All across the country, schools start at different times. According to MDR Education, 82% of public schools during the 2024-2025 school year begin in August; however, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School started on Sept. 4, 2025. This gives many students who start in August an advantage on the AP exams for any subject.
With the AP exams occurring on the same day for every student nationally, students who begin school later in September are at a disadvantage. Students who start school in August have two extra weeks of studying the curriculum, which may not seem a lot, but when it comes to the exam, every extra moment of studying counts.
Sophomore Brooke Abadir is taking the AP Biology exam and feels that having extra time could really make a difference when it comes to performing well on the test.
“I think it is unfair and we should have more time to prepare for the AP exam,” Abadir said.
SPF students rush to finish the curriculum in time for the exams, barely having enough time for review, but given an extra couple weeks, it can surely increase their chances of improving their scores on the AP exam.
Even a little more time of studying could impact whether a student gets a three or a four, maybe even a four or a five, on the exam. The extra time provides better mastery of the content, increased practice opportunities and may reduce many students’ stress.
“I’ve never really thought about that, but it is true,” sophomore Morgan Webster told The Fanscotian. “I feel like I could get a [lower score] compared to other students who started learning in August because of our limited time creating a disadvantage.”
The extra preparation time allows for a more in-depth coverage of concepts and ultimately boosts performance on the exam.
As stated by College Raptor, “Starting early is the most crucial tip for boosting your AP exam scores. It allows you to pace yourself and schedule in study time without compromising your ongoing school work and other commitments.”
In the end, when students take the exams on the same day, preparation time should not depend on where a student lives. Giving students the same amount of time to learn the curriculum would justify the claim that all students are on an equal playing field on exam day.
