Which AP® Exams Will Be Digital In 2024?

Will AP^® exams be going digital in 2024? Yes! Exams for 8 AP subjects will be administered digitally this year. If you’re taking AP exams this summer, knowing which exams are going digital can impact how you prepare for the exam. In this blog, we’ll give a brief overview of the transition and explain the changes you can expect from the digital format.

The Digital Transition of AP Exams

Digital AP exams are offered as an alternative to traditional paper-based ones, making them more convenient to administer and take and more secure and accessible to students and educators. You should know they closely resemble paper-based ones to ensure fairness, including scheduling, question types, and time limits.

Digital AP exams are administered through the Bluebook^TM app that can be installed on various devices like Chromebooks and iPads. The good news is that you can still use scratch paper during the exam. Features like highlighting and annotations are available, and you can also navigate between questions within a section. Digital testing is available to schools in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and also supports special accommodations, like extra time.

Which AP Exams Are Going Digital in 2024?

8 AP exams are currently available in the digital format:

1. AP U.S. History
2. AP English Language and Composition
3. AP English Literature and Composition
4. AP World History: Modern
5. AP African American Studies (select pilot schools for 2023-2024)
6. AP Computer Science Principles
7. AP European History
8. AP Seminar

Benefits of Digital AP Exams

Digital AP exams promise many benefits to both students and exam administrators. Here are 5 key aspects: 

1. Convenience
   Students can take digital AP exams using various devices, such as laptops, tablets, or Chromebooks, making them more convenient. Additionally, students can continue testing even if they lose their internet connection momentarily. The Bluebook app saves their progress until they get back online.
2. Flexibility
   Students taking the digital AP exams will have the flexibility to navigate between questions within a section, allowing them to manage their time more efficiently and revisit questions if needed.
3. Increased Efficiency
   Online AP exams streamline test-taking, notably in subjects such as AP European History or AP Literature and Composition. Typing responses accelerates essay composition, removing the laborious handwriting process. Digital editing simplifies revisions, avoiding the messy erasing and rewriting of traditional methods, resulting in a smoother, more efficient examination experience.
4. Enhanced Accessibility
   Digital AP exams can accommodate special needs more easily, offering features like adjustable font sizes, screen readers, or extra time, ensuring inclusivity for all students.
5. Zero Paper Waste
   Digital AP exams come with the promise of reducing paper usage, contributing to environmental sustainability by minimizing the need for physical resources.
6. Enhanced Security
   Digital AP exams incorporate better security measures to prevent cheating or unauthorized access to exam materials, ensuring the integrity of the process.

Will the format of digital AP exams differ from paper exams?

No. The digital exams resemble the same format as the traditional paper-based ones.

Preparing for Digital AP Exams

Although the course content and exam format for the digital and paper-based AP exams remain the same, there are a couple of things you can do to amp up your prep for the digital exam.

1. Familiarize Yourself With the Bluebook App
   The testing app comes with an in-built AP test preview. Practice with the preview to familiarize yourself with the app’s interface and offset nervousness on test day. The test preview can be accessed throughout the year.
2. Practice With Quality QBanks and Courses
   We all know that practice makes perfect. Focus on preparing for your upcoming AP exams with quality questions and reviewing material that aligns with the official AP course curriculum. Doing timed and self-paced practice tests that also reflect Bluebook’s testing interface will boost your familiarity and test readiness.

UWorld offers affordable practice tests for AP U.S. History, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, and AP World History: Modern. Get a free trial and experience the difference today!

What Is the Future Outlook for Digital AP Exams Beyond 2024?

With 8 AP exams going digital in 2024, here’s what we can expect in the future:

1. Hybrid Models for AP exams
   While only 7 AP subjects currently have exams in both digital and paper-based formats, we can look forward to a future when all AP exams are offered in this hybrid set-up. Schools may explore hybrid models that combine digital and traditional paper-based testing elements to provide flexibility and accommodate different preferences and needs.
2. Adaptive Testing for AP
   With adaptive testing being introduced to the Digital SAT by the College Board®, we can expect similar technology to be integrated into digital AP exams to provide more personalized assessments, tailoring questions to individual students’ knowledge levels and learning aptitudes.
3. Increased Accessibility Through Improved Accommodations
   Digital exams can potentially increase accessibility for students with disabilities or those who may face barriers to traditional paper-based testing. We expect further developments to focus on improving accessibility features to accommodate a wider range of students’ needs.

Overall, in the years following 2024, digital AP exams are expected to continue evolving with greater technological integration, improved accessibility, and enhanced flexibility while maintaining rigorous measures to uphold the integrity and security of the examination process.

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References

1. Key Facts About 2024 Digital AP Exams – AP Central | College Board. (n.d.).  https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/digital-ap-exams/key-facts 
2. Digital AP Exams FAQ – AP Central | College Board. (n.d.). https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/digital-ap-exams/faqs 

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