Hillcrest Teen Earns Coveted Top Score On AP Exam

OAK FOREST, IL — Ask Kamira Payne what it's like to be among the elite who claimed the highest score on the Advanced Placement World History Exam and she'll tell you it's no big deal. But being among the top 9 percent globally of those who take the infamous, rigorous test is a big deal. And her accomplishment is a testament to the dedication and drive of the 17-year-old.

"There was a lot of happiness when I found out my score," Kamira, of Country Club Hills said. "It was like 'Wow! All of my hard work paid off. It's something I really wanted."

Advanced Placement, or AP, classes are designed to motivate and prepare high school students for college by providing courses that mirror introductory college-level courses. They foster critical thinking and study skills and aim to increase students' persistence and success in college. It is difficult to get a "passing" score of 3, let alone the elite 5 score. This year, according to Bremen District 228, the average AP World History score of the 321,028 students across the globe who took the test was 2.76. Only 9 percent of them scored a 5.

But Kamira decided to do better than than pass. She took the exam last year, her sophomore year, after attending the class at Hillcrest High School, and set her sights early.

"I really wanted to see how far my hard work could take me," she said.

Kamira explained that she has been playing piano for four years, and she knew that it took practice to be perfect. So she decided to apply the same logic to taking the AP test: She'd practice diligently every day until she could be proficient.

From March until May, when the test was administered, she carved out 15 minutes to one hour each day to review study guides, notes and other material.

Her persistence didn't end there. When scores were released, she couldn't wait to see them. The scores were released by location, and her Illinois release date couldn't come fast enough for her. So she registered with another address to get her results first. Then, boom! The coveted 5.

"I will always remember the day that I got my score," she said.

But it wasn't just the score that was important to her. It was what she learned along the way, too, such as the ability to talk intelligently about the Cold War.

"I feel like I am much more knowledgable," Kamira said.

While she finds history interesting, the high school junior has no plans to become an historian. Her true love is math, and she'll explore that area, first by joining the Mathletes team this year.

She also has a new goal: beating the 1360 she scored on a practice SAT. True to form, Kamira has already mapped out her plan.