Majority of AP students take class for GPA boost, not test

Manteca High teacher John Gibson teaches his AP Economics students during third period on Friday, Apr. 11, 2025, in Room 83 at Manteca High School in Manteca, Calif. 

By JADA NAVALES 
The Tower 

The Advanced Placement (AP) program is a nationally recognized organization that allows students to take rigorous college-level courses and potentially gain college credit while in high school.  

By partaking in an AP course, students can sign up for the AP exam and, depending on their score, can obtain college credit for that course. 

Manteca High School has a high amount of AP classes, sitting at 17 AP courses and 18 AP exams offered. Despite this, Manteca High has had a low turnout of students who sign up for the AP exam. 

Manteca High’s AP Economics class diligently learns during third period on Friday, Apr. 11, 2025, in Room 83 at Manteca High School in Manteca, Calif.

An ongoing issue among the school is this low turnout as students take the AP course for the grade boost but not the AP test. 

According to Manteca’s AP coordinator and counselor Janeen George, “About 57 percent of the students who are taking an AP class are taking the AP exam for that class.” 

Taking an AP class but not the exam defeats a primary goal that AP courses wish to achieve. This low turnout demonstrates that students’ interest lies mainly in the grade boost AP classes provide.  

In an informal survey conducted by The Tower, 62 percent of students agree that they take AP classes for the grade boost. 

A confounding variable of this low turnout can be the surrounding circumstances many students find themselves in.  

Preparedness, costs, and other situations can affect a student’s decision in whether they take the exams or not. A student may believe they are not properly prepared for such a rigorous exam. Another student may not be able to spare the money required. 

Of those who participated in the survey, the number one reason for students who take an AP class but not an exam is the belief that they won’t pass the exam, closely followed by the high costs of $100 per test. 

Manteca High has implemented some strategies to combat the low numbers caused by the obstacles that students may face that prevent them from signing up for the exam in the first place. 

The first method is by approaching AP students and their parents to gain interest. The school holds an AP parent night where they discuss the benefits of taking the exams. 

Counselors and teachers encourage their students to sign up for the AP test, boasting about the advantages of passing the exam. 

Taking an AP course boosts a student’s grade as they are weighted more than the average class. Passing the AP test can get a student college credit, allowing them to skip courses or advance them once in college. 

Another benefit of the AP test is the experience gained by students. 

“Most of you throughout your life are going to be taking tests for employment, for jobs, and those tests are rigorous,” says Megan Peterson, Manteca’s principal, “and I think kids need to actually practice taking tests.” 

The school helps those who cannot afford to pay the costly fees by offering an AP scholarship. By applying for this scholarship, students who qualify get their AP exams covered by the school and spend little to no money of their own. 

Manteca High continues to see a low turnout of AP exam participants. The school wishes to increase interest and participation by helping students understand what they could gain by taking AP tests and tackling the obstructions that prevent students from signing up.