Online Advanced Placement (AP) Testing
The what, why, and how of digital AP testing in FCPS
The College Board provides an option to administer in-school online (digital) AP Exams in seven subjects for the May 2024 AP exam administration.
2024 Exams
All FCPS high schools will be giving the available digital exams to students registered for exams in these courses:
- AP African American Studies
- AP Computer Science Principles
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP European History
- AP U.S. History
- AP World History: Modern
- AP Seminar
Digital exams are administered similar to the paper and pencil exam:
- There is a proctor.
- Exams are the same length.
- Exams are given on the same day and time.
All subjects, except AP African American Studies, can only be taken in paper and pencil format during the late testing period.
Accommodations
Students may only use accommodations they’ve been approved for by the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.
Day of Exam
In order to access the Digital AP Exams, students need:
Their assigned FCPS Chromebook.
The Chromebook must be fully charged.Their College Board account username and password.
At the beginning of the exam, there will not be time for students to locate and/or reset their password. Staff cannot assist students on the day of the exam if they are unable to access their account. Students will not have access to their phone to verify their account. Please plan ahead to be prepared for test day.
During the Exam
Students will:
- Read most exam instructions on their FCPS Chromebook.
- Hear only a few instructions from their proctor before they start testing.
- Take a break when the Bluebook testing application tells them to.
- Use College Board approved accommodations, if applicable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Test Format
- How do I know that students will get the same score, whether they take the paper or digital version of the exam?
- Will students be able to go back in the multiple-choice and free-response sections on a digital AP exam?
- Will students have an opportunity to preview the AP testing experience and sample AP questions before exam day?
In-School Digital AP exams
The College Board's In-School Digital AP Exams page includes information about:
- Exam form
- Timing
- How to access the exam
- Bluebook, the testing app
What do students need to do before the day of their digital AP exam?
Before the digital exam day, students must verify that they:
Know their College Board account login information (email and password).
Students log in to their College Board account to access the exam.- Have an FCPS laptop (preferred) or personal laptop and a charging cord for the laptop.
- Make sure the Bluebook testing application is installed on their laptop.
Can students take an in-school digital AP exam at home?
No.
College Board does not provide an option for at home AP testing and has set-up and proctoring requirements for security purposes.
The digital exam will be given in-person on the date specified by the College Board.
What if the internet goes out during the exam or during exam submission?
Students need an internet connection to
- Access the exam.
- Submit the exam.
The digital exam can be completed without an internet connection.
If the internet is "down" at the end of the exam, the application saves the student’s completed exam. Students will re-submit until an internet connection is re-established.
What if a student loses power during the exam or the device has technical problems during the exam?
Students are responsible for bringing a fully charged laptop and charging cord to the exam.
Students will be able to plug in their laptop during the exam.
If a device loses power during an exam administration or has technical problems, the student may change to a different laptop.
A student can restart the laptop or restart the Bluebook testing app if there are technical difficulties. However, the test application timer will continue to count down during the period of time the app is re-launched.
If technical difficulties inhibit student success on the exam, the student can request a late, paper/pencil exam by contacting the school AP Test coordinator.
How will the digital app work with students who have College Board approved accommodations?
The College Boad approved accommodations are built into their testing application.
Visit the College Board's Accommodations for Digital AP Exams page for more information.
What if a student misses their exam? What is the format of late testing?
If a student misses their exam due to an adverse circumstance, they need to contact their AP Test coordinator to inquire about potentially taking the late exam.
A late registration fee of $40 may be incurred if the reason for missing the original exam is not due to an adverse circumstance as defined by the College Board.
All late testing is paper/pencil.