WSHS AP Testing Information

AP Updates as of May 27, 2020

AP students eligible for late testing will be notified by College Board via email this week.  Any student who is eligible for a make-up test and is planning to take the exam next week (June 1 - 5) should review the reminders below:  

AP Exam Late Testing Reminders:

  • Make sure you are aware of the late test dates and are prepared for testing. 
  • Make sure you know how to access your exam ticket.  Every student eligible for make-up testing will automatically receive a late test exam ticket via email two days prior to the late test date.  Students can also access tickets directly through their College Board MyAP accounts.  
  • Students who are scheduled to take two late tests on the same date and time, should take one of their exams next week and request exception testing for the second exam. 
  • The backup email submission process will be available to students during the late testing window.  This option will only be available for students who aren’t able to submit using the standard process—and they must then email their responses immediately following their exam.  These students will see instructions about how to email their response on the page that says, "We Did Not Receive Your Response." The email address that appears on this page will be unique to each student and exam question.
  •  Email submissions are not available for AP Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish Language and Culture exams.  

AP Updates as of May 15, 2020 - WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG DURING YOUR TEST?   

If you temporarily lose access to your test → you should quickly log back into the test using your same e-ticket. Examples: 

  • Your internet connection is disrupted.
  • You accidentally click back or refresh in your browser.
  • Your laptop or phone battery dies.

If you experience a major disruption and are unable to complete the test to the best of your ability:

  • You can submit a retake request to The College Board.  Do not call College Board - customer service centers won’t be open due to the pandemic.  If you complete the make-up exam request form, the College Board will send an email either approving or denying the request by May 28th. If approved, the make-up e-ticket will be sent two days before the make-up test. If the request is not approved, the May exam will be scored. 

If you are not sure if your response was submitted: 

  • When student’s exam responses are received successfully, they will see a “Congratulations” screen. 
  • When a student’s submission has not been properly uploaded, they will see a message that says “We Did Not Receive Your Responses(s)”. 
  • Unfortunately, there is no way for us to check after the completion of the exam if a student response was submitted successfully.

If you receive a submission error:

  • Sign-up for the make-up exam within 48 hours of testing. 
  • Refer to the College Board troubleshooting site to attempt to determine what might have caused the error. 
  • Make adjustment(s) to correct the issue if possible, and practice the new approach using the AP exam demo. 
  • Due to the number of variables, it is possible you will be unable to identify what caused the submission error. In this case, for the make-up exam, choose the most streamlined method of submitting responses (i.e. one device), referencing pages 11-16 of the testing guide, and ask others in your household to be off the home Wi-Fi during the make-up exam if possible. 

If you are unable to test on the original May date → you will automatically receive a new e-ticket for the June make-up date. No action is required.

AP Testing Final Reminders - May 7, 2020

Click HERE to view the final reminders emailed to all WSHS AP students on May 7, 2020. Good luck to all students on AP exams this spring! We're already proud of you! 

AP Updates as of May 1, 2020 - FOR PARENTS!

With AP exams beginning in just over a week, we are asking for your help to ensure our students are ready and have the tools and knowledge they need to be successful on their AP exams. We've created this YouTube video to share information and suggestions for supporting your students before, during, and after exam administration. 

AP Updates for WSHS Parents (YouTube)

PDF Version of Video Presentation

Additionally, please ensure your students have completed steps 2 and 3 of the MyAP Student Account and Email Update directions to make sure they're receiving essential communications now and will be able to access test day materials.

All AP students registered for exams were emailed the following message on April 29, 2020. Please check with your student to ensure s/he received the message and has reviewed the steps to take to get ready for exams. 

AP Updates for WSHS Students - 4/29/20

(The refund information has been updated since the email was sent on April 29. The version posted on this website contains the up-to-date information.)

Thanks for your continued support, and we wish our students the best of luck on their upcoming exams!

AP Updates as of April 29, 2020 - FOR STUDENTS!

Additional information and NEW RESOURCES are now available to help guide students through the exam day experience.

  • 2020 AP Testing Guide: The guide, designed for educators to walk their students through test day, provides information about:
    • The AP Exam ticket
    • Five steps to take before test day
    • Understanding the test day experience
    • Exam scores, credit and placement
  • 2020 AP Exam Day Checklist: Students should complete this checklist for each exam they take and keep it next to them while testing.
  • Explainer Videos: New videos are available to give students quick, easily accessible information about their test day experience, what they need to do to prepare, exam security, and more. Explore the playlist.

