Due to their budget deficit, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has announced a new Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Policy for the 2017-18 school year. Beginning this year, a student’s first six AP exams will be paid for by the county. Starting with the seventh test, students will be required to pay the $93 for all other AP exams. This policy will apply to a student’s entire high school career. 

This change is new to everyone, and the details are being worked out for when AP testing begins in May.

“There will be an opt out form sent home in January.” Director of Student Services Timothy Buckley said. “From there we will order the exams based on that information.”

This policy is currently leaving students and parents confused about what it may bring to their AP classes. It also poses the question of whether or not the number of AP courses taken at Madison will decrease.

Now that the exam is not mandatory for the grade boost, students have flexibility in the choosing of which exams they will take, likely leading to a decrease in the number of exams taken this year.

And, for students who have already taken six exams, this policy will apply to every AP exam taken this school year. Ellie Socher (’18) and Sky Zoom (’19), for instance, will have to pay this year if they decide to take the exam in all of their AP classes.

“The policy makes me rethink which exams I should take and discourages me from taking all of them, especially if I’m not completely confident with the class,” Socher said.

“Though the policy is not economically appealing to students like me, who will be taking more than six exams, taking AP classes is a luxury and I can see how these expenses can add up,” Zoom said.