Due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, many things have changed regarding the education system including the Advanced Placement (AP) exam testing.   

AP testing is typically done in May to measure a student’s growth on the material they learned over the year in their AP classes. The tests are given scores ranging from one to five, and in order to receive college credit, students have to pass with a three or above (depending on what their college accepts). 

College Board recently announced that AP testing will now be conducted at home where students will take it online. In the past, AP testing would take at least three hours; however, now there are only 45-minute exams. They also announced students can cancel exams with no charge and will be fully refunded. 

The AP exams will also measure what students learned up till March due to all of the school closures, meaning students will not be tested on material from April or May. 

The College Board will announce dates for students to take these exams. These dates will be announced on April 3. 

The College Board ultimately decided to get rid of the multiple-choice section on all exams which was part of the original format and decided to do only free-response essays. For each AP class, the format of all tests will be a free-response. Only original thought and analysis can be used. Students will be asked to demonstrate their skills in the form of an essay.  

Free daily online lessons are being offered by the College Board to help students review the material and prepare for the test since most schools are shut down. These lessons started on March 25. 

For many students, this is a relief because they have time to study, and there is less pressure to do well because of the circumstances.

“I think it’s a lot less pressure and a lot easier to study for since the original AP testing format would add up to around three to four hours,” said Samantha Gonzalez, junior. “However, there is a lot riding on a small amount of work, for example for AP U.S. History my entire score would be based on one LEQ (Long Essay Question). It wouldn’t be an accurate representation of my abilities.”

The College Board will give more updates as exam dates get closer to how the procedure will work.