Advanced Placement Classes

Should you take AP classes?  Yes, if you are capable of doing well.  No, if you are not capable of doing well.  The failure rate for AP tests is climbing nationally.  Students are being pushed into Advanced Placement tests when they are not ready.  For some reason, it seems to be a status symbol for a school to have a high percentage of students taking these classes.  Newsweek has even made a list of best schools based on the percentage of students that take the test–not the percentage that pass it.  What truly matters is if they pass with a high score and not merely take the tests.  Some states have an abnormally high rate of failure:  New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia.  These states are probably pushing students into AP classes that are not academically capable.  But, some states have a very low failure rate:  Montana, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Vermont.  These states obviously only encourage capable students of taking the tests.  Be smart and take AP tests if you think you are capable of doing college credit classes in high school.