Jupiter High students are set to take AP exams beginning May 3 and now have the option to take them either in-person or online.

Kelly Foss, Jupiter High’s assistant principal in charge of AP exam administration, is learning alongside everyone else on how the exams will work this year and how they will differ from last year.  

“The College Board learned from last year’s situation and made some changes so they could still support learners who are still at home this year,” Foss said. 

Last school year, the College Board allowed students to use their notes and textbooks to help them succeed on AP exams. 

“This year, digital and paper-and-pencil tests will be similar in length,” Foss said. “There are a few exceptions like cell phones or tablets can not be used this year, notes and textbooks are prohibited and exams are still scheduled at the same time worldwide but with multiple testing sessions.” 

The College Board has not yet disclosed their security protocols specifically. 

“As of now, nothing has been said on how students will be monitored from home but there will be a testing application that will lock down all other computer applications while testing is conducted,” Foss said. 

The testing application will automatically be downloaded on school-issued computers, but students will have to download it themselves if they want to use their own computers. 

“I am looking forward to the release of the digital testing application as well as any information the College Board releases on April 8,” Foss said. 

The last AP exam date is set for June 11, which is an at-home exam.

“There will be a make-up session after June 11, but there has been no information that has been released about make-up mode options, dates or times,” Foss said. 

After students choose an exam date on the Google Form provided by AP teachers and the Jupiter High website, students should receive an email from Foss confirming the at-home exam date. 

Abigail Krall, a Jupiter High junior currently taking four AP classes, including AP Language and Composition, AP U.S. History, AP Statistics and AP Psychology, plans on relying on both her study skills and websites like AP Classroom to succeed on her exams. 

“I like to use the AP Classroom resources like the videos, especially for classes like AP Statistics because they show examples and the steps to solve,” Krall said. 

The College Board allows students to see past exam papers to give them a feel for what the exam will look like. 

“It helps a lot for my AP Language and Composition class where half the exam is graded based on the three papers we write,” Krall said. 

The concept of studying for the exams using online resources is new for Krall, as it is for many students taking AP exams this year. 

“Last year, I took my first two AP classes, AP Calculus AB and AP World History, so once the pandemic happened everything was so jumbled in terms of learning,” Krall said 

With the College Board’s new testing application for distance learners, exams should go more smoothly this year, according to Foss and the students taking the exams.

“I ended up getting a four on both exams but had to suffer through taking the Calculus exam on my birthday, and it didn’t even submit correctly. So, I had to retake it,” Krall said. 

AP teachers have been preparing students all year for these big exams, despite the circumstances.

“I’m really thankful for my teachers because I really do feel prepared for the exams,” Krall said. “I can’t lie and say I’m not nervous, but I don’t feel underprepared in the slightest.” 

If you want to check your exam dates and get more information regarding AP exams in general, go to your College Board account.