Revere administrators implemented a policy that requires AP students to take the AP test at the end of their course next year.

The district hopes to improve Revere High School’s overall national ranking and image in general. The newly instated rule requires AP students to take the AP test as a way to fully represent the number of AP students at Revere, however, the scores they receive do not affect the national ranking.

Students can choose not to take the test, but this decision comes with a 0.5 reduction in GPA, so students will receive their grade on a 4.5 scale instead of a 5.0 scale. This reduction of GPA serves as an incentive to persuade students to take the test. Is this fair to students taking the course who do not necessarily need to take the test? For example, their college may not even accept these credits.

Money is another issue of concern. Each AP test costs $92, and although financial aid remains available through the College Board, someone, for example, who has three children taking two AP tests will have to pay $552. Even to a financially secure home, this price is steep. The cost of this could easily be reduced if not taking some of the tests benefits that particular student.

A compromise might be to instate a system that requires students to provide a valid reason for opting out of taking an AP test paired with a parent signature and approval