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Curious... I took my FR of my final exam for AP Microeconomics... Just two hours before while studying, I printed out 2003 FR questions from College Board and practiced on them and checked my answers. I felt good (did regular and Form B) and prepared.

Until I saw my FR part of my final exam... My teacher gave me the EXACT same problem as I just worked on two hours earlier. I wrote down my answers (the correct answers from College Board was still on my mind).

I was still dumbfounded after the exam... I knew that my teacher likes to use past AP FRs for practices and tests and at the same time, he makes up his own. But I never dreamed that he'd used a problem that had FR answers online. While I'm not going to said anything because I've been getting some help from him and he knows that I'm kicking my butt off for the final, is this right?

The other question on the FR that he gave me was from 2001 (but no answer to it). Interesting.

Do you think AP teachers expect their students to do anything to practice on from Internet, including College Board's samples? If so, then it's not cheating because we're practicing our stuff. If not... is it their loss that we have all this tech to help us out?

Anyone out there who has an AP teacher who copies off from old FR questions on past APs? Did you ever run into this situation? What did you do?

By Kinglz (Kinglz) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 09:54 pm: Edit

I think that on the AP exams questions are sometimes recycled. That's the whole point of not giving us the questions or letting us discuss the exact questions...or at least I think it is.

By Zephyrmaster (Zephyrmaster) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 10:11 pm: Edit

No, his teacher gave out that test.

By Scoo8b (Scoo8b) on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 11:19 pm: Edit

It's not cheating, as you didn't know that that was going to be the test. You worked your butt off practicing and got lucky by seeing a problem you'd seen before. Be happy. It was because of your studying that you knew the answer...

By _Twinkletoes (_Twinkletoes) on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:17 am: Edit

whoa! that same thing happened to me in Euro! I studied the night before with the questions on College Board and he used those for the final. I got like 1 wrong on the whole test. I told him and he says, "Well. You certainly had an advantage." It's not wrong of you, because how were you supposed to know? It's your teacher job to know that many students use the internet to study. So be happy!

By Texas137 (Texas137) on Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 11:09 am: Edit

You did NOT cheat in any way. You worked hard, then had a stroke of luck. But if you are having pangs of guilt, why not just tell your teacher and see if he wants to make any changes? I can't imagine him wanting you to retest or anything, but you would certainly feel better. And he might want to know so he can avoid the same situation next year.