This academic year is the first time that AP students must decide by November 1st if they want to take the College Board AP Test, a standardized test in which if students pass they get college credit. Bowie’s Dean of Instruction, Susan Leos has been working with the College Board and AP tests for the past ten years.

“The AP tests are an excellent way for students to get college credit, although there is a cost involved it’s a real benefit as opposed to how much it costs to take a whole college class,” Leos said. 

Many Bowie students have different reactions as to how to approach this change in their AP classes. Junior Graydon Carlton, is taking two AP courses this year and took an AP course last year. 

“Having to sign up earlier [for an AP test] is a little nerve-racking because I’m not certain about how I’m going to do since half of the course material hasn’t been covered,” Carlton said. 

The College Board ran several tests on schools to see if changing the sign-up date to earlier would help improve the student’s scores. Wendy Escobedo works with Leos on exam registration and paying for tests. 

“It’s hard to make that commitment early on in the course, but [the surveys] showed that it increased participation,” Escobedo said.

Sophomore Susan Leifker has a different approach to the new rule for the AP testing sign up day. She feels as if even if the date was later in the year she would still take the test because that’s why she signed up for the course. 

“Because of the earlier registration date I feel like I will prepare more for the test since I know that I want to take it, make good grades and get college credit,” Leifker said. 

Although there are new changes happening with AP testing this year, many teachers are here to help students through this process, including Leos and Escobedo.

“Our hope is that [the new deadline] will be better, but we’re going to see how it works and our teachers are going to make the most of it,” Leos said.