Counseling Corner: Willowbrook Guidance Department shares important information regarding Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level exams

At District 88, our mission is to work for the continuous improvement of student achievement.

As part of that mission, the district strives to provide all students with access to the most rigorous curriculum to prepare them for success in college and careers. Those courses include Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level classes. Each AP course has an optional corresponding AP exam, and those assessments will be administered from May 6 to 17 at Willowbrook. Students are encouraged to attend review sessions teachers offer to prepare for the test.

The Willowbrook Guidance Department shares the following important test-day instructions:

• Students should arrive by 7:40 a.m. to their testing room for morning exams and by 11:40 a.m. for afternoon exams.
• Exams typically last three hours and contain a multiple choice and a free-response component.
• Students will be excused from classes they miss for testing.
• Students will eat lunch before or after their exam.

Below is the AP exam schedule:
May 6: United States Government and Politics, Environmental Science

May 7: Spanish Language and Culture, Physics 1: Algebra-Based

May 8: English Literature and Composition, European History

May 9: Spanish Literature and Culture, German Language and Culture, Psychology

May 10: United States History, Physics 2: Algebra-Based, Studio Art

May 13: Biology, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

May 14: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Human Geography

May 15: English Language and Composition, Macroeconomics

May 16: Comparative Government and Politics, Statistics

May 17: Microeconomics, Computer Science A

One of the benefits of taking AP exams is they offer students the opportunity to earn college credit. Students must receive a certain score on the exam to obtain college credit, and that score varies depending on the college/university. However, all public colleges in Illinois must give students credit if they score a 3 or higher on the exam. For more information about AP credit, go to www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy.

Gaining college credit while in high school can save students money by not having to take those courses in college. Exposure to AP exams also familiarizes students with high-stakes, college-level tests. The more comfortable and confident students become with those types of assessments, the better they typically perform.

For more information about AP exams, contact Willowbrook Guidance Counselor Cindy Zamora-Failla at czamora@dupage88.net or 630-782-3137. General information about the AP program can be found at https://apstudent.collegeboard.org.

Below are tips for students taking AP exams:

• What students should bring to the exam room:
  • Two sharpened No. 2 pencils (with erasers) for completing multiple-choice answer sheets
  • Two pens, with black or dark blue ink only, for completing areas on the exam booklet covers and for free-response questions in most exams
  • A watch (in case the exam room doesn’t have a clock that can be easily seen)
  • Up to two calculators with the necessary capabilities (if they are taking an AP Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, or Statistics exam) – students should visit www.apstudents.org/courses and click on the link for their course for the specific calculator policy
  • A ruler or straightedge (if they are taking an AP Physics exam)
  • A school-issued photo ID
  • Their College Board SSD Accommodations Letter (if they are taking an exam with approved testing accommodations)
    
    
• What students shouldn’t bring to the exam room:
  • Electronic equipment (phones, smartwatches, or wearable technology of any kind, laptops, tablet computers, Bluetooth devices, portable listening or recording devices – MP3 player, iPod, etc. – cameras or other photographic equipment, devices that can access the Internet, separate timers of any type and any other electronic or communication devices)
  • Books, compasses, correction fluid, dictionaries, highlighters, or notes
  • Mechanical pencils, No. 3 pencils, or colored pencils
  • Rulers or straightedges (these are allowed for AP Physics exams only)
  • Protractors
  • Clothing or shoes with subject-related information
  • Food or drink
  • Watches that beep or have an alarm

Source: AP Coordinator’s Manual (2018)