High school students improve their odds of doing well on the AP statistics exam

“This program also allows us to show prospective students that we have great academic programs at Mason."

— Elizabeth Johnson, assistant professor of statistics

Statistics Assistant Professor Elizabeth Johnson is coordinating a mock AP statistics exam for 700 high school students in the area.

Mason’s Engineering’s Department of Statistics is offering more than 700 high school students a chance to take a mock Advanced Placement (AP) practice exam in statistics on April 27.

It’s the fifth year Mason has hosted the event for students in the Washington, D.C. area. It’s partially funded by the Washington Statistical Society.

The mock exam provides students the opportunity to take a practice AP statistics exam under time constraints, preparing them for the actual AP exam which they will take about two weeks later. 

“The students get so excited to go to college for a day, and it helps high school teachers get their students ready for the test,” says Elizabeth Johnson, an assistant professor of statistics and coordinator of the event.

“This program also allows us to show prospective students that we have great academic programs at Mason,” she says. “Several of our statistics majors and data analysis minors took the exam when they were in high school.”

The practice exam is developed in cooperation with five other universities, including Clemson University, University of Georgia, University of Delaware, North Carolina State, and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.  These universities offer the same exam to students in their areas.