Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board has been forced to approach the AP test differently. Most students can’t test in schools due to the buildings being shut down, so all testing will take place online this year. 

It is something many students will have to adapt to, but for weeks, AP teachers have been working to prepare their students for what to expect on the modified AP tests. 

Testing officially began May 11th for students taking AP Gov and AP Physics, and will extend through the start of June.

Students testing at home allows for more freedom, especially since the tests will be online. Students are allowed to use cheat sheets and notes to help aid them. Those testing will have the ability to turn to outside resources for aid, but the College Board has made it very clear with students that they will take drastic measures to ensure that students aren’t cheating. If caught, students who have cheated will greatly suffer. Students who have already been caught cheating have had their score canceled. For the AP Lit test, the writers went as far to withhold the author’s name and the title of the excerpts so students would have a hard time cheating. 

Many students positively responded to the online testing. Testing was less stressful as it was trimmed down to a 45 minute period, and AP students were allowed more time to focus on what they needed to prepare for.

“Honestly, it was way easier than I expected,” said Seth Morrison, 11. “I expected my AP Lit prompt to be difficult, but it was very much the opposite, I stressed too much over them.”

Personally, for me, I thought that the AP tests were a breeze. I took the AP Lit test and then the APUSH test, and was pretty proud of the work I did for both. After the AP Euro test last year, I was drained after answering so many multiple choice questions, so I feel that the writing I produce for this year’s exams was higher quality because I wasn’t as stressed, tired, and anxious.I had plenty of time to get set up and prepare what I needed for the test, and I was also prepared with the amount of practice I had before my AP exams. I think I can say with confidence that I passed these exams. 

Online AP testing will close at the end of May, and some students who have opted to do so, or who needed to reschedule due to errors with the technologies of submitting their test, will have the chance to take tests in June.