The stress of AP exams is finally over. The long hours of studying, the tons of practice tests and review guides done, but at what cost? Will you receive straight scores of fives, and does it matter?

For many seniors, taking the exam at the end of the year is a check off the box so that they don’t have to pay the hefty $40 that MCPS charges if they don’t attend the exam. By now, almost all seniors know where they are going to college. They are now able to know exactly what credits will be applied to their requirements.

Last year, my brother took AP Chemistry. Once he committed to his school, he realized that there was absolutely no credit for getting any passing score on the AP Chemistry exam. Since he didn’t want to spend $40, he just sat through the exam but didn’t study and didn’t give his full effort because it didn’t directly impact him.

This has resulted in a large waste of money and time for both the county and the student.

MCPS is spending far too much money on AP exams, especially because seniors can’t even obtain credit in further education. MCPS spends close to five million dollars each year to cover AP costs. While many students across the county are in need of these expensive exams being covered, much of this money is going to waste for those who could easily afford it, and those who don’t plan on trying their hardest on the exam.

Instead, MCPS could be allocating some of these funds towards security, which has become an urgent problem, especially this school year. In the past few months, our community has seen the direct impact of not allocating funds towards better security.

Of course, just like any other county, MCPS does not have unlimited funds, so being able to cover all five million dollars worth of AP exams comes with a cost.

There are many different routes to a solution that MCPS could take to solve this ongoing issue. 

First, an opt-in/opt-out for AP tests for seniors. When the funds are due, seniors should be able to research the colleges that they are applying/have already gotten into, and can make the decision on whether this AP exam will matter for their future. 

Second, a partial coverage of AP exams. MCPS could cover two exams per person each year, and then ask that the family cover the rest. If the family is not able to, then MCPS would pay for all exams of that student. This would bring back tons of money while still covering part of the expensive dues. 

There are so many combinations of how we, as a county, can make the most use of our budgeting so that our test scores are as high as possible, but also that our schools are safe. 

The decision for coverage for next year’s AP exams has not been finalized.