On Thursday, May 9, students enrolled in the Advanced Placement United States History course took their multiple choice final. The exam was an old AP test used in previous years, and some students were able to see the test beforehand through the College Board website.
“When people realized that the final exam was an older test, some students immediately began finding the test online. They actually printed out the test and directly studied the answers. Apparently some were selling answers, and by the end of the day, almost every student had been impacted in some way,” said George Levy, junior.
Additionally, some students speculate that the teachers may decide to create another test, though it isn’t clear what actions, if any, teachers will end up taking.“ I am fairly sure that the teachers will give another final. I really hope that they don’t though, as all it will do is hurt those who did not use the answers while not getting to the root of the problem,” Levy said.
Other students believe the logistics of administering a second test are more difficult than necessary. “I think they won’t do anything really since there are a lot of people in [AP U.S. History]. It would be difficult to administer another test,” said Divya Gulati, junior said.
It is not uncommon for AP teachers to use old test questions in some form or another to better prepare students for the AP exam, but this leak brings to light the difficulty that teachers have in properly preparing students for the AP exams while also making sure everyone has an equal advantage.
“This was in no way the teachers’ fault. Though they handed out a test that had already been published, it was only done to make the test as similar to the actual test as possible so we could be the most prepared. It was the students who decided to cheat,” Levy said.
After school and overnight, students expressed their frustrations on their AP U.S History Facebook page.
In the end, students desire the solution that will punish those that took advantage of the online tests while also not putting any burden on the rest of the students.“I just hope that the teachers handle this fairly, so that those who did not cheat are not punished and those who did are given full consequences,” Levy said.
As of this update, no comment from the administration could be obtained except for an indication that the situation is being looked into.
