYING CARDS WITH HIM BEFORE SCHOOL. I'D GIVE ANYTHING TO GET THAT BACK AGAIN!!!! EDUCATION COMES IN VARIOUS WAYS, NOT ONLY BOOK LEARNING. GOD BLESS.

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We don't need difficult tests in our educationl system; dumb it down. We're so far ahead of other countries in education, especially China, that we don't need to increase the degree of difficulty in pubic eduction for our youth. We must give our children some space so they can spend hours playing video games. And we must lower the standard of learning to give lazy, entitlement-seeking minorities a chance to get college scholarships through a quota system provided by bleeding-heart liberals. And, if there's anything that's eroding the education of our students in this nation, it's the teacher unions that aren't willing to give in on anything in this plunging economy to further the advancement of students willing to work. There ARE good teachers in this country, but unfortuantely there are far too many bad ones who are protected by corrupt unions. No wonder there is a growing movement of private schools and home-schooling nationally.

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I am a high school counselor. The information in this article has incorrect information. The SAT exam still deducts points for incorrect answers. Only the AP exam has changed. This is a fact!

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actually this makes the test HARDER, according to the new curves projected, each test curve has increased by about 10-15 points. So unless this is a test where missing over 40-60+ is the average, it only got harder

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