# Pre-exam at the beginning of the year?

**URL:** <https://forum.code.org/t/pre-exam-at-the-beginning-of-the-year/10031>\
**Category:** AP Prep\
**Tags:** ap-exam\
**Created:** [September 8, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/pre-exam-at-the-beginning-of-the-year/10031 "2017-09-08T01:40:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dhust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@dhust](https://forum.code.org/u/dhust)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/pre-exam-at-the-beginning-of-the-year/10031/1 "2017-09-08T01:40:01Z")

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Is it ok to give a pre-exam, from the collegeboard, in the first few weeks? I feel like it would be good for them to see what the questions will be like. But then again, I’m not sure if that is overkill right away. Maybe at the end of the semester or at the end of the third quarter? Thoughts?

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**Author:** ![bhatnagars](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/bhatnagars/32/4919_2.png) [@bhatnagars](https://forum.code.org/u/bhatnagars)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/pre-exam-at-the-beginning-of-the-year/10031/2 "2017-09-08T04:17:37Z")

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If you want to measure their growth you could give it as a pre-test and then as a post-test. However, let the students that it does not count towards their grade. I know teachers do similar things in other courses.

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**Author:** ![dhust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@dhust](https://forum.code.org/u/dhust)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/pre-exam-at-the-beginning-of-the-year/10031/3 "2017-09-08T15:58:50Z")

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Should I spread it out so it’s a little here and there, or all at once so they feel the pressure of time too? But if time was up I would still end up having them finish so they get an opportunity to see all the different types of questions. Or I could do both? I guess I’m concerned with the time constraints of the class too. Just trying to get a sense of what works well that others have tried.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![bhatnagars](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.code.org/bhatnagars/32/4919_2.png) [@bhatnagars](https://forum.code.org/u/bhatnagars)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/pre-exam-at-the-beginning-of-the-year/10031/4 "2017-09-08T16:58:31Z")

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I have not done this, but if I were to do this I would probably break it up by units and pre and post assess students only on the material covered in the unit. That way it would not be overwhelming for the students and they won’t see too much of new information all at once.