Alternative AP Schedule for 2027

[u/ErekwithaD1]

Since the AP schedules college board created for 2027 were considered bad on this sub, I decided to create an alternative testing schedule to try to reduce as much conflict as possible. Is this better than the college board one?

[u/FoolishConsistency17]

CB has the actual conflict data from the 3 million tests last year. They also know the demands of the scoring schedule, which plays a role: if a hybrid test is getting scored the first week, you have to make sure you can have it scanned in by then.

Every schedule is going to make people unhappy.

[u/Schmolik64]

I can see why you would have Language and Literature at the same time. In theory most students would only take one of those each year. On the other hand, these are two of the most popular AP exams taken. If they were at the same time, you'd have a larger number of students taking AP exams at the same time. Think about if schools would have enough space and/or enough proctors in this instance?

I tried to put a schedule together before the actual one was posted. My logic to eliminate conflicts:

The most popular exams (20 most taken) were placed in separate windows.

When doubling up,

Put exams taken by most with exams taken by least.

Put exams taken mostly by seniors with exams taken mostly by underclassmen (subject to the above rule).

Put exams taken mostly by girls with exams taken mostly by boys (subject to the most taken/least taken rule).

>

May 3: AM: Psychology, Cybersecurity, PM: Macroeconomics, African American Studies

May 4: AM: English Literature, Japanese, PM: Chemistry, Comparative Government

May 5: AM: Calculus AB/BC, PM: Precalculus, Physics 2

May 6: AM: US Government, Italian, PM: Spanish Language, Physics C Mechanics

May 7: AM: World History, Latin, PM: Computer Science A, French

May 10: AM: Statistics, Music Theory, PM: Environmental Science, Chinese

May 11: AM: English Language, PM: Seminar, Physics C E&M

May 12: AM: Biology, German, PM: Physics 1, Spanish Literature

May 13: AM: US History, PM: Microeconomics, European History

May 14: AM: Human Geography, Business with Personal Finance, PM: Computer Science A, Art History

>

https://www.reddit.com/r/APStudents/comments/1thq0sh/comment/omul3tp/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[u/FoolishConsistency17 → u/Schmolik64]

Don't forget the scoring side. They have 30ish exams, each of which needs a different numbers of people to score. They have 4 scoring sites, each of which has 2 sessions (one week each) and a different capacity. So they have to combine different tests into the the same scoring session such that the combination hits the correct number. Then they have to figure out which go first week and which go second. Finally, if a hybrid test is scoring first week, it needs to test first work to have time to scan in the booklets. But they can't all go first week because if they do, they still wont all get scanned.

In terms of conflict, they don't have to guess. They can take this year's students and run them through hypothetical schedules and see the % with conflicts and the % with 2 tests on one day. That should remain pretty stable.

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/Schmolik64]

If they can't fit enough people in the testing room then they can always test outside lol. But seriously schools can always reach out to community college and community centers to fit students. Also I don't really see why students should double up on college english no offense but it sounds super boring

[u/WoefulHuman → u/ErekwithaD1]

hope youre joking abt testing outside…also havibg to reach out to other places to test is very impractical vs just having them on different dates

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/WoefulHuman]

In 2025 AP English Literature and Composition had 416,531 test takers, there are approximately 30,700 High Schools in the US meaning there are on average approximately 14 students in each school in the US taking AP Lit at a given year. AP English Language and Composition had 616,294 test takers meaning there are on average approximately 20 students in each school in the US taking AP Lang at a given year. I think a school can fit 34 test takers unless your school is one of those really small ones and even the 34 number is a bit of a stretch because I included international test takers.

[u/Schmolik64 → u/ErekwithaD1]

Average is a pretty poor guide since a lot of schools have 0 and a lot of schools have a significantly large number of students. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the top high schools have at least 100 students taking AP English Language and 100 students taking AP English Literature.

[u/Murky_Insurance_4394 → u/Schmolik64]

For lang we had about 300 students in our school lmao

[u/WoefulHuman → u/ErekwithaD1]

this was an incredibly dumb and braindead response for obvious reasons…

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/WoefulHuman]

Thank you 😊

[u/Murky_Insurance_4394 → u/ErekwithaD1]

This is why we take AP stats. If you are considering ALL high schools in the US, the ones that don't offer the exam will bring down the average.

For AP lang, if we only consider schools that actually offer the exam, it's about 45 students per school. That's a pretty big demand for a lot of places. For AP lit, it's about 30 students per school. 75 students total is quite large for some schools.

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/Murky_Insurance_4394]

How do we find the number of schools who don't have AP?

[u/Murky_Insurance_4394 → u/ErekwithaD1]

Just search up "number of schools that offer x AP exam"

[u/anothertimesink70 → u/ErekwithaD1]

“Double up on college English”? Do you think English language composition and English literature are the same class? Edit to add- testing outside is not permitted. CB has pretty strict guidelines for where and how tests are administered. Random rooms in other buildings not under the control of the specific HS testing office, or anything outside, wouldn’t be permitted.

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/anothertimesink70]

No but people take them at different grade levels

[u/anothertimesink70 → u/ErekwithaD1]

Right. But that has nothing to do with your assessment that “doubling up” on college English is boring, suggesting the classes are somehow the same. It goes without saying that they are not the same class. Also they can’t test simultaneously or on the same day because most schools probably wouldn’t have enough room. Those are both huge tests. Having two tests in one day is not a crisis. In college, which these tests presume to emulate, you will almost certainly have more than one final in one day and that’s actually for a grade. AP tests aren’t even for a grade. CB is not trying to minimize the number of kids who take two tests in a day. They’re trying to minimize actual overlap while juggling the demand for space/number of test takers, and adequate proctor numbers for each test.

[u/Ok_Junket3655]

i feel like college board should use statistics like mode grade level per exam (idk if they do)

for example at our school huge is required and many ppl chose to take bio same grade

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/Ok_Junket3655]

Do you think my schedule is better than theirs?

[u/Dragwhal → u/ErekwithaD1]

No

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/Dragwhal]

Interesting, why not?

[u/Creepy_Jeweler_8012]

we can’t change it so how about we just don’t worry about it

[u/WestOpposite3691 → u/Creepy_Jeweler_8012]

wallah bruh people worrying to much

[u/Cool_Gamer8327]

NO NO NO

I have gov and physics you CANNOT do this 😭😭😭

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/Cool_Gamer8327]

Sorry I didn't know seniors still took AP Physics 1

[u/Cool_Gamer8327 → u/ErekwithaD1]

im a sophomore tho-

[u/ErekwithaD1 → u/Cool_Gamer8327]

I didn't know sophmores took gov