The AP examinations your student takes should propel them toward educational milestones. That's their entire purpose: AP, or advanced placement, exams test your high school student's knowledge of specific subjects at a college level. Students usually take them after completing an AP course.
If a student achieves a high score on an AP exam, they may be able to earn college credit. This can help a student skip specific courses in college, allowing them to pursue even more advanced coursework or shorten the time required to earn their degree.
In addition, students who have taken and passed one or more AP tests may have a better chance of winning scholarships or receiving admission to the college of their choice.
This sounds great — and, often, it is. However, AP tests are very difficult. The pressure placed on students to perform well on these tests is intense. In some cases, the environment, stakes, and stress surrounding AP tests can lead to frustrating testing issues, which could place your student at a disadvantage. It can also be more complicated than necessary to appeal AP scores or request reconsideration of AP-related misconduct allegations.
In this helpful guide, we'll go over some of the most common AP testing issues. We'll also discuss the value of retaining Joseph D. Lento, premier education defense attorney, and the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm to support your best chances of success when overcoming frustrating AP exam issues.
An Overview of AP Testing Procedures
High schoolers study for and take AP tests while still in high school to earn college credit, bolster their college applications, and increase the value of their high school education. There are nearly 40 options for AP tests, each covering a specific subject (e.g., Music Theory, Biology, or European History), and high schools typically offer a subset of courses proportional to the size of their student body.
Typically, students take AP tests at the end of the school year, in May. While the general recommendation is to take an AP test after an entire AP course, this is not explicitly required.
After taking an AP test, a student will receive a score from 1-5. Colleges usually accept scores of 4 or higher for credit, though not all colleges award credit for all tests. Scores of 3 or lower generally aren't worth credit.
This means that minute differences in scoring can make a world of difference for a student. After weeks or months of study, scoring a three on an AP test can be incredibly frustrating. If something happens to invalidate a student's score or call a five score into question, that can even be worse.
What common issues can happen when students take their AP tests, and what can they do if accused of cheating or misconduct that could erase their score? We'll discuss these and other questions below, but there's one thing to remember above all: Retaining the services of premier education defense advisor Joseph D. Lento can transform your experience. Call the Lento Law Firm today to learn more about the support the Lento Law Firm can provide.
AP Exam Eligibility Issues
In theory, any student can register for and take an AP test. While, generally, students take them after an AP course, this isn't necessary — which opens the door for homeschooled students or students at schools that don't offer AP classes. Registering for AP tests involves talking to your school's AP coordinator or finding an AP coordinator near you through The College Board's website.
Just because, technically, eligibility for the exam is relatively open, that doesn't mean that your student will have an easy road to registering for the exam. Your school's AP coordinator (or your teachers) could decide that your student isn't sufficiently ready, for example, or that your student's past academic or behavioral misconduct history should disqualify your student from test-taking activities. As a result, your school could recommend that your student not take the exam or even make registering more difficult than necessary. That isn't fair — registering for an AP test should be your student's choice, and no one should stand in your student's way.
This is true regardless of age or location. If your student is out of high school, they can still take the exam; The College Board does not currently have an upper age limit for test-taking. International students can take AP tests as long as they have a valid passport.
Finally, although it isn't widely publicized, students do have the option to retake AP tests. This presents a strong case for taking exams earlier in high school, as long as you and your student think they are ready to take a college-level exam on a specific subject. Again, this may not match up with your school's expectations, but your student should be able to decide for themselves when they take these tests.
Academic Misconduct and the AP Exam
Any history of misconduct your student has at their high school should not impact their eligibility for AP exams. If your school tries to stand in your student's way or make it more difficult than necessary to register for or prepare for an exam based on their perception of your student's personality or abilities, retain the services of Joseph D. Lento immediately to protect your student's rights.
Regarding academic misconduct surrounding the exam, your student will need to follow certain AP testing security rules and procedures. If your student is caught breaking any of these rules — e.g., clearly cheating on the test — then your student's score could be thrown out.
The rules that your student should be aware of surrounding AP test-taking include:
- Showing up at their designated testing center to take their test
- Being on time for their test
- Following the verbal instructions of the proctor at their testing location — e.g., keeping the testing booklet closed until the proctor says it's okay to begin
- Failing to follow procedures for taking AP tests at home — e.g., failing to comply with guidelines from the testing or proctoring software
- Keeping all testing materials inside the test-taking center (or room)
- Going out of their way to find unreleased content surrounding the AP exam
- Destroying or removing part of the exam book
- Taking screenshots of an exam
- Going through parts of the exam other than the one specifically designated for a testing period
- Using prohibited aids during the testing period, including cheat sheets, notes written on clothing or skin, or having an unauthorized electronic device turned on during the exam
- Taking an unauthorized (or extended) break during the exam
- Trying to take the exam for someone else
- Having someone else take the exam for them
- Being overly disruptive through the test-taking experience
If your student doesn't follow these or any other location-specific rules, your proctor will note this, and your score could be canceled. Depending on the nature and severity of your student's alleged infraction, your student could even be banned from taking future AP tests, either permanently or for a certain period of time.
Unfortunately, there are occasions where a student may accidentally break a rule, or their adherence to a rule is subject to interpretation. In other cases, such as online test-taking, the testing setup itself could be faulty (for example, if the proctoring software glitches or detects a testing violation where nothing actually happened).
If your student finds themselves in this situation, call Joseph D. Lento immediately. It's vital to work early to protect your student and their reputation. In the immediate aftermath of a frustrating testing situation, try to save any evidence possible of your student's experience, including screenshots of any relevant proctoring software glitches or photographs of confusing or misleading test center instructions.
Disclosing Information About AP Tests
Aside from following all rules while taking their AP test, your school and The College Board expect discretion from your student following their testing experience.
If your school or The College Board sees any of the following behaviors from your student, your student could receive a notice of score cancellation (or worse):
- Posting to social media during the test itself
- Referring to the material contained in the exam itself
- Sharing (publicly or privately, through a direct message or email) any of the multiple-choice questions from an exam
- Sharing information about free-response content (such as an essay question) publicly or privately within a certain amount of time after the exam
While these rules may seem straightforward and easy to follow, the way your proctor and center enforce these rules can come as a shock. For example, students' scores have been canceled because groups of students were overheard casually discussing their testing experience immediately after the exam.
What Happens if a Student Violates AP Testing Policies?
The general consequences for failing to comply with all testing policies are as follows:
- Your student's scores could be canceled (and your fees for taking the test not be refunded)
- Your student could be prohibited from taking AP tests again
- The College Board could share information, such as the fact that your student is banned or your student's alleged misconduct, with both your student's current high school and any higher education institutions that may be interested in your student's performance.
The first two potential consequences are bad enough, especially if your student is targeting a particularly competitive school for admission. The third consequence, on the other hand, could be disastrous for your student's future.
After learning of your student's alleged misbehavior, your school could decide to double down on consequences by recommending further discipline (such as a dismissal or suspension).
And, of course, if your student's dream college or university learns that your student has allegedly cheated on an AP test, that could adversely affect your student's chances of earning admission.
This could happen without proof of your student's responsibility for the allegations against them, which is scary. Your student's academic future could change if you don't take action quickly to appeal alleged test-taking transgressions.
Can You Appeal an AP Score or Alleged Test-Taking Misconduct?
There are a few ways to work towards appealing unfair scores or unsupported allegations of test-taking misconduct. Here's your best course of action:
- Retain the services of premier education defense advisor Joseph D. Lento immediately. You'll only have a short window of time to appeal, and you'll likely only have one chance to do so successfully. Working with a professional experienced in student and education defense will pay off.
- Determine your defense. Compile the evidence you have supporting your student's side of the story into a persuasive argument. Joseph D. Lento can help you review your test center's policies, proctoring software's documentation, and more to find the strongest defense possible.
- File your appeal. Depending on the nature of your appeal, you may need to file documentation with your school, the teacher who taught your AP course, or The College Board itself.
- Follow up and negotiate. Joseph D. Lento can lead any follow-up conversations you have with school or The College Board officials to ensure your student's rights are emphasized at every turn. He can also help you determine your next best steps as you protect your family's investment and your student's future.
Retain Premier Education Defense Advisor Joseph D. Lento
If your student faces challenging AP exam issues, it's time to retain the services of premier education defense advisor Joseph D. Lento. The Lento Law Firm's defense team is available to negotiate with your school, assist with your appeals, represent your student as necessary, and more. Our goal is to ensure that your student's hard work and your family's investment aren't damaged by one poor testing experience or unfair assessment of your child's abilities.
The team at the Lento Law Firm has helped hundreds of students across the country defend themselves against charges and protect their best futures. Retain Joseph D. Lento today, and know you're doing the best for your student's reputation. Call 888.535.3686 or contact us online for more information about the defense services available at the Lento Law Firm.
