May has rolled around again which means it is time for AP tests at Wilsonville High School. Each spring, the initial weeks of May host a series of AP exams put on through the College Board which give students the opportunity to get college credits for completing their AP classes.

This timeframe is infamous for the stressful atmosphere which hangs over the school, especially for students who have several tests to juggle studying for. However, like everything else this year, things have changed.

Due to the modified school schedule in which students change classes quarterly, and AP tests bisecting the fourth quarter, students have had to make choices regarding their AP exams which affect their studying.

For AP classes that occur during the second and fourth quarters of the school year, students have mostly opted to take a later exam date, something that is not often suggested for Wilsonville students. Meanwhile, for classes that took place during the first and third quarters, students want to take the exam as close to their actual class time as possible, so those tests have mostly been taken in the earliest time slot. 

Junior Karina Borgen is taking three AP exams this year, and is feeling the effects of the quarter system since AP Environmental Science has only one testing option which is online, in June. “I feel like I’ve been screwed from the start in APES,” she expresses, as she worries about forgetting material before the exam. 

However, this does free up time for her other classes’ exams. Regarding studying, she says, “I’ve just been taking it one test at a time, since I was lucky to have my tests a week apart.” Borgen also says she studied the hardest for AP Calculus AB, which consisted of lots of practice problems and study groups.

Additionally, senior Gabi Bean is also taking three AP exams this year and echoes Borgen, as she is studying the hardest for AP Calculus BC. She also studies for AP Biology and AP Statistics by watching the videos supplied on the College Board website to review topics from early in the year. Bean also emphasizes, “I always ask questions when I need.”

Overall, both students highlight the importance of reviewing material from the first semester since the quarter schedule jumbles information intake. Although AP exam season is unorthodox this year, Wildcats have done an impeccable job preparing for their tests and remaining motivated through the end of the year.