The time for signing up for the 2020 AP tests in now.  The deadline is October 15th, but CHS officials want to remind students that they do not have to wait until the last day to register. 

There are 14 different AP classes at CHS.  

Students can register before and after school as well as during lunch or between classes.  The cost to take the test for students with full payment lunches is $94 per test. It is free for students on free or reduced lunch.  

AP Coordinator Jeff Stanek said there is a $40 fee for dropping tests or for adding tests after the October deadline; this applies to all AP students.   

After the deadline Stanek will compare a list of the students who signed up from the registered via the bookkeeper to the list of students who register online.   

On the day of an AP test, most of the tests will be given at the LW Church (3818 SE 174th Avenue) behind CHS, but the others will be taken at the high school.  The tests are four hours long and there is no early release or late admittance from the testing area.  

The test scores will not be released until July in most instances.  A passing score is a 3 out of 5.

The benefits of taking AP tests are that the credits earned  are transferable meaning that they will follow students all across the country (if they get a passing score).  If a student doesn’t get at least a 3, then the score will not show up on any future transcripts. These test credits act as college credits and can be used to not have to take certain college courses after starting college.  

Some drawbacks about taking the AP tests are that they are expensive and college credits can be earned a different way by taking a course at CHS that offers Mount Hood Community College credits.  

The program is called College Now and it allows high school students to gain college credits while in high school.  These credits are often accepted by in state colleges along with some out of state colleges. Another drawback is that the College Now program can offer more Mount Hood credits than an AP credits in some courses.  The means that you can receive more credits by not taking the AP test than taking it in some instances. Another benefit of taking AP tests are that they look good on transcripts and appeal to colleges especially if a student gets a good score.  Stanek suggests that students should look at their specific college choices for more information on the AP Test/College Credit ratio.

Good AP test scores allow students to not have to worry about their college credits transferring to the college of their choice sometimes giving them more school options.  Students can choose to send their test scores to multiple colleges. Students who are taking AP courses do not need to take the AP test for that course. People who are interested in signing up can talk to Stanek in room 101 to get more information.