The AP exams administered by the College Board in May are an infamously stressful time of year for AP students. Occurring during a global pandemic, this already high level of stress was even greater than usual. While most mandated tests, such as the SATs, MCASs, and ACTs were cancelled completely this year to reduce the spread of the virus, the College Board made the decision to only cancel in-person testing in favor of putting all AP exams online. The exams are normally three to four hours long and test the entirety of the specific AP curriculum, however this year, they were redesigned: shortened to 45 minutes, the content abbreviated to only subject matter covered through mid-March, and moved completely online. While the decision was beneficial to students who cared to receive AP credit in preparation for college, there were practical and technological drawbacks to the redesigned online format that did not meet students’ needs.
Not only were the online AP tests stressful for students, many AP teachers were blindsided by the new testing format and how to teach it effectively. All tests were shortened, the content altered, and the grading procedure rethought. The consistent, overarching goal of each AP class is to teach students how to be successful on the exams.
