The Problem With the New AP Tests
BY SUPRIA SHROFF '22
School closures have greatly affected nationwide testing. All in-person tests for the rest of the school year have been canceled, including Advanced Placement (AP) exams worldwide. However, the College Board’s survey of high school students showed that 88-94% of students were still interested in taking the test, and for good reason. Students in AP classes have been studying and preparing all year for these exams. Not to mention, taking AP tests contributes to college credit as well. With this in mind, the College Board decided to move all 2020 AP exams online, making tests open-note and open-internet. Instead of two to three-hour exams with multiple choice and free response questions, the updated exams were just 45 minutes and consisted of only free response sections.
Taking high-stakes exams at home obviously brings up the question of academic integrity. After learning about how online testing will work, many students were left wondering how the College Board will combat cheating. The College Board revealed that they would take extensive measures regarding exam security. Collaborating with other students or peers while taking the test would be forbidden, so the College Board claimed that they would track chats, forums, and emails. To make sure a student has honestly answered the test questions themselves, they explained that they have used plagiarism detection tools and even consulted with teachers to verify the student’s writing style. Furthermore, the consequences for cheating are severe. Aside from test scores being canceled, cheaters could sabotage their ability to send any standardized test scores to colleges or take additional tests in the future.
However, this hasn’t prevented students from suspecting their peers of cheating and unfairly skewing the curve. As always, students bypass the system set in place, and some have even outlined their stealthy plans in YouTube comments and on public forums. During the week of exams, a subreddit by the name of APTests2020 was formed, offering help to students wanting to use “online resources” during the test. This is a direct violation of Collegeboard’s exam rules. Naturally, students became suspicious and many have been trying to unmask the user behind this account and find out why the user was blatantly breaking the rules set by the College Board. Some theorize that the subreddit was actually created by the College Board, aiming to catch potential cheaters and feed them false information. There hasn’t been any posting about any exam content to date; instead, the forum is flooded with anti-College Board grievances and rants. The last post was made on May 14, possibly signifying that the College Board has put an end to the forum.
To further ensure the legitimacy of the at-home exam, the College Board explicitly stated that the questions were not ones that could be answered with a definition or a simple Google Search. Students were expected to use memorized material and apply it to unique diagrams, pictures, or situations. In most past AP tests, students could always count on the multiple choice section to test facts and other memorizable material. With the new test format however, students only get credit for applying this information to a presented scenario. Although this structure may be a better indicator of a student’s proficiency in the subject, a 45-minute period is rather demanding. Simultaneously making sense of diagrams and applying terms is notably more difficult than just referencing definitions for multiple choice questions. And on top of that, test-takers had to complete two of free response questions that summed up an entire year’s worth of class knowledge.
Lastly, students testing at home were subject to all kinds of distractions. The College Board advised taking the test in an area with strong WiFi, free from noise and anything else that could have hindered test taking. However, that was not possible for everyone. Hundreds of students reported failing technology causing them to be kicked out of exams. Others reported problems with uploading files and difficulty submitting answers. All the College Board offered was a makeup test. But that doesn’t exactly mean things magically worked out fine that day. And even if you requested the makeup date, the College Board had an intricate process to ensure you’re not just trying to buy extra time to study.
It’s safe to say that students and parents are not happy with the way the College Board handled online AP exams. Certain students are understandably frustrated that they had to retake their tests due to a technical error. On behalf of some high school students, a lawsuit has been filed against the College Board based on breach of contract and gross negligence, demanding them to pay $500 million and accept students’ original answers instead of requiring a makeup test.
It’s understandable that the College Board was trying to satisfy students by letting them test at home, but many aspects of at home testing are questionable, at best. There is no way that students’ proficiency, especially in conditions susceptible to cheating and distractions, can be properly assessed in just three-quarters of an hour. However, during these unprecedented times, College Board has tried its best to adapt, and these new online tests, no matter how frustrating they can be, may pave the way for a new era of standardized testing.
Taking high-stakes exams at home obviously brings up the question of academic integrity. After learning about how online testing will work, many students were left wondering how the College Board will combat cheating. The College Board revealed that they would take extensive measures regarding exam security. Collaborating with other students or peers while taking the test would be forbidden, so the College Board claimed that they would track chats, forums, and emails. To make sure a student has honestly answered the test questions themselves, they explained that they have used plagiarism detection tools and even consulted with teachers to verify the student’s writing style. Furthermore, the consequences for cheating are severe. Aside from test scores being canceled, cheaters could sabotage their ability to send any standardized test scores to colleges or take additional tests in the future.
However, this hasn’t prevented students from suspecting their peers of cheating and unfairly skewing the curve. As always, students bypass the system set in place, and some have even outlined their stealthy plans in YouTube comments and on public forums. During the week of exams, a subreddit by the name of APTests2020 was formed, offering help to students wanting to use “online resources” during the test. This is a direct violation of Collegeboard’s exam rules. Naturally, students became suspicious and many have been trying to unmask the user behind this account and find out why the user was blatