8 Things You Need to Know About the New At-Home AP Exams in Spring 2020
COVID-19 Series The Princeton Review
Hi, folks.
Rob Franek here.
I’m editor-in-chief at The Princeton Review, and we are coming to you live from my apartment
in New York City—where I’m self-isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic.
If you’re watching this from your own self-isolation, know that we are in this together.
I’m coming to you today with a big important update.
This is one of the biggest academic changes to happen so far as a result of the pandemic.
I’ve posted other videos about SAT and ACT cancellations, newly online classes, and other
relevant topics for this very strange moment.
But this one is different — it’s not about how something is canceled or moved to a different
medium.
It’s about an entirely different testing experience.
Of a very important set of tests.
The AP exams were already overhauled for 2020.
Now, they’re being overhauled again, just for this year’s administration.
I’m going to walk you through 8 important changes you will need to be aware of if you’re
taking AP exams this year.
And as always, we’ll be monitoring this very closely, and we’ll be back at you with
new intel as it becomes available.
#1 — This is the biggie, my friends.
If you’re taking AP exams this spring, you’ll be doing it from the comfort of your home.
Traditional face-to-face exams will NOT take place.
#2 — Your exams will also be shorter.
45 minutes in duration, consisting of free-response questions.
No multiple choice here, folks — just your brain and the question in front of you.
#3 — The topics will be less expansive.
You probably ended your “traditional” school year earlier in March.
The folks at the College Board know this, and in the interest of fairness, the exams
will include topics and skills that you’re likely to have covered by early March.
#4 — You’ll have options for how you take your exams.
Students will be able to take AP exams on any device you have access to—computer,
tablet, or smartphone.
Taking a photo of your handwritten work will also be an option.
The College Board is also working to ensure that all students, regardless of whether they
own computers or have internet access, will have the tools and connectivity they’ll
need to review their AP content online and take their AP exams.
#5 — You’ll also have options for when you take your AP exams.
You won’t all take your exams at the same time.
So, for each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.
#6 — But what about college credit?
That’s probably foremost on your mind, since the ability to earn college credit is a major
reason why students take the AP exams in the first place.
Rest assured, the folks at the College Board have said that colleges support this solution
and “are committed to ensuring that AP students receive the credit they have worked this year
to earn.”
#7 — The other big question you may have — we all have it — is about test security
and integrity.
How can they be sure you won’t cheat?
We don’t have a ton of information yet, but here’s what we DO know:
The College Board is designing and planning to administer the questions in ways that prevent
cheating.
They’re also using a range of digital security tools, including plagiarism detection software,
to protect the integrity of the exams.
The College Board also points out that scoring at-home work for AP exams isn’t new—for
years, the AP program has done that as part of the AP Computer Science Principles and
AP Capstone courses.
It of course is new to do this for all AP exams, but we’re in uncharted territory
right now, and we’re heartened that the College Board is working hard to ensure that
you can still achieve your higher education goals.
Finally, the fact that the tests are going to be free-response also makes it harder to
cheat.
(You can’t share answers quickly.)
Furthermore, we are confident that the College Board will come up with a system to ensure
that all students are judged based on their own work, not the work of someone they’ve
asked to take their exams for them (not that you would do that either).
We don't know what this will look like yet, but there may be a remote proctor or some
other method to ensure that everything’s on the up-and-up.
#8 — Your exam prep.
If you’re wondering — How do you prepare for an exam you’re just hearing about?
— Well, I’ve got two good answers for that.
First, you’ve been learning and preparing all year.
You already know so much of this content.
Have faith in your brain.
Second, the College Board is providing a variety of free AP review classes and resources on
its website, CollegeBoard.org.
Visit their site, and check those out.
And of course, we’ll continue to post updates on PrincetonReview.com and right here on YouTube.
The College Board will release more information — including the full exam schedule and info
about the specific free-response question types — by April 3rd, and as always, we’ll
keep you fully up-to-date as new test intel becomes available.
You’ve got this, and we are cheering you on.