On February 4th, 2021 the College Board announced their latest plans for the AP exams. 

Last year, due to the pandemic, the test shrank down to a 45-minute essay for the majority of AP exams that you could take at home. There was much controversy over this due to the possibility of cheating and the shortened test. This year, the College Board has resumed the original 3-hour exam, all while offering both digital and paper versions of the exam. Schools will get to decide whether you are going to be able to take the paper version, the digital version at home, or the digital version at school. 

In a change from the usual single AP exam schedule during May, this year the College Board has decided to administer the tests over the course of three different testing periods that are available, providing each student with one opportunity to take each particular subject matter within each administration.  This breaks down as follows:

1. Traditional time window (May 3-17). This consists of a 3-hour paper test that is given only in school. All AP exams will be available during this time period and in the event that you should miss that administration, you can make it up in either the second or third administrations offered by the College Board.
2. A mix of both paper and digital (May 18-28). This is a subject-by-subject division decided by what is advantageous for the exam. Courses where working things out on paper or the in-person aspect being important will be given on paper in school during this administration, including language courses, Music Theory, Chemistry, Physics, and math courses. Courses that you may want to take during this administration include English, History, Government, Computer Science, Economics, Biology, Psychology, Environmental Science, and Human Geography. Your teacher will make a recommendation about this.
3. Mostly digital exams (June 1-11). With the exception of Japanese and Chinese being computer-based exams, Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Spanish, and Music Theory will be taken in school on paper only. The same tests available for digital in the second administration will also be available in the third with the addition of Chemistry, Physics, and math. This set of tests can be administered in school or at home depending on the decision of the school.

The College Board has noted that the reason Music Theory and the language and culture classes will only be offered at school is that it’s too easy to cheat without a proctored environment. 

Additionally, synchronous start times will be implemented to make sure cheating isn’t happening. Being a change from last year, this now means that different time zones will take the test at different times. For New Providence, that mostly means 8 am, 12 pm, or 4 pm.  

With regards to access to exams, people are concerned about tests that are mandatory to take in-person despite many schools being closed due to the pandemic and may well continue to be closed. Another complaint from people revolves around security and the use of certain devices. The College Board stresses that the test won’t be available on ipads or iphones, unlike last year. 

The final conclusion: choose whatever option you are most comfortable and safe with.