Starting May 2025, 28 AP tests are going online, including many science, math, history and english AP tests. Trevor Packer, the College Board’s head of AP programming, announced this last summer, which will affect AP testing at Fresno Christian Schools this spring.
For as long as they have been around, AP tests have been administered by paper. AP tests going online will not change any requirements about the test – just how students take them. Students will now use the Bluebook app or website to take the tests.
Many of the science tests – including economics and physics tests – will be hybrid exams, which means they will use Bluebook for the multiple choice and other aspects of the test. All questions will be in the app. When they get to the free response questions, they will use paper to write them out.
Fully Digital Exams:
- AP African American Studies (U.S. 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 (paper and computer):
- 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
First time AP class participant Ava Lee, ‘27, is taking AP European history. Lee was happy that the test was on paper since she can write faster than she can type. With the test being timed, she is worried that it will affect her efficiency.
“Since my typing skills are not that great, I feel more pressure – mainly because the tests are timed,” Lee said. “With the paper test, I could annotate faster and write down my thoughts more efficiently.”
While this is a valid concern, there are many websites that offer opportunities to improve your typing speed and accuracy.
Some typing websites include:
Bluebook is an app that students will download onto their computers, which can be done from the College Board website. This will provide them with access to practice tests. College Board has tips about what to do the day before to get familiar with the digital testing.
Students must be connected to the internet to begin the test, but if the internet goes out, they may proceed with the test as long as the internet is back on by the time they hit submit.
Evangelina Escovedo, Fresno Christian’s academic counselor, explains that the Bluebook app has many tools and resources to prepare students for their AP test. Escovedo specifies that there will be a timer at the top of the screen for students to see how much time they have left.
“Instead of having to turn their neck over and over, they can just look at the screen,” Escovedo said. “I think it’s helpful to inform students of how much time is left down to the second so they don’t have to assume.”
Stephanie Hoffman teaches AP language and composition along with grade 11 English. She has taught at FC for the past eight years – five of those years in elementary. She switched to high school in 2022.
“I have some students who have testing anxiety, so the time limit is the thing that kind of scares them,” Hoffman said. “Having that timer could be something that breaks them out and throws them off their game.”
The College Board website gives many tips on what to do before and the day of the test. Study resources are also available.
“It also helps to set aside consistent study time, complete all assignments from your teacher and use the available resources in AP Classroom,” College Board said. “You can access free-response questions and scoring information for past exams at any time to see how students were scored.”
For many who have taken AP classes before, it may take some time to get acclimated to the new format. However, the digital sections will still allow students to annotate questions and passages, mark questions for review and eliminate answer choices.
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