The College Board has announced that starting from May 2025, AP exams will undergo major changes and will be fully digital!

This move aims to improve the exam experience while solving exam security and ease-of-use issues.

 

➤ Fully online or hybrid exam? Learn about the different exam formats

For the AP exam in May 2025, students will face a completely online computer-based exam or a hybrid (computer-based exam + paper-based) exam according to different subjects.

🔹Extended reading:International High School Survival Guide: AP or IB, which shortcut to a prestigious school should you choose?

 

Fully Digital Exams Fully Digital Exams

The 16 AP subjects, mainly in the fields of humanities and computer science, will be fully digitized, which means that the test questions and answers will be conducted online, and there will no longer be paper-based exams. These subjects include:

• AP African American Studies (US schools only) 
• AP Art History 
• AP Comparative Government and Politics 
• AP Computer Science A
• AP Computer Science Principles 
• AP English Language and Composition 
• AP English Literature and Composition 
• AP Environmental Science 
• AP European History 
• AP Human Geography 
• AP Latin 
• AP Psychology 
• AP Seminar 
• AP United States Government and Politics 
• AP United States History 
• AP World History: Modern 

 

Hybrid Exams

Twelve AP subjects, especially those that require diagramming or symbolic representation, will be hybrid exams. Exam questions will be provided in digital form, and candidates will answer questions on paper. These subjects include:

• AP Biology 
• AP Calculus AB 
• AP Calculus BC 
• AP Chemistry 
• AP Macroeconomics 
• AP Microeconomics 
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based 
• AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based 
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism 
• AP Physics C: Mechanics 
• AP Precalculus 
• AP Statistics

🔹Source:College Board: 28 AP Exams Go Digital in May 2025

 

➤ Integration with Bluebook: a seamless exam experience

All AP exams will use the Bluebook platform, which is the same platform used by the SAT exam. Such integration can make the examination process simpler, smoother and easier to manage. For students who have already taken the Digital SAT, the Digital AP exam will be more familiar and less difficult to study.

 

➤ Exam security and reasons for digitalization

Trevor Packer, director of the AP Program, explained that the main reason for the switch to digital is the increasing number of AP exams that have been canceled due to cheating in recent years. The new examination model aims to enhance security, ensure the fairness and impartiality of the examination, reduce the need for paper-based examination paper management, and reduce overall risks.

 

➤ The fallout from the exam scandal

A series of exam scandals in 2023 also prompted the College Board to make a decision to transform digitally. In May this year, the College Board canceled some test results in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which attracted widespread attention. A report on July 11, 2024 pointed out that these scandals have had a far-reaching impact. In addition to directly affecting the recruitment of Chinese students in American universities, they have also caused the AP Program to face more scrutiny and reforms.

 

➤ Prepare resources

To help students cope with this transition, the College Board will provide a variety of resources through Bluebook starting in the 2024-2025 school year. Includes free online practice exams, quizzes, teacher-made materials and a preview of new digital exam formats.

 

➤ How many AP exams should I take?

Although there are 39 AP courses to choose from (as of February 27, 2024), don’t think that the more exams, the better! It is also necessary to take into account the diminishing marginal effect after exceeding a certain amount. According to AP Program sources, the benefits of each 5-point AP score will gradually decrease after the fifth 5-point score a candidate receives on the AP exam. College admissions officers will evaluate the test's effectiveness based on your goals and major.

For example, if you want to major in engineering, it may not be as effective as expected to take AP Calculus and AP Precalculus in the same year, because AP Calculus already covers the knowledge of AP Precalculus.

Likewise, while AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature and Composition are both English exams, they test different skills:

• AP English Language and Composition focuses on the use of language
• AP English Literature and Composition emphasizes literary analysis

But unless you plan to pursue a degree in literature or journalism, taking one of these exams will suffice.

🔹Further reading:What’s the difference between so many AP maths? How to choose?

 

➤ I am a student from Taiwan,

Should take AP Chinese Language and Culture exam?

For international students, especially students from Taiwan, whether to take the AP Chinese exam needs to be carefully considered. When registering for the test, students must fill in their native language and nationality, which are visible to university admissions officers. If your native language is Chinese, taking the AP Chinese test may not add extra points to your language proficiency, and may even affect the admissions officer's evaluation of your application.

 

➤ What remains the same

While the digital transformation of exams is a big change, some aspects of the AP exam remain the same, particularly exam content and difficulty. However, both students and teachers will need to adapt to the new exam format, especially in hybrid exams where the combination of digital questions and handwritten answers may create new challenges.

🔹Further reading:Unlock the Secrets of AP Scores: Professional Guide to Help You Precisely Control Where Your Scores Go

 

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