Ever since the first Advanced Placement (AP) test was administered in 1954, the test had been a standard paper-and-pencil exam consisting of multiple choice sections with traditional bubble sheets and sometimes a written response box. However, as of May 2025, 28 AP exams will transition to a digital format, following its counterpart, the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). The exams will be administered on the Bluebook software. 16 of the exams are fully digital, and 12 of them hybrid digital, meaning that the free response section will still be on paper.
There will be several added benefits to this shift: one of the most prominent being better test security. AP exams in the recent past have been increasingly plagued with attempts at cheating, leaks and even selling the exam paper for financial gain. An anonymous spokesperson from the College Board confirmed that the amount of stolen exam materials purchased by students has increased this year. Digital exams also streamline the entire testing process and help students start and finish their exams smoother and quicker.
“I like digital because it’s more visually appealing and personally easier to navigate,” Lambert senior Yuhan Ren reflected.
However, there are definitely setbacks. School districts with less access to technology may be unfamiliar with the testing process and interface, posing an unfair disadvantage for the students. Wider security issues that come with digitalization are also concerning; districts with less secure Wi-Fi networks are more susceptible to data breaches and other connectivity issues. A report by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) found that 26% of school districts are not meeting FCC’s recommended bandwidth goal of f 1 Mbps per student. Some students may also find themselves fatigued from staring at a screen for several hours at a time, or find digital tools hard to use and confusing.
“For STEM exams especially, I find it really hard to read on computers,” Lambert senior Daniel Li said. “Paper exams feel better in that aspect.”
The shift to digital testing for the SAT, which happened in March of last year, proved successful. College Board may be taking inspiration from this test trial and is now applying a similar standard to its other exams. As Lambert students move into the AP exam season in the upcoming two weeks, we will be able to see whether College Board has made a calculated decision or if there are further issues with digital exams than previously anticipated.
