AP Exams Are Going Digital; What Does This Mean For Students?

We’ve probably all heard the news by now: the AP exams are going digital. The College Board, the institution that’s responsible for many of the notorious standardized exams we take in high school, like the AP exams and the SAT, has been slowly shifting from paper to digital tests over the past few years. The SAT, for instance, went digital in 2023, and now AP exams are swiftly following.

Starting in May, 2025, there will no longer be paper testing for 28 AP exams, which includes subjects like Computer Science Principles, US History, and Psychology. Instead, the tests will be administered on the Bluebook testing app. Although transitioning from paper to digital testing was bound to happen sooner or later, this journey was accelerated due to security issues with AP exam leaks during the 2024 testing year. This digitalization of exams will continue into 2026, where 9 more AP exams are anticipated to be taken online on Bluebook as well.

How different is the digital test format exactly? According to the College Board, the exam content of these tests will not be impacted significantly. The number of sections, number of questions, type of questions, and answer choices will remain the same. Moreover, students will receive the same amount of time as they always have for each section. On the Bluebook application, you will be able to go back within a section to previous questions, just like if you had a physical testing booklet. The calculator policy remains the same for all AP exams. However, you cannot go back sections, only within a section until time is up. In essence, the tests are basically still the same, just now administered and taken online.

What does this change mean for students? Well, given the preserved format of the exams, there isn’t much that has been changed with regards to the exam itself. The content also remains the same, so there’s no need to worry about studying for new material. In other words, just keep studying the way you usually do. Use all the resources available at your disposal, such as those AP textbooks that most of you likely haven’t cracked open since the day you got them. Pro tip: grind those practice tests. You’ll get a reality check faster that way and know what you need to review.

Of course, there are mixed opinions on the perceived difficulty of the exams. For instance, the AP English Language and Composition exam will be easier for most students, as typing the essays reduces the time spent on writing and allows students to more easily go back and revise their work. The availability of tools, like highlighting and a built-in calculator, can also aid students as they work. On the other hand, others say it’s not as beneficial as digital exams encourage cheating and decreased focus on the test for students after staring at a screen for several hours. Additionally, some students express concern on answering free response questions on Bluebook. For example, in AP Chemistry, you need to draw for some of the questions, and doing that online is much more difficult than on paper. As a way to ease the transition from paper to digital testing, exams, such AP Biology and AP Physics, that require graphs and drawing will be hybrid, with the multiple choice being digital and free response on paper.

These new changes are quite controversial as the student body has many mixed opinions about digital exams. Here are what some students are saying about the new digital format:

Arafat (Teal) Khan, a junior – “For digital AP exams, I find it a bit easier for some compared to others, mainly for the AP Language. I find that it’s much better doing it digitally compared to on paper because it saves more time for writing essays and leaving more time to double check and/or rethink on any mistakes.”

Fanglin Xu, a junior – “The digital AP exams is amazing as a concept as it cuts the testing cost of printing and is more easily accessible, especially in a school setting. However, the College Board layout is abhorrent and absolutely excruciating on the eyes.”

Seah Park, a sophomore – “Honestly, I like to write on paper but digital exams are much more convenient as it shows you the time you have left, along with other accessible features. However, it’ll take too long to answer free response questions, like drawing out diagrams for AP Chemistry.”

Although there are mixed opinions on the AP exams going digital, the College Board will be going forward with this decision regardless, so it’s best to embrace this change. Fortunately, not much has been altered by the digital format of the exams. Ultimately, carry on as you always have for studying and all the best for your exams in May!