In an ongoing effort to flatten the curve and prevent further spreading of COVID-19, schools nationwide have been closed. With distance learning being the only option, a common concern amongst students is how Advanced Placement (AP) exams would take place.

    “I was worried that all our hard work in preparing for our AP exam would be put to waste,” sophomore Abby Gant said. 

   According to College Board, after surveying 18,000 AP students they concluded that AP exams would still occur. According to College Board’s announcement, AP exams will be only 45 minutes and taken at home and online. Primary testing will be May 11-22 and the make-up testing will be June 1-5.

   Although many schools agree and support College Board some colleges are not accepting the scores.

    “My college is only accepting AP credit from the STEM classes. I think that the schools not accepting tests are making it unfair. It’s like running a marathon and the officials not giving you a medal.” senior Jason Miranda said. 

   A major concern was how an at-home online exam would still be fair to each student. College Board ensures that each subject’s exam will be taken on the same day at the same time, regardless of where they are in the world. 

   Additionally, the exam format and questions are being designed specifically for an at-home administration, so points will not be earned from content that can be found in textbooks or online, but on student understanding of the taught material. 

   On test day, students will be required to verify their identity and confirm the work they submitted is their own, and severe consequences are in place if cheating does occur. 

   “I think that the system they have designed is fair and pretty smart on College Board’s part, but I’m still pretty nervous about it because I’ve spent most of my time training for it the traditional way. In a way, there’s more pressure because there’s less content to help your score,” junior Tanner Mejia said. 

   College Board is offering online self-study resources to help students prepare for the new exams. The exams are also open-book and open-note. Tips for open-book/open-note exams can be found, along with many other resources, at the College Board website.