Every May, over 3 million high school students across the United States take Advanced Placement(AP) exams. Made by the College Board, AP Exams measure a student’s mastery in a college-level course, and students are graded on a 1-5 scale. Many colleges offer credit for passing scores(3 or higher) on AP exams, allowing students to skip introductory courses and possibly save credit hours or tuition money. This promise has fueled a massive growth in student AP participation, resulting in the number of students taking AP exams having nearly tripled in the last 20 years.
This year, AP exams took place in the two-week period from Monday, May 4, 2026 to Friday, May 15, 2026. Each day, the College Board offers three or four exams, taking place either at 8 a.m. or noon local time. The majority of exams take place on the College Board-made application Bluebook, but some also use paper of a hybrid of the two. St. Mark’s offers 27 out of 36 total AP exams, and students taking others are granted permission to take them off-campus.
However, at the school, the two weeks of AP exams coincide with the ending of classes and finals. Finals can make up to 20 percent of a student’s grade, often leading to intense pressure to balance both studying for finals and AP exams. While some finals can overlap with the corresponding AP, many students have to turn to outside sources to cover additional material for their AP exams.
“Studying for both is very difficult because our exams stretch over a long period of time, but it also helps us prepare for them,” junior Azim Moosa said. “Studying for the (AP United States History) final has really helped me study for the AP exam, but for other classes I have to go outside and watch YouTube videos, which can take a lot of time.”
Taking AP exams can also feel like an unneeded stress, as students who don’t know their future college destination are unsure if their AP scores will be accepted for credit. According to CNBC, up to 86 percent of private institutions have started restricting AP credits.
“I don’t know where I’m going to college, so I’m not sure if they are gonna take credits,” Moosa said. “It can be annoying that I’m putting so much work, especially with finals, for an uncertainty. It’s been a really long period of time. Right now, we are in our 3rd week of exams coming into our 4th. It’s been essentially an entire month of just huge tests, so I hope it’s worth it.”
While stressful for many, some seniors see their final year of AP exams as the end of their high school academic journey.
“It’s kind of bittersweet, honestly,” senior Tarik Syed said. “They took up a ton of time, and I think it would have been better if I could have spent that time just hanging out with friends. But I’m glad I’m done with them.”
