Essential AP Exam Updates, April 2021 COVID-19 Series
The Princeton Review
Hi, friends.
I’m Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, and I’m here today with several
essential updates about this spring’s 2021 AP exams.
Many of you will be taking the AP exams in just a few short weeks, so let’s jump right
in!
First, the College Board’s brand-new AP exam schedule provides three testing dates
for each subject between early May and mid-June.
The first administration of the AP exams will take place between May 3rd and May 17th, and
will be administered in school as a traditional, full-length paper-and-pencil exam.
The second administration of the AP exams will take place between May 18th and May 28th,
and will be offered both at home and in school.
This means that half of the subjects are paper-and-pencil, administered in school, and half will be full-length
digital exams, administered in school or at home.
The third and final administration will take place between June 1st and June 11th.
Again, the exams will be administered both at home and in school.
However, for this final administration, most subjects will be full-length digital exams
only.
With this added scheduling flexibility, schools will be able to pick multiple testing windows
or modes—thus allowing for contingency options in light of the Covid-19 pandemic!
The triad of options also gives AP coordinators the ability to authorize a mix of at-home
and in-person exams, and testing dates, as needed.
Moreover, with three sets of testing dates, the 2nd and 3rd administrations of the exams
can also be used as makeup dates for students who experience any conflicts or disruptions
their first time around.
Even beyond that, an additional makeup date will also be provided after Administration
3 for all subjects that have digital exams.
If you want to know which format or formats your subject will be offered in, you can find
out by visiting the College Board’s website.
One important note to keep in mind is that, regardless of the format, all versions of
the AP exams, in all subjects, will be full-length, and will cover the full scope of content required
for college credit.
These will not be a repeat of last year’s unusual exams, which were shortened and entirely
composed of FRQs.
The aim of these changes is to increase opportunities for AP students to test and earn college credit
and placement, even in the midst of this pandemic.
Now, if you are taking a digital exam, there are several key actions you need to complete
to ensure you’re prepared and ready to ace the exam!
First, you need to complete two required readiness steps before exam day.
This will entail: (1) downloading and installing the digital testing application, available
beginning April 8—and friends, just get this taken care of so you don’t need to
worry about it—and (2) completing the exam setup on your testing computer for each exam
subject you plan to take.
This must be done 1 to 3 days before each of your digital exams.
Failing to complete these readiness steps or attempting to do so on exam day may jeopardize
your ability to test!
So again, folks, take care of this and get it out of the way.
Second, all students will need a College Board account to access their exams.
So, make sure that you have an account and know your College Board username and password.
You should also find a safe and accessible place to store your login information in the
event that you forget it on test day!
Third, once the digital app is available in April, you should practice navigating it by
completing sample questions.
Practicing with sample questions is the best way to prepare for digital exams, as you will
be able, first, to answer each type of multiple-choice and/or free-response question you'll encounter
on exam day, and second, get a preview of the flow of the exam, so that you’re crystal
clear on what to expect!
Fourth, please make a point to review what materials and equipment are required, allowed,
and prohibited on exam day.
During your exam setup and check-in, the College Board will provide you with a checklist.
A few prohibited items that you’ll see on that list include books, notes, or any other
reference materials, as well as headphones, smartwatches, smartphones, or any other connected
device.
Fifth, if you are testing at home, prepare your testing environment.
Folks, this is a crucial step!
While we recognize that students come from a range of households and home environments,
please do your best to reduce the chances of disruptions during the exam.
This includes finding a quiet room to take the exam and letting those in your home know
when you're testing, so they don’t disturb you.
This also means making sure that your testing device is fully charged or plugged in, and
that you’re connected to WiFi.
That being said, while reliable internet is crucial, do not worry if your internet connection
drops momentarily mid-exam.
The College Board is very clear on this point: The “testing application has been designed
to be tolerant of disruptions in internet connectivity during the exam.”
So you’ll need that connection to be reliable, but a quick internet connectivity issue will
probably not have an effect on you.
We should also cover a few security-related updates—and we’ll have a whole video about
this coming up, so stay tuned for further details!
A few quick notes: The digital exam will work on desktops and laptops, including PCs, Macs,
and school-managed chromebooks.
That being said, computers may not be shared between students after exam setup is completed.
Additionally, on digital exams, you will not be allowed to return to answered questions
or move back-and-forth between unanswered questions.
On your free-response questions, you'll type directly into the app, and your work will
be automatically saved.
For added security, the app will include features to prevent collaboration, use of unauthorized
aids, or attempts to have someone else take the exam.
And of course, the exam will be reviewed with plagiarism software.
Exam violations found for any AP Exam—paper or digital—will result in your score cancellation
and additional consequences, as permitted.
But you won’t need to worry about that because you are prepped, and you will be ready for
these exams!
Lastly, whether you’re taking the exam in school or at home, all exams will begin worldwide
promptly at 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time and 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, and all
students will need to check in 30 minutes before the official start time.
We recommend getting into the habit of doing practice problems at whatever time of day
you’ll actually be taking your AP exams so that you get into the rhythm of thinking
about those subjects at that time—particularly if the time isn’t one in which you’d ordinarily
be doing schoolwork.
We’re wishing all of you AP exam takers the best of luck.
Know that we’re cheering you on every step of the way!
If you haven’t already, check out our Spring AP Exams playlist, where we cover key concepts
you’ll need to know for each of a variety of AP exams.
And, as always, subscribe to our channel, and stay tuned for the latest updates on standardized
tests, college admissions, study tips, and more!
Thanks so much for watching.
Take care and see you next time!