As the spring semester soon comes to a close, many students have been getting into the summer mood. But, for most students taking AP courses, the stress is only ramping up.

This year, 543 AP tests were purchased, compared to 537 last year, assistant principal Irma Muñoz said.

In 2017, 3 million students took AP tests nationwide, according to the College Board.

At Piedmont, we have received an honor roll for AP testing, due to an improvement of scores over time, assistant principal Eric Mapes said.

There has been a shift in popular tests for students to take at PHS, Mapes said.

“There are more students taking the AP Computers class than ever,” Mapes said. “That’s a reason why we might see different numbers.”

If enough students are interested in taking an AP test, the administration may consider offering it in Piedmont, Mapes said.

“I’ve added chemistry, statistics and physics as new AP tests. Those are not AP courses here, they are honors,” Mapes said. “We only offer the AP exam if there is a significant amount of interest for those subjects.”

The most popular AP tests for students to take, nationwide are English Language, US History, English Literature, US Government/Politics, and Calculus AB, in that order.

As many seniors get a feverish case of senioritis, it is common to see a decline in senior sign-ups, counselor Chris Hartford said.

“When I speak to the seniors, I’m like, just finish. If you don’t want to take the exam, don’t take it,” Mapes said. “But, if you want to try, you don’t have to report it.”

Regardless of grade, Mapes said that almost every AP teacher encourage their students to take AP tests.

“Why stress? You’re either going to get college credit or you’re not, it’s not the end of the world,” Hartford said.

Teachers feel as though you shouldn’t be signing up for the class if you don’t plan on taking the AP test, Mapes said.

There have been a significant decrease in signups in the AP Euro and APUSH classes, due to absence of a solidified teacher for many weeks in the fall semester.

“It’s never easy to have a teacher leave, and the person who takes their place, there’s always going to be a comparison,” Mapes said.

Regardless of who replaced former History teacher Mark Cowherd, there would still be drop off in AP attendance, because the students simply aren’t ready, Mapes said.

“The main reason I’m not taking [the test] is because there was just no way I was going to be ready in time,” senior Ellie Roberts said. “Or to get through all the necessary material in a way where I actually understood it.”

According to Muñoz, only four students signed up for the AP Euro exam this year, compared to 24 last year.

“Overall, this whole school year for Euro and APUSH has been a bad situation that everyone is trying to handle as best they can,” senior Maddy Levine said.

Both Munoz and Mapes said that they think these statistics will not continue, and that numbers will even next year in the AP Euro and APUSH attendance.