This May, students all over America expect to take their AP exams online, without the option of a paper exam, as College Board has changed what types of exams are available to students.
According to the College Board, the company who administers the exam, the main reason behind the change in testing options is due to people abusing their right to a physical test in ways they cannot with an online test. This included tampering with content on the exam itself, which occurred in 2024. If the compromised test had reached several schools, the AP test for those classes would have to have been canceled (collegeboard.org).
The College Board sees online testing as a way to avoid tests being compromised in future years. Head of the AP Program Trevor Packer said, “We believe that paper AP testing will continue to be vulnerable to theft and cheating.” Packer made it evident that he sees online testing as the safest and best route when it comes to distributing exams. “Digital exams are much more secure than shipping paper exams in boxes to thousands of locations weeks in advance,” said Packer (collegeboard.org).
Junior Sadie Wheeler, who took four AP courses last year and four more this year said, “I think that the biggest change that it will have on us is how the teachers are going to alter their teaching methods to fit into a more digital world. Many teachers are still preparing students for a paper test that has now become digital which could lead to challenges as students will be unprepared in terms of timing, format, and test-taking strategies.”
During the Spring of 2024, UC High students had the chance to take their exams online or on paper. Wheeler said, “Last year, I took two AP tests, one online and one on paper. The online test was more convenient in the sense that I didn’t have to remember anything. I can delete and type faster than I can write and erase, but staring at a screen that long wasn’t great.”
Avoiding faulty tests and scores is not the only benefit that the switch will bring this spring. According to Packer, the nature of the exam being online allows it to be more accessible, student friendly, and removes some of the hassle that would usually come before the test actually started (collegeboard.org).
“Different students have different needs when it comes to learning and test taking, so this shift can prove to be harmful for some students who work better with physical material. On the other hand, with paper, it was easier to jot down notes and brainstorm, but filling in all the bubbles and managing the physical test booklet was annoying,” said Wheeler.
From her prior experience with the AP exams, Wheeler is able to understand the pros and cons of both of the test-taking options. “I think the change could be beneficial for some students with time management with the digital timer and writing faster, but for students who are more visual and prefer to annotate, it may be more of a hassle for it to be online,” said Wheeler.
Although this is a big switch, it should be noted that not every course that is offered by College Board is one hundred percent online due to some of the content found in their exams. According to the College Board website, “Exams that require graphing or symbolic notation, students will view free-response questions and prompts in Bluebook and write their answers in paper exam booklets.” Similar strategies will be used for language and art courses (collegeboard.com).