The FCPS AP Exam FAQ page has also been updated.

AP Updates as of April 22, 2020

The College Board has released new information for AP students who have been approved for College Board testing accommodations. Complete information is available on the College Board website and students should check their FCPS Gmail accounts for detailed emails from Ms. Nelson. Students wishing to waive one or more accommodations for May 2020 testing must complete the steps listed on the College Board website no later than April 24, 2020.

At this time, the College Board has also asked that students verify the email address they have saved in their College Board student account. Because FCPS blocks external email, students should NOT use their FCPS Gmail address as a contact in their College Board account.  Instructions for to verifying/updating your College Board email address are available here.

AP Updates as of April 14, 2020

To access the FCPS "AP Testing and Instruction FAQ", please click the link below.  This document includes FCPS generated responses to frequently asked questions regarding AP testing, as well as guidance around refund requests.  Parents can also access the FAQs via FCPS 24-7.  

AP Testing & Instruction FAQs COVID-19

Messages for AP Students from WSHS Staff

Check this Flipgrid for video messages from Ms. Nelson (WSHS AP Test Coordinator) and other WSHS staff members! You can post your own videos to say hi and ask additional questions. This page and the Flipgrid will be updated as additional information becomes available.

AP Updates as of April 3, 2020

As previously announced, traditional face-to-face AP exam administrations will not take place this school year. Students will have the option of taking a 45-minute online free-response exam. To support these changes, the College Board is providing:

  • Free, live AP review lessons, delivered by AP teachers from across the country  designed to be used alongside work that may be given by teachers. Students can find the AP classes at youtube.com/advancedplacement
  • The 2020 AP Exam Online Schedule, with a new AP testing window of May 11-22, 2020. FCPS students should refer to the schedule to find the date and time of their AP exam(s).
  • Make-up testing dates for each subject on June 1-5, 2020. Students must contact their school’s AP testing coordinator in the event that a make-up exam is needed. 
  • Course specific exam information that explains the free-response question types that will comprise each AP exam and AP online test details. Students will be able to take online AP exams with College Board–approved accommodations such as extended time. Details will be available soon.
  • Information on how to access the testing system on test day, and video demonstrations so that students can become familiar with the system.

AP students are encouraged to access lessons, tools and review resources provided via FCPS 24-7 (http://fcps.blackboard.com) as well as those provided by the AP program. 

FCPS will provide responses to frequently asked questions as well as guidance around refund requests as soon as possible.

Complete details about the 2020 exam administration and online classes and resources are available on the College Board Updates for AP Students Affected by Coronavirus page.

AP Exam Schedule

Click here to view the dates and times for each AP exam, what content will be covered and what will not be, the types, numbers, and weighting of questions, and more.

Taking the AP Exams

Get more information here about the exams, including the timing, expected tasks, and what to expect on exam day and beyond.

AP Updates due to Coronavirus as of March 20, 2020

In light of the College Board updates released on Friday, March 20, this FCPS News Release was published on March 23. These pages will be updated as more details become available. Please visit the College Board website for more information. For schools affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, College Board will be:

  • Providing live and on-demand AP courses for free
  • Developing a new at-home testing option

Free AP Review Classes

Beginning on Wednesday, March 25, students can attend free, live AP review courses, delivered by AP teachers from across the country. View the full schedule here. These courses:

  • Are optional, mobile-friendly, and can be used alongside any work your teacher may give you.
  • Will be available on-demand, so you can access them any time.
  • Will focus on reviewing the skills and concepts from the first 75% of the course. There will also be some supplementary lessons covering the final 25% of the course.

May 2020 Exams

Based on the number and length of school closures, it's clear that the usual way AP Exams are given at schools won’t be possible.

Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be two different testing dates. The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, and additional testing information will be available by April 3.

Free resources will be available through exam day to help you get ready. While we encourage you to wait until closer to the test to decide, any student registered for an exam can cancel at no charge.

