There has been a lot of confusion and questions about the 2021 Advanced Placement exams. Common ones include: Will it be the same format as last year? Do students have to take them on campus? Can students take them online? CollegeBoard, who administers the exams worldwide, is aware of these questions and has prepared many information sessions to explain the process. 

AP exams will take place in three administrations. The first administration of exams will take place between May 3-17. The second administration will take place between May 18-28. The third and final administration will take place between June 1-11.

Within the first administration, students must take the exam in-person. During the second and third administrations, students can decide to go to school or to take the exam on a digital device. CollegeBoard reminds test takers that it is important to consider that the later a student takes their exam, the later they will receive their test score. Students can find the dates of their exams on the CollegeBoard website. 

Digital exams will be different from in-person exams. The digital format will not allow students to move back and forward within the exam. However, the in-person exam allows the student to take the test as they have traditionally done so before. The digital format of the exam will not include questions that can be answered with internet searches, textbooks, notes, study guides or similar material. 

“Compared to a paper and pencil version, there’s nothing about an AP Exam being digital, or about any particular version of the digital exam, that inherently affects a student’s ability to get a particular score,” CollegeBoard said on their website.

More information about test policies and testing guides can be found on their website.

CollegeBoard has invested both money and time into finding a solution to give all students a fair chance at succeeding. Exam violations on any AP exam, paper or digital, will result in a score cancellation and additional consequences as warranted. 

Some students feel the exams should not occur this year. 

“Since the pandemic has been happening and everyone is so used to be in a position of staying home and being safe, it is a better option to cancel AP exams due to the amount of homework being received and the stress people [have] preparing for the test,” Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School sophomore Nicole Wang said. 

The teachers at Stoneman Douglas High School are preparing students for the AP exams.

“Allowing students different formats for AP Exams is helpful given the current pandemic. It is important for AP students to still be able to take all of their exams in an equitable and accessible format,”  AP English Literature teacher Andrea Kowalski-Rospierski said.

Despite student opinions, the exams appear to continue taking place. If a student has any questions about their test or wants to change their administration, the student should contact their guidance counselor.