This email is being sent to students and families that have students registered to take an Advanced Placement (AP) exam this May 2020.
April 6, 2020
Last Friday, April 3, College Board provided an update for AP students affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and school closings. Students and parents should review this important information about the new upcoming online/at-home AP exam administration.
Roseville Area Schools would like to ensure that every student registered for an AP exam is successful in taking their exams. Please see important testing details from the College Board highlighted below, as well as additional procedures you may find helpful.
2020 AP exams will have:
- New online/at-home AP exam schedule (May 11-22).
- New exam format.
- Student testing resources.
- Accommodations for students with approved College Board accommodations.
New online/at-home AP exam schedule (May 11-22)
The new online/at-home AP exam schedule includes details on exam dates and times, what's covered and what's not, the types of questions that may be asked, how those questions will be weighted and more. All students will plan to take a shortened exam (no more than 50 minutes) scheduled at either 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. during the new testing dates (May 11-22).
Please note: As a result of the new, shortened, online, at-home testing schedule, previously scheduled late testing dates no longer apply. Students that previously had a testing date conflict with two exams in one day, according to our face-to-face exam schedule, and were rescheduled to an alternate late testing date will now be taking all exams during the new regular scheduled dates (May 11– 22). According to College Board, it is in the best interest of students to take all of their exams during the regular testing schedule to ensure a successful at-home digital testing experience. As a result, we will not be rescheduling students with more than one exam on the same day to the late testing schedule.
Makeup test dates: June 1-5
Only in rare situations should students be testing during the make-up testing dates scheduled for June 1–5.
New exam format
Each exam will be 45 minutes long. Exams will begin at the same time nationwide. For Roseville Area Schools students, the exams will either begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. Students must be prepared to begin the exam at these times. The exam will consist of free-response questions (FRQs) only.
Some exams will be one free-response question (FRQ):
- World Language exams: Speaking portion.
- English Language and Composition: Question two: Rhetorical Analysis.
- English Literature and Composition: Question two: Prose Fiction Analysis.
- European History, World History, & U.S. History, Question one: Modified Document-Based Question (DBQ) including five documents (rather than seven).
Most other exams will contain two free-response questions (FRQ):
- Question one: students will have 25 minutes to respond and five minutes to upload.
- Question two: students will have 15 minutes to respond and five minutes to upload
A timer will be visible on the screen. Students will have to monitor their own time as they work.
Note: AP students in Computer Science Principles and Art & Design don't have a final AP exam. As usual, they will submit projects digitally. The deadline for these projects will be May 26.
Open book/open notes
Students may use resources of their choice. College Board recommends organizing these resources ahead of the exam so you can efficiently use them on exam day. One resource that is not allowed is collaborating with others.
Online (or a photo of handwritten work)
Roseville Area Schools would like to make sure that all students have a device and internet service in which to access the test and upload responses. College Board has indicated that the students must use the same device for each process. College Board will provide simulations so that students may practice this process ahead of taking the exam. Contact your teacher or dean if you require a device or internet to take these exams.
Student testing resources
Students and families should consult the College Board webpage for current details and information you need to know about the AP exam administration. Included on this webpage are the following links that students should review as well:
In late April, College Board will also release an at-home testing guide with more detailed testing information as well as specifics about setting up technology, printed student testing instructions and online simulation resources for students to practice ahead of taking the assessments.
Accommodations (for students with approved College Board accommodations)
For students with approved extended time College Board accommodations, the extended exam time will automatically feed into their testing system. For example, if a student is approved for double time and the test is 25 minutes long, they will see a timepiece that allows them 50 minutes. Procedures for all other types of approved accommodations will be communicated by College Board in mid-April.
Additional details
- New AP exam registrations
We've had several students and families contact us asking if they could still register for an AP exam. Unfortunately, College Board will no longer accept any new AP exam registrations and no additional registrations are allowed. - Students who choose not to take an exam
College Board has assured us that there will not be any fees applied for students who cancel an AP exam. At this time, we are encouraging students to participate in the online AP Exam. We will wait until June when AP testing has completed to determine who has not participated and will process refunds after that. - Exam results
College Board has indicated that results should be available by July.
College Board has been working with colleges and universities throughout this process and is confident that they have their support to accept these shortened exam results as they have in the past. Students and families should use the AP Credit Policy Search to investigate.
Thank you!
