After a long period of uncertainty regarding Advanced Placement (AP) exams for students, the MCPS Board of Education has officially decided they will pay for students’ AP exams for the 2025-2026 school year. This marks the third straight year of the county following the free exam policy.
“People are thrilled and also relieved,” AP exam coordinator and assistant principal Marjorie Cohen said. “The exams are a huge financial burden and this means that students can put their energy towards the academics and content of the course, not about how to pay for the exam. I feel that by the county paying for the exams, they are showing that they value the importance of providing an opportunity for all students to take these courses.”
At the core of its decision, MCPS has been emphasizing creating an environment in which students can strive for success, without worrying about all the payments that are related to exam-taking. This provided a major boost in the number of AP exams that were taken by students in WJ alone.
“Last year, we administered 4,500 AP exams, which is an increase of 1,500 over the previous school year,” Principal Nicole Morgan said. “This demonstrates the potential to offer a wider variety of AP courses and more sections to meet growing student demand.”
The idea of making AP exams free for students carries a special meaning for WJ, as it’s an Equal Opportunity School (EOS).
“WJ is an Equal Opportunity School, and this new decision helps encourage students who might not have considered taking AP courses due to cost concerns,” Morgan said. “This decision aligns with the school’s SIP (School Improvement Plan) goals, which are measured and evaluated through the Maryland Report Card. The Maryland Report Card assesses the school’s curriculum based on its rigor. By offering a variety of AP courses and ensuring access for all students, we are meeting these important educational standards.”
A major note of importance is that before the county announced it was going to pay for the exams, the costs were going to be around $90, the standard cost for most exams, with lower prices for lower-income students. However, a $40 penalty would exist for the late fee. Now, students have to pay $40 if they take an AP class but do not take the exam.
Students are directly voicing their approval, especially the ones who are taking a lot more AP classes in their sophomore, junior and possibly senior years.
“The county paying for AP exams is very good for me, considering the fact that it gives me more opportunities that I wouldn’t have been able to have otherwise,” junior Sid Aruru said. “Being able to do AP tests for free gives me more college credits, internally allowing me to take college classes. That greatly helps me out as someone who doesn’t want to pay more for college as much as I would have to without APs.”
