College Board Changes AP Exam Format for Corona Virus Learning Conditions
by Lindzi Hutchinson, Staff Writer
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-for-profit organization College Board has decided to alter their Advanced Placement (AP) exams completely by switching to 45-minute “open note” free response tests. Previously, each exam was 2-3 hours long and consisted of two parts: multiple choice and free response questions, with varying conditions dependent on the topic. The change was established in response to COVID-19 and social distancing; the College Board says that the circumstances for each student and their learning environments have changed. The exams were administered May 11-22, with makeup tests June 1-5.
For the new, shortened version of AP tests, many subjects have eliminated the last couple of units as they most likely have not been taught with the social distancing measures and schools being closed. Many teachers skipped new content that is being omitted from AP tests and jumped straight to review.
“To be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others, the exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March,” The College Board said in their announcement.
The AP tests were available on any device the student chooses so that all students will have the opportunity to take the test. College Board Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) also made sure that the appropriate technology was issued to students that lack it. To submit answers during the test, students were able to choose to turn in their solutions with a text file, photo, audio files along with copying and pasting from a separate writing platform.
Specialized AP tests including world languages, Music Theory and Art & Design had a specific set of instructions distinct from the rest. Music Theory involved uploading audio files, World Languages used a specialized app called the AP World Languages Exam App and AP Art & Design required the upload of a portfolio.
The exams will be graded on a scale from 1-5 by a hand-picked group of assorted college faculty and AP readers, just as they would normally be. Yet, to further assist students during the pandemic and provide a fair testing arrangement, the College Board has agreed to provide the submitted answers to the student’s AP teachers for a reassessment or to be used as a course/exam grade in their AP class. In addition, the College Board is fairly confident that the vast majority of college institutions will accept AP credits as before, and implores students not to worry because they have already contacted many schools about keeping the same system. Some schools that have issued statements ensuring they will still accept AP credits include all California State Universities, Tulane University and all Universities of California.
“The decision to drop all multiple choice was a bad one in my opinion, and the college board should have offered a CHOICE so that students get to choose out of a selection of FRQ's, rather than outright dropping specific units. If there's a need for continued online testing, I'm hoping the test will better reflect the original version by expanding the FRQ selections (offering choice) and by including a Multiple Choice section. A 45-minute exam is too short to adequately demonstrate a year's worth of learning effort made by my students,” Kate Song, an AP Biology and sciences teacher at Samo, said.
The term “open note” is explained in more depth on the College Board website, clearly describing that although online research was permitted, it was not recommended because the internet’s unreliability can waste time in such a small time frame. Along with this, the College Board has stated that the exam questions called for skill application rather than just simple comprehension as a result of the ability to have resources and notes at hand. The College Board strictly announced that any aid from others or yourself to others is forbidden, which includes sharing information and tips, plagiarizing and colluding on any online platform.
“Any students found using the work of others, exchanging or sharing information on exam topics, collaborating via any online platform, or soliciting tips for problem-solving approaches will be investigated for violating exam security,” The College Board said on their website.
If students breached these rules, their scores would not only be effectively canceled, but they may be barred from taking any College Board admitted test in the future, and their actions are liable and open for highschool, college and/or law enforcement evaluation. To further increase security against cheating, each subject’s exam occurred at the same time for all students participating. Students needed to verify their identity and various plagiarism tools were employed. The College Board kept some of these security method protocols confidential in order to maximize the protection against cheating.
“I think given the current situation, this is probably the best that the College Board can do so far as replacing the former testing method. I think it is inevitable that some students will have greater advantages even in just the technical side of things. It might be a lesser evaluation of students’ skills by colleges, but I don’t think it’ll really be that detrimental to any student’s applications,” AP student Karina Gunn (’21) said.