By Renae Brown

   What are the advanced placement examinations? How can I prepare?

   By taking advanced placement, or AP, exams, students in the United States and Canada buff up their resume, receive college credit or free up their college schedule, according to their level of performance on the assessment. 

   AP evaluation subjects range from U.S. Government and Politics to Computer Science Principles, with some of the most popular at TPA being the English language, calculus and foreign language assessments. 

   However, while many institutions of higher education, including Arizona public colleges, accept AP scores for college credits, a great number of schools with restricted admissions do not recognize any, or only recognize the AP language scores. 

   Where can a student take these tests? None of the AP classes are offered by Tempe Prep, so students register online through The College Board, a website that assists students with college and career preparation. Students who register then self-study until they take the exams in early May. 

   AP Scholars this year include Tevin Nguyen, a senior and National AP Scholar with Distinction, meaning he took five AP exams and received an average score of 3.75 or higher; Ellie Han, a junior and National AP Scholar with Honor, which showcases her average score of 3.5 or higher on four exams; and seniors Duncan Stafford and Jay Nergard, who both received high scores on three AP exams, which earned them the title of National AP Scholars. 

   “I chose to take the AP exams since … they were … cheaper than taking dual enrollment. … I also wanted to push myself academically,” said Tevin over email. To prepare, Tevin utilized Barron’s preparation books by attempting every single practice problem, but he did not worry if he repeatedly missed a single problem. He recommends studying for an entire semester on each test, but notes that some require far less time. 

   Ellie Han suggests taking many practice tests and getting plenty of rest the night before the exam.