The AP exams are officially online. How is that going to work? Here is what you should know about the online AP tests, the resources that are available, and what we know so far from the College Board.
How The Exam Will Work
The exams will be 45 minutes and there will be no multiple choice. This is because it is too easy to cheat on a multiple choice exam. The exam will instead be an essay or a short response. Some teachers are skeptical of this format. These critics say that a student can’t capture all the knowledge they learned in a year’s course in one short response.
For students who do not have internet access or a laptop available to take the exam, the College Board is allowing you to take the exam from any tablet or smartphone, or take the test by hand and send in a photo.
If you decide not to take an AP exam, you can receive a full refund.
The College Board will be offering two different test dates. One between May 11-22 and one between June 1-5. This will allow students who want to take the exam in May while the information is still fresh to do so, and students who need more time to study to take it later. To see when your AP exam is being offered, click here.
The AP Exams will focus solely on the first 7 months of information. The test will therefore cover everything you learned up until early March when COVID-19 shut down schools.
For more detailed information about how the AP Exams will work, click here.
Free Resources
If your school is not doing online schooling, you may feel unprepared to take an AP exam. Luckily, there are free prep resources available for you to take advantage of. The College Board has created a youtube channel where you can watch 40-50 minute classes on your AP subject. These are useful for reviewing for your test coming up. They have also released digitally available practice material of the types of questions that will appear on your exam.
Worried About Cheating?
College Board claims they will be able to detect any cheaters using plagiarism software. This means you and your friends can’t work on an essay together and submit the same one. But, savvy teenagers always find ways to cheat. And College Board needs to be proactive about this.
What if My School Cancelled My AP Test?
AP exams are usually coordinated through your school. Some schools that are against the new AP online format may have cancelled your test. If this has happened to you, there may be a way for you to still take your exam. Contact 888-225-5427 for US and Canada residents or +1 212-632-1780 for international residents to find out how to still take an AP test. Or you can email the College Board at apstudents@info.collegeboard.org.
Still Have Questions?
Unfortunately, we don’t have all the answers. But College Board is doing their best to give you the most and latest information regarding your specific exam. To access more information, you can log into your AP account at https://myap.collegeboard.org/login.