For the 2019-20 exam administration only:

  • Exams for each course will be secure, 45-minute online free-response tests.
  • The exam content will focus on what most schools were able to complete by early March.
  • Students will be able to take exams on any device—computer, tablet, or smartphone. Students will also have the option to write responses by hand and submit a photo.
  • Colleges support this solution and are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked to earn. For decades, colleges have accepted a shortened AP Exam for college credit when groups of students have experienced emergencies.
  • College Board is working on solutions to help students get what they need to show their best work even though not every student has internet access. If you need mobile tools or connectivity or know someone who does, you can contact College Board directly for options.

The exams will be secure. We’re using a variety of digital security tools, including plagiarism detection software.

2019-2020 FCPS AP Exam Registration Timeline and Fees

All AP students must be enrolled in a MyAP classroom for the AP courses in which they are enrolled unless there are special circumstances. Enrollment in MyAP is how AP Testing Coordinators order AP Exams for students, is the vehicle for teacher delivery of instructional resources, and will be used for teachers to view student’s AP Exam scores. Failure of a student to enroll in MyAP is NOT a substitute for completing the Opt-Out form and may result in unnecessary fees. The deadline to join AP courses in MyAP is October 25th.

Exam Registration Instructions for AP Students:

  1. Ensure you’ve joined your class section online by October 25th.
  2. Review your registration details.
    • Once you have joined the class section for each AP course you are taking, you are automatically registered for the corresponding AP exam. As confirmation of your registration, the date and time of your exam will appear in your class section view in MyAP. 
  3. Review the AP exam calendar.
  4. Pay any exam fees that you owe.
    • FCPS pays for the first six AP exams a student takes throughout their high school career. Each AP exam beyond the first six FCPS-funded exams will incur a non-refundable fee of $94.00 (per exam).  Student AP exam fees will be billed via MySchoolBucks in December. Fees should be paid within 30 days of receiving the invoice.
    • FCPS AP Exam Fee Information

 

AP Exam Registration Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. How do I opt-out of an AP exam? 
    • AP Opt-out forms will be distributed to students the first week of October.
      • Students should check the box next to any exam they do not want to take.
      • The signed opt-out form must be returned to Mary Halfhill in Student Services by October 25th.
    • Students who opt-out after the October 25th deadline will incur a fee. 
      • If it is an FCPS-funded test, students will be charged a $40 fee.
      • If it is beyond the six FCPS-funded tests, the student will be responsible for the non-refundable $94 test fee. Unpaid fees will revert to student financial obligations.  
  2. What happens if I drop an AP Course after October 25th?
  3.  What happens if I register for the test, but I don’t sit for the exam? 
    • If you do not sit for an exam for which you registered, you will incur a fee.
      • If it is an FCPS-funded test, students will be charged a $40 fee.
      • If it is beyond the six FCPS-funded tests, the student will be responsible for the non-refundable $94 test fee.Unpaid fees will revert to student financial obligations.  
  4. Can I take an AP exam if I’m NOT enrolled in the course?
    • Students may request to take one or more AP tests without being enrolled in the corresponding course. Requests will be granted based on seat availability/testing room capacity for AP courses currently offered at West Springfield HS. For exams with limited seats/capacity, non-enrolled students will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. 
    • Students will be responsible for the test fee(s) and these test(s) will not count toward their six FCPS-funded tests. 
    • Contact Kim Nelson (ksnelson@fcps.edu) to request the non-enrolled student AP exam registration and order form.
      • Completed forms and payment must be received by 3:00pm on Friday, March 6, 2020.
    • “Exam only” join codes will be provided to students upon receiving payment of exam fees.
      • Students taking exams without being enrolled in the course will not have access to the same online materials/resources as those enrolled in the courses.  
  5. For additional information regarding AP exam fees, please the FCPS website at https://www.fcps.edu/testfees-questions.

 

AP Scores

May 2019 AP scores are currently available online at https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores#. Students will need to use an existing College Board account or create a new one to view scores. Students will also need their 2019 AP Student Number or FCPS Student ID Number, if provided on exam answer sheets, to view scores. Contact AP Services at 888-225-5427 or 212-632-1780 to get assistance accessing scores.

How to Get Your AP Scores: Video

AP Scores FAQ: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/help#faq

 

AP Testing Accommodations

Students who would like to apply for College Board testing accommodations must submit all documentations to College Board before January 17, 2020. Visit the College Board accommodations website for detailed information and contact Amy Brown (ambrown1@fcps.edu), Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Coordinator, with questions or to initiate the process.