This May, the College Board introduced a new method: 28 AP exams were moved to a digital format, marking one of the largest shifts in the program’s history. Since their creation in the 1950s, AP Exams have been predominantly administered in a paper format.
This transition is part of the College Board’s ongoing efforts to increase exam security and modernize test administration. Students will now take these exams on the Bluebook digital testing application, a platform designed to work on school-managed Chromebooks, Windows, Macs and iPads.
Of the 28 digital exams, 16 were fully online, meaning both multiple-choice and free-response questions were completed and submitted entirely within Bluebook. These included popular exams like AP English Language and Composition, AP US History and AP Psychology.
Meanwhile, 12 exams followed a hybrid model. For these, students answered multiple-choice questions digitally and viewed free-response prompts on a screen, but handwrote their free-response answers in a paper booklet. This included exams like AP Biology, AP Calculus AB and BC, and all AP Physics subjects.
“I think that the calc(ulus) exams and some science classes should be on paper,” Rajan Sekhar ’26 said. “I like being able to write next to the MCQ.”
Some AP exams, such as those for world languages, music theory and AP Research remained unchanged for now.
“I think it’s easier to do the math part of AP exams on paper because even though they give you a calculator on the computer version it’s easier to do [the work] by hand and write it down on a piece of paper and not have to switch between stuff,” Liam Furlong ’25 said. “[Also] my calculator on the computer doesn’t work that well, so I can’t quickly toggle between the question and the calculator.”
To help students adjust, the College Board provided practice resources, video guides and test previews through Bluebook and AP Classroom. They also added tools to the platform, such as digital highlighting, answer elimination and an integrated Desmos graphing calculator.
Despite the shift, the structure and timing of exams remained the same, and digital exams still required the same number of proctors and followed the same basic protocols as paper testing.
“I feel less confident taking an exam on a device because when it’s on paper I tend to think more deeply and stay more focused,” Avery Johnson ’25 said. “There’s something about physically writing that helps me organize my thoughts better and stay connected to what I’m doing.”
