2009-11-15, 02:38 AM
(This post was last modified: 2009-11-15, 03:01 AM by 2147483647.)
What's the worst that can happen? You fail the exam. If you fail the exam, the university will just ignore your score. What then? You still have two years to retake the exam and pass it. (And keep in mind that passing is 3, not 5.)
Universities don't use your AP scores for admissions. They merely look at it. There's no "it looks good or bad" kinda thing in admissions; all of the numbers are strictly objective. The only subjective part in admissions is the personal statement, on which you will not be discussing scores anyways.
The point of the exam is to credit you as though you took the class in univ. This does several things:
1. It exempts you from the class.
2. It gives you units.
This will actually harm you if you don't understand what it does. Being exempt from the class means that you'll have to remember everything you learn this year for a higher-leveled class you may take years later in college. You won't be allowed to retake World History 1 in college, or if you take it, you won't get any units and you won't get grade for it. Getting units means you graduate sooner, meaning if you want to take other classes at your university, you won't be able to after you run out of units.
That being said, consider why you are pursuing a history major. Is it easy because you actually understand it and find meaning in it, or is it easy because you memorize things easily? Only if it's the latter would I advise against taking the test.
I'm assuming you wish to pursue a history major because you have interest in the subject. If so, then you would learn it regardless of whether or not the AP test for that subject exists, right?
Universities don't use your AP scores for admissions. They merely look at it. There's no "it looks good or bad" kinda thing in admissions; all of the numbers are strictly objective. The only subjective part in admissions is the personal statement, on which you will not be discussing scores anyways.
The point of the exam is to credit you as though you took the class in univ. This does several things:
1. It exempts you from the class.
2. It gives you units.
This will actually harm you if you don't understand what it does. Being exempt from the class means that you'll have to remember everything you learn this year for a higher-leveled class you may take years later in college. You won't be allowed to retake World History 1 in college, or if you take it, you won't get any units and you won't get grade for it. Getting units means you graduate sooner, meaning if you want to take other classes at your university, you won't be able to after you run out of units.
That being said, consider why you are pursuing a history major. Is it easy because you actually understand it and find meaning in it, or is it easy because you memorize things easily? Only if it's the latter would I advise against taking the test.
I'm assuming you wish to pursue a history major because you have interest in the subject. If so, then you would learn it regardless of whether or not the AP test for that subject exists, right?
Unrelated but relevant.