To the Editor:
In the article “Here’s Why More Students Have Passed AP Exams in Recent Years” (Aug. 2, 2024), the reporter raises an important question: “[The College Board’s scoring adjustments] led some educators and researchers to question whether AP exams have become easier or whether the College Board purposefully sought to boost the percentage of students receiving passing scores to compete against dual-credit programs.”
The article quotes Trevor Packer, the head of the College Board’s Advanced Placement program, who states neither one of those scenarios is true and denies having an agenda to make AP exams harder or easier. As the article correctly points out, higher passing rates could inspire more students to take AP courses. This, I believe, will look better in the College Board’s AP reports and positively affect the AP program’s bottom line.
I disagree with Mr. Packer’s statements, at least as far as one important subject area is concerned: computer science. As a co-author of AP Computer Science textbooks and AP exam review books since 1998, I have been closely following this subject. Just to mention a few “adjustments”: After the 2008-09 academic year, the College Board eliminated the more advanced “AB” exam. In my opinion, stronger students would have to take the easier “A” exam, which would then raise passing rates. Later, the “case study” section of the exam was discontinued. In 2010, the College Board announced it would end the penalty for wrong answers to multiple-choice questions on all AP exams. The list of concerning revisions goes on.
A major revision of AP Computer Science A is in the works that I believe will water down the course even further.
Gary Litvin
Textbook Author & Publisher
Skylight Publishing
Andover, Mass.
