Growing Popularity of AP Exams Brings Trade-Offs

Continuing a pattern from recent years, more students from low-income families are taking—and earning what is considered a passing score on—at least one Advanced Placement exam, a new analysis of results for the public high school graduating class of 2009 shows.

At the same time, significant gaps persist in preparation and access across “traditionally underserved students,” the analysis released yesterday by the College Board suggests, especially for African-American students.

For instance, although black students represented 14.5 percent of the 2009 graduating class, they were just 8.2 percent of those who took an AP exam, and 3.7 percent of those who passed at least one of the tests during...