Yesterday I signed up for Advanced Placement (AP) exams. I trudged to a room in the language wing, filled out some forms and prepared my answer booklet for test day. Then it was time to pay. Each AP exam costs $91, which brought my tab for five exams to a whopping $455. And that led me to the question: why am I even taking these tests?

Because I have to.

At WHS, students who take an AP class are required to take the corresponding AP exam. This requirement unnecessarily wastes our time, energy and money, each of which could be better devoted to learning.

One of the best way to scam people is to convince them that they’re getting a special bargain — that they’ve been given a special opportunity or a prestigious award that will help them through life. That’s exactly what the College Board, the company behind AP, is selling students and school districts about the AP exam. And we’ve bought it.

The College Board has found its success in linking AP classes to AP exams. They know that I want to take the best classes available, both for my personal fulfillment and for the effect on my transcript. Having convinced the district that AP classes logically conclude in an AP exam, they’ve trapped me. This spring, I’ll be taking five AP exams.

Each year, millions of students participate in AP classes and tests. Some of these students genuinely believe that taking the AP exam will help them learn, or they’ve applied to one of an ever shrinking group of schools that encourages AP exams. But many other students don’t. Many take the test because their school districts have decided that taking an AP class means taking an AP exam. WHS has contributed to this problem.

In taking away students’ right to choose which tests to take, we are wasting resources and promoting the idea that there is one path to success — following the College Board’s plan, strictly following their AP curricula from the first day of school until the AP exam.

Following the College Board’s curriculum to the letter is not wise. We have great teachers at WHS. If we let them teach as they see fit, if we let them change lessons based on current events rather than forcing them to plan the entire year in September, we can accomplish so much more. The first step toward doing so is acknowledging that there are more important things than AP exams. The AP exam might be the right decision for some students and these student should feel welcome to prepare as they see fit, but the top priority during class time should be learning, not cramming. Mandating AP exams forces us to dedicate every minute of the school year and countless weekend hours to memorizing material in order to score well as a class.

The College Board’s website says that taking the exam is important because your “score will be used by colleges and universities to determine if they will grant you credit for what you’ve already learned, or allow you to skip the equivalent course once you get to college.” However, the evidence suggests otherwise.

A growing number of colleges are refusing to accept AP credit, even to place out of introductory classes. This list includes Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth and many others. Says Dartmouth school spokesperson Justin Anderson, “We want a Dartmouth education to take place at Dartmouth.” These schools recognize the extreme limitations of standardized testing, particularly as a means to determine college readiness.

I take my AP classes to learn how to think critically, to challenge myself and to improve my writing. The AP Exam is not a good indicator of these skills — it tests how well memorized students are on exam day and little more.

Many claim that those who oppose our AP policy do so out of laziness — that the only possible explanation for criticizing this giant standardized test is “senioritis.” However, if AP exams provide no benefit to these students, what’s the point in studying hard or trying on test day?

Accordingly, though forced to pay for and take the exam, some students choose not to study or try their best on test day. These students earn low scores on the exam. It’s important to note that these low scores aren’t harmless. Many high school rankings, like those compiled by Boston Magazine in which Wayland came in seventh, factor in average AP score. The legitimacy of these rankings is questionable at best. Nonetheless, by forcing students to take the test, we are setting our school up for failure. The fault for these low scores is on our policy, not the exhausted seniors.

This May, I’ll spend five days in the field house or lecture hall scribbling furiously. To prepare, I’ll spend countless hours memorizing material that I’ll likely never use again. I’ll spend $455 with no return whatsoever. Surely that effort, time and money could be better spent, particularly in May when my time at WHS is short.

Opinion articles written by staff members represent their personal views. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent WSPN as a publication.