Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams officially began on Monday this week. Students taking these exams will not only been looking for a passing grade, but also college credit. 

In total there will be about 18 different exams taking place for both AP and IB classes. Some exams that are being taken are AP and IB Spanish, IB English, AP comparative government and politics, and IB Biology. The exam testing period will be from May 1 to May 19.

There are many different ways to prepare for the exams and students are working hard so they can get potential college credits. “I’m reviewing everything from last year and this year to hopefully get a great score,” said senior Gabriel Feliz, “I also think working with my friends is fun.”

Even though the exams aren’t mandatory for AP students, many students and teachers suggest that they should be taken to try to earn the college credits. “I think every student should take the test. It doesn’t make sense to sit through six months of information and to not give yourself [the] chance to get the credits,” AP Government teacher Michael Celenza said.

Just like AP students, the exams for IB students are not mandatory. Students have mixed emotions about taking the IB exams, some students suggest that you shouldn’t take them at all since the prices are high.

Exams for AP students are less expensive than those of IB, as AP  exams cost around $100 or less per exam. Exams for IB students are about $100 per exams also but students pay more because of the registration fees, costing them $160 per exam.

Financial Aid is available for students who qualify, leaders of the programs are lobbying, mightily for county to pay for all students taking AP and IB exams in the future.

Besides the expense, it’s been statistically proven that students do well on IB exams. Last year alone about 70% to 80% of students earned the IB Diploma. IB Coordinator Lisa Ingram believes that “realistically kids that come to school on a regular basis and don’t have serial truancy as a part of their academic report are typically very confident in their exam preparation.”

Though it’s costly, the outcomes of taking AP and IB tests are worth it. Always consider taking the exam because it may be quite influential in the future.