NPR

4 Things We Don't Know About AP Tests

Nearly 3 million students take their Advanced Placement exams in the coming weeks. There's very little independent research on the benefits of these courses.
Source: Oivind Hovland

This week and next is a national rite of passage for stressed-out overachievers everywhere. Nearly 3 million high school students at 22,000 high schools will be sitting down to take their Advanced Placement exams.

Created by the nonprofit College Board in the 1950s, AP is to other high school courses what Whole Foods is to other supermarkets: a mark of the aspirational, a promise of higher standards and, occasionally, a more expensive alternative.

AP courses promise to be the

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill, Sending Legislation To The House
The Senate passed a bill designed to improve safety and customer service for air travelers, a day before the law governing the Federal Aviation Administration expires.
NPR2 min read
What's Past Is Present For Ukrainian Composer Valentin Silvestrov
The 86-year-old Kyiv native, living in exile in Berlin, has a new album of symphonic works that explores the idea of reminiscence.
NPR4 min read
New 'Doctor Who' Star Ncuti Gatwa Feels 'Sad' For Critics Of Show's Diversity
Gatwa is the first Black man and the first person born outside the U.K. to play The Doctor. He's candid about how his own life has influenced his take on the role — and about his critics.

Related Books & Audiobooks