AP exams are moving to the web. Seven AP exams already are offered both digitally and physically, and nine AP exams, including AP World History and APUSH, will go fully online starting May 2025.

APUSH will be the first and only exam to go digital at Poway in 2024. “We are only doing one test online this year. We are piloting it in order to work out all the kinks for next year,” counselor Karly Wardwell said.

Students will test on the Bluebook app, which is able to store all the information needed for taking an exam. Students and educators can already access and download Bluebook,  allowing access to practice tests. 

Digital testing will still consist of the same number of sections, questions, and time to complete the exam. The same seating requirements as well as proctors during the test will still be in place. The cost of taking the AP exam will not be changing.

There are many benefits to switching to fully digital testing, such as fewer materials needed to host the exams. According to the College Board, digital testing removes the need to manage paper exam booklets on exam day and reduces the risk of exam security issues and lost exam responses.

“I think digital exams benefit the students as well because now that we’re in the future, this is what kids grew up with and are used to using,” APUSH teacher Curt Lewis said. Lewis believes that the transition from physical to digital testing will help students’ dynamic and intuitive abilities.

Students are benefiting from this switch because of the reduced amount of writing and fatigue caused by physical exams as well as easier access to checking, reviewing, and finishing past questions.

“I think the digital one might be easier for the essay portion because of how fast you can type compared to writing,” junior Eva Wolfe said. 

Each year new digital AP exams will be announced at apcentral.collegeboard.org, the official College Board website.