Beginning with spring semester of 2008, students who elect to take Advanced Placement exams will not have to take final exams in the same courses during exam week.

In past years students were required to take a final exam in every academic course, whether or not they completed an AP exam. Instead, students will be required to complete some form of a cumulative project in place of the final exam.

Junior Elle Levy said, “I think it’s great! It takes so much pressure off of preparing during finals week. Teachers…assigning projects…seems much more reasonable than having to take two long tests.”

For some students the change will considerably lessen the exam workload. During final exam week, students will either be given a free period during the exam periods for classes in which they completed AP exams, or they will be required to show up and complete some other assignment.

Junior Amanda Whitney said, “I like that you don’t have to study for both, because it is less stressful to study for one test rather than two, and it gives you more time to study for your non-AP classes.”

However, the switch does not necessarily lessen the exam workload for AP teachers, because AP exams are optional. They may still have to give an exam for students who choose not to take the AP exam. Some teachers believe that taking one exam gives students more of a collegiate feel.

AP psychology teacher Penny Keune said, “If the AP courses are to mirror college courses, and if the AP exam is supposed to equal a final exam for a college class, it makes total sense that you don’t need to give an ‘extra’ exam, since at the collegiate level you only take one final per class.”