Papers rustling, the scratching of pencils, and nervous breathing. All can be heard when walking into a testing room for the AP exams annually at the end of the school year. Or so that was thought up until two years ago. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020 the last thing in students minds was testing for their AP classes. But when it came down to it, the AP tests were something the College Board needed to figure out. 

So they did, and the College Board did a modified version of their usual AP test in both 2020 and in 2021. With the additional in person testing option in the year 2021. 

But now with the 2022 testing year coming along the College Board has announced that they will be going back to completely normal unless there are unforeseen school closures.  

This leads to some students who have never done a traditional AP test before having to get ready for one. This also leads to teachers having to prepare students differently than they did the last two years. 

“I’m going to take students through the three essays and prepare them for the multiple choice as well,” said Kevin McCarthy, an AP English teacher at Central Kitsap High School. “ How I do that?… I’m going to tread lightly. I’m going to meet students where they’re at, knowing that you had a year removed.” 

It was not only the students that had a difficult time adjusting to the online learning environment of especially AP classes but the teachers as well. With having to adjust the teaching style, but also having to keep up with the College Board’s requirements through the year. 

“It was very much a fly by the seat of your pants experience, in part because we had never done it before and in part because College Board was adjusting the testing formats,” Said Russell Schuchart, a history teacher at Central Kitsap High School. 

Not every student that is taking an AP course and is preparing to take the AP exam at the end of the year are all on the same level for this year. Having to do in part with adjusting to online learning. 

“So I’m trying to do more breaking things down into smaller steps so that I can help catch up the people who’s [online learning] didn’t work so well for last year,” said Sarah Fisher, an AP history teacher at Central Kitsap High school. 

Fisher went on to say how her students are reacting to the work of an AP class and how she is handling that in a now completely back in person setting. 

“I’m doing even more than I did before, reassuring kids that at first it’s hard, we’re getting used to how to write like this,” Fisher said. “You haven’t done it for a long time and it’s okay that you didn’t do that well on the first test because it’s the process.” 

If students want to get a jump start on preparing for the AP testing coming up at the end of the year the overall consensus from most teachers is to keep practicing the skills and paying attention in class. 

“It’s just lots and lots of practice, so it’s practice with timing, it’s practice with handwriting,” Fisher said.  “It’s practice with the endurance of sitting and writing three essays in a row. It’s practice with little things like how to fill in a scantron sheet.” 

But for all students, teachers want everyone to know that it is okay to ask for help when you need it. 

“If a concept in class is getting tricky go to math tutoring,” McCarthy said. “Come to me before or after school, I think, in a nutshell, I have no doubt in my mind that teachers are willing to help.” 

It can seem like AP testing is a long time away but it is never too early to think about how students handle this year will affect how they do on the exam and just in classes in general. It was a hard thing to get used to online learning the last two years but it will be hard to go back to normal as well. 

“Just remember, your score, much less your grade, is not your identity,” said Schuchart. “It reflects how you did at one stage in your life. And that’s fine but don’t let it be more than that.”