The Paly administration has raised the price of taking Advanced Placement tests to $110 per test, a $10 increase from last year’s $100 fee, after meeting with administrators from Gunn High School where fees are also being raised.

The increase will help cover school costs and allow the school to use funds more effectively in the future, according to AP test coordinator Jaimie Shepard.

“AP exams are not a money-making venture for us,” Shepard said. “The fees we charge are the only means we have to cover our costs.”

Administrators hope to see no negative effects from the price shift, as the decision to implement this change was not made lightly, according to Assistant Principal Todd Feinberg. Feinberg said that the “increased cost of proctoring, supervision, and organization” created a need for higher test fees.

“The College Board’s published $86-per-exam only covers the cost of the test itself,” Shepard said. “It does not cover the cost of hiring a dozen extra proctors, monitor[ing] the AP exams we offer, [or] the extra equipment we need to run the tests.”

Coordinating tests and AP deadlines can also be tricky, as the school must estimate beforehand how many students will take the AP exams. For every test returned unused to the College Board, the school will need to pay. A fee increase, no matter how small, may force students to plan more seriously for the tests they truly want to take, Feinberg said.

Although some students may express concerns about the added cost of AP testing, school officials do not foresee a drop in AP test registration, Feinberg said. Families with demonstrated financial need can apply for fee reductions, as in previous years. According to Feinberg, students should still feel comfortable signing up for every test they are interested in taking, as the fee was not raised by a significant amount. The change will apply to students at both Paly and Gunn.

From a forward-looking perspective, students who perform well on AP tests often earn college credit or special placement in more advanced college courses, which potentially saves thousands of dollars in college payments. For many students, the educational benefits of passing AP exams could far outweigh the cost of taking them.

“I think if students balance the cost of the AP test versus the cost of college units, they’ll realize that a simple $10 increase is relatively minor,” Feinberg said.

Click here for information from the Paly Link about this year’s AP exams.