As much as I like the class and reading for the test, I really do not like the test itself. My largest issue is with how colleges use the scores. Generally, students do not get college credit unless they score a 3 or higher. Some colleges require a 4, and a few egotistical institutions will only give credit for a 5 (the highest possible score, and quite statistically uncommon).
My main complaint with this is that AP courses are usually SIGNIFICANTLY more intensive than the college courses that they replace. Moreso, students taking dual-enrollment are often taking less rigorous courses on the same content and receiving credit without having to deal with such a high-stakes test.
For the most part, I like the test itself. It is directly connected to all of the standards that the college board sets. However, it usually benefits students who are taught how to take the test more than students who were not taught the way the test is set up but might know the content better. This year, I certainly noticed that there was a wide range of students of vastly different abilities who were all scoring 2s (out of 7 points) on the DBQ.
Getting 2 points required only a thesis (and not even a well-written one) and mentioning three of the seven documents provided. Getting another point required a significantly greater amount of work (greater than the difference between any other two numbers except the 6 and 7--7s are unicorns). Thus, I saw students trip over the low bar set for the 2 (sadly, I saw a great deal run into that low bar without being able to cross it) and also students who had a much greater depth of knowledge and understanding ... still get that same 2. For example, the student who did not tie any of the documents to a coherent argument could, and often did, score the same as a student who correctly used five of the documents, but misunderstood or did not correctly connect just two of them.
Despite my frustrations, I'm not sure what should be done differently. The test focuses the teachers and the students on the course and provides an impartial (if normed) means of determining whether the student should receive credit or not. That it puts all of this on a high-stakes, timed event when a student may have done well the entire year but just had an off day is a little worrisome. Worse, I am frustrated that colleges then require such high scores for the students to get credit.
Still, I like the classes and am really looking forward to getting to teach AP World next year.