Digital AP Exams 2024: What You Need to Know
Seven out of the 39 AP courses will offer the option for schools to administer the AP Exam digitally. In addition to these subjects, the schools participating in the pilot of the newly included AP African American Studies course will administer their end-of-course exam in the digital form.
AP subjects with the digital exam option:
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP European History
AP Seminar
AP U.S. History
AP World History: Modern
AP Computer Science Principles
While seven AP exams offer a digital option in May 2024, it's important to know that paper exams are still available for all of them. The choice to go digital or stick with paper depends on your school or district, as not all schools offer these seven AP courses.
How do students register for a digital AP Exam?
Students register for their AP course at the beginning of the school year, in a system called MyAP. These registrations then become AP Exam orders. The order will indicate which AP subjects with a digital option they wish or plan to administer digitally.
How do students access their digital exam on exam day?
On exam day, AP students log into Bluebook using their College Board account and there is no testing ticket required. It is very important that AP students remember their College Board account username and password. Just like the SAT exams, the Bluebook is a testing app for digital AP Exams, and it must be installed on student devices before exam day. It can be used for future College Board digital assessments, including AP, SAT and PSAT.
Paper vs Digital AP Exam Format
The format of the digital AP Exams will closely mirror that of the corresponding paper exams, encompassing the same number of sections, questions, timing, and question types, including short-answer and long-essay questions for AP European History, AP U.S. History, and AP World History: Modern, as detailed on AP Central and in the course and exam description.
5 Tips to Prepare for the Digital AP Exams
1. Prepare early!
Steer clear of last-minute cramming and ensure you allocate sufficient time to prepare for your AP exams. Initiating test preparation 1-3 months before the exam day is a common practice among successful students. Adequate preparation lays a solid foundation for a confident performance on exam day.
2. Review Feedback from Practice Exams
Take a close look at your practice exam results. Identify areas where you can improve and adjust your study focus accordingly. Strengthen your understanding in the weaker areas, so you're well-prepared for the digital AP exams.
3. Familiarize Yourself with the Digital Platform
Before your digital AP exam, take some time to get comfortable with the testing platform. Learn how to access the exam, use features like highlighting and annotations, and practice moving between questions smoothly. This will help you feel more confident and prepared when it's time for the actual exam.
4. Utilize Official Practice Resources:
Use the practice exams and resources provided by the College Board to get ready for your digital AP exams. These materials not only give you a feel for the exam format and question types but also help you get comfortable with the digital tools used during the test.
5. Get Expert AP Help
Consider investing in test prep courses from seasoned AP experts to elevate your preparation for upcoming exams. Our track record demonstrates 7EDU students being five times more likely to score a 5 on AP exams. The classes provide key reviews, effective test prep strategies, and diagnostic/mock tests to ensure you're well-prepared and increase chances of getting that perfect 5..
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Digital
AP Timeline
Deadline: Submit Final Updates for AP Exam Orders
If a student has an existing exam order, a school can switch the order to digital or back to paper, if needed, through March 15, 2024. As long as a student has an existing exam order, no additional fees apply to make this change.
2024 AP Exam Dates
The 2024 AP Exams will be administered in schools over two weeks in May: May 6–10 and May 13–17.
2025 Digital AP Exam Subjects
The May 2025 AP Exam administration will introduce digital delivery for exams in nine AP subjects. Ordering paper exams for these subjects is not an option, unless students have approved accommodations necessitating paper testing.
AP African American Studies (first year this exam is available to all U.S. schools)
AP Computer Science Principles
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP European History
AP Psychology (first year this exam is offered in digital format)
AP Seminar
AP United States History
AP World History: Modern
2026 Expected Digital AP Exam Subjects
The College Board expects the following additional subjects to go digital in May 2026:
AP Art History
AP Comparative Government and Politics
AP Computer Science A
AP Human Geography
AP Latin
AP United States Government and Politics
This list may be modified, and schools and districts are advised to refer to the official announcement for the May 2026 digital AP Exams, which will be released in early 2025.
