AP exams have played a large role in high school’s for decades, yet the same old exams that students take every year will be changing this year: AP exams will be going online in May 2025.
There are a total of 19 AP exams at ANHS that are going digital this upcoming spring, 12 fully digital and seven hybrid digital. AP exams going fully digital are Art History, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, Human Geography, Psychology, Seminar, U.S. Government and Politics and United States History. AP exams going hybrid digital are Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Physics 1: Algebra-Based, Physics C: Mechanics and Statistics.
Ayan Gursahani (12) shares his opinion about AP exams going online, “I’m not a big fan of the idea, because I personally prefer handwriting things since I feel I can keep everything more organized that way. On the other hand, it saves a lot of paper and might shave some time off the test prep, so it might be a positive change.”
College Board decided to transition to digital AP exams this 2024-2025 academic year because the increased number of AP exams that got canceled from this previous May were tied to cheating attempts. Through digital AP exams, however, College Board hopes to enforce a more academically honest AP exam experience for AP students and teachers.
The application used for this upcoming process is Bluebook, which is previously used by students who took the SAT and PSAT-related assessments. On the College Board website, there is an option for students to see what it’s like to take a digital exam through Bluebook, so they will have a rough idea of what to expect for the AP exam. College Board also offers an option for test coordinators to set up a Test Day Toolkit in order to ensure devices and networks are in working condition before the exam day.
For the AP exam, students will need to log into their College Board account while following the proctor’s instructions during the check-in process. Students will still be given a blank sheet of paper in case they need to draft their answers. Unlike on paper, there is a timer at the top of the page to track how much time you have left to work on the section, but the option can be turned off if preferred.
Even during the break, the device will stay turned on and there will be a break screen that times the ten-minute break. Once it is time to proceed to the next section, there will be a resume testing option to choose.
Kat Tran (12) prefers traditional AP exams over digital AP exams saying, “It’s hard for me to stare into a screen for a long period of time. From my experience taking tests during class, I’m able to focus more on the test when it’s on paper as compared to on the chromebook.”
As College Board inches away from paper AP exams, digital AP exams will be marking the start of a brand-new experience with AP exams. Future AP students will take this changing exam and their experience within to start the new legacy of AP exams.
