Changes made to the way AP tests will be graded

Effective this June, there will no longer be a penalty for wrong answers on AP tests; previously, a penalty of one-fourth of a point was assessed for wrong answers on questions with five possible answers and one-third of a point on questions with four possible answers.

As always, multiple choice scores combined with essay scores are given a total score between one and five compared to the national average, and while some teachers and students believe scores will improve, AP Coordinator Lori Bucco disagreed.

“They look at what the average is across the country, and they make that the average grade and work from there,” Bucco said.  “Since it’s nationwide, everybody is going to have the same advantage or disadvantage, so it’s not going to impact scores that much.”

Senior Harry Dowsett said that because there is no penalty he would be better off.

“I think my score is going to be a lot better,” Dowsett said.

Whether or not it will affect scores is not known, but teachers agrees that no matter what, it is best to take a guess.

“You better not leave anything blank [now] because before it made some sense to leave some of them blank,” AP Environmental Science teacher Jeffrey Spring said.

Students also find themselves with more confidence as there is no penalty for guessing.

“I won’t be scared to answer a question where I might be wrong or right,” senior Haeri Yoo said.

AP Economics teacher Joseph Clement said he believes his students will benefit from this change.

“My students know the material, so I think they will be better off guessing,” Clement said. “My guess is scores should go up because they probably know more than they think they know.”

The switch will not trigger new styles for teachers, only a change in strategy.

“I’m not adjusting my teaching, and I’d venture to say that’s the advice of every teacher,” Bucco said.

Bucco’s advice to students when they find themselves unsure of the correct answer to choose is to answer every question with the same letter.

“Then you have a better chance, its playing the odds there,” Bucco said.

The reason behind the switch is unknown, but Bucco said she believes it is because of the growing demand for AP classes.

“We are not the only district that is pushing open enrollment,” Bucco said. “We are trying to make AP available to a lot more students across the country, and doing that just makes the logistics of grading them pretty difficult.”

Other research shows it may be to close the gap between female and male scores. It is shown that males are more likely to take risks on questions and guess when they do not know the answer yet females tend to answer only what they know is correct. Females’ unwillingness to make guesses has been shown to negatively impact their scores.

College Board is also in charge of the SAT test, which still penalizes for wrong answers, while the ACT test does not. It is unknown if the SAT test will follow the changes.

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