by Brian O’Halloran
The results of last May’s Advanced Placement Macroeconomics test have been released, and Mehdi Lemdani, a Woodbridge High School junior, is one of 22 students in the world to receive every point possible.
While a sophomore, Lemdani was enrolled in Mr. Sacco’s AP Macroeconomics elective course. Although it was Lemdani’s first year taking an AP course, he was able to score a 5 on the culminating test offered by the College Board.
Although earning a 5 out of a possible 5 on the test is an accomplishment in its own right, being one of 22 students worldwide to earn every point possible is what has Woodbridge High School’s teachers and administrators in awe. According to the College Board’s statistics, approximately 85,000 students take the AP Macroeconomics test annually.
Sacco credits much of Lemdani’s success to hard work and intelligence. “As work goes,” Sacco said, “he’s in a class all by himself. His work ethic is amazing. He’s above and beyond anybody that I’ve ever taught. He was only a sophomore—that’s what gets me.”
The junior was quick to point out the impact his teacher had on his score. “[Mr. Sacco] streamlined the entire thing,” Lemdani said. “He knew what he was talking about. When you walk in, and you’re taking the test, it’s like, ‘OK, this is just another homework assignment from Sacco.’ So, a lot is due to him, and I’m grateful for that.”
Woodbridge High School’s principal, Mr. Lottmann, said, “I’m very proud of Mehdi. To be in the top 22 in the world—at anything—is pretty remarkable.”
Though the weight of his achievement is not lost on him, it is not something Lemdani is quick to brag about. He said, “Getting a perfect score didn’t feel like something I earned more than I was lucky enough to get. I always feel like, with the AP exam, there’s really no way to really know what to expect on it…”
According to the College Board’s website, the test takes two hours and 10 minutes to complete and measures students’ knowledge of macroeconomics principles and their ability to reason within the discipline. The first section is comprised of 60 multiple choice questions, and the second section is made up of one long free-response question, and two short free-response questions.
The College Board’s website also says multiple-choice questions are scored by computer and the scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers or awarded for unanswered questions. Free-response questions are scored at the annual AP Reading held each year in June.
For now, Lemdani is focusing on his second semester courses, which include AP French. He is grateful for the recognition, and proud of the accomplishment, but tentative to bask in the limelight. “When I look back at it,” he said, “it’s something that I’m grateful for doing, more than anything else.”
The achievement, however, is not lost on Lottmann. “When you think about that it’s in a Macroeconomics AP College Board exam,” he said, “and you’re in the top 22 in the world, does it get much better than that?”
