Senior Olivia Nelson walked into 233 North moments before taking the AP Psychology test. Neither butterflies nor knots filled her stomach. All her studying and practicing would determine her grade on the exam.

“I was nervous at first,” Nelson said. “But once I started the test, I realized that I knew all the information.  Everything on the test was what we covered in class.”

Less than a year ago on, 196 H-F students took the AP Psychology test. H-F was recognized by the College Board for having the most African-American students pass the exam in the nation. The grading scale ranges from a one to five. In order to pass students must score a three or above.

AP Psychology teacher Lauren Chasey did not know the College Board kept tabs on the scores of different nationalities.

“I’ve been working here for eight years and this is my fifth year teaching psychology,” Chasey said. “I didn’t realize [the College Board] kept tabs on things like that. This is my first time hearing about something like this.”

Nelson, who scored a five on the exam, was proud of her herself and the school for getting such a high ranking.

“It shows that we’re getting involved and that the students and the teachers’ hard work aren’t going to waste.” Nelson said.

Psychology is a popular elective taken by juniors and seniors. It is the study of human behavior and mental processes, according to AP Psychology teacher Jennifer Juenke.

“Last year we had 11 section of the class, this year we have nine,” Juenke said. “Students get to learn about why people do the things they do and it’s interesting; it’s defiantly not a dull topic.”

From mock exams to fun review games teachers were constantly preparing their students for the AP exam.

“We push our students year round,” Chasey said. “The whole point is to get the students to take the exam.”

Some students also did their own preparation outside of the classroom to prepare themselves for the exam.

“The review games that we did in class helped a lot,” Nelson said. “But to make sure that I was well prepared I made flashcards and I quizzed myself.”

All the preparations that teachers and students did for the exam paid off.

“I’m proud to be a part of the students passing the exam,” Nelson said. “This proves that African-American students are challenging themselves by taking AP classes.”