All AP tests at Northwood will be administered through the hybrid digital model via Bluebook starting in 2024-25. This change follows a policy shift from the College Board, which has discontinued paper versions of 28 AP exams in an effort to address concerns about academic honesty and test security. .
“It basically just means that even though all the questions are going to be the same, they’re just transitioning to digital,” AP coordinator Summer Boyer said. “Since a lot of the students have already had a lot of practice using Bluebook for other exams, it should be pretty familiar.”
Exams with written free-response questions, such as AP Literature or AP U.S. History will now be conducted entirely on a device through typed answers. For science and math exams that require written work for free-response questions, students will complete the multiple-choice questions on a device, while the free-response section will remain handwritten in a response booklet. These booklets will then be scanned and submitted for scoring.
Other schools in the district, such as Portola High School, have been administering their exams digitally for years. The exam content remains the same, with only minor wording adjustments to fit the digital format. All reference materials such as formula sheets will be available on Bluebook. The only exception is AP Chemistry, where students will be provided with a physical copy of the periodic table.
“It will be easier for students because most people are more used to typing than writing, and they don’t have to worry about their hand cramping,” AP Literature teacher Erik Emery said. “I grade AP essays in the summer and it’s a lot quicker to read a typed essay than to read a handwritten one.”
To be prepared on exam day, students must bring a fully-charged College Board Approved device which has been set up with Bluebook. Students should continue to bring traditional materials such as their ID cards, snacks and water in a clear bottle and writing utensils. Students can reach out to the new AP coordinator, Summer Boyer, with any specific questions at [email protected].
“Fortunately, there are a lot of prep materials where students can actually see what the tests are gonna look like on test day,” Boyer said. “So they can familiarize themselves way before the test, so that it’s not brand new to them.”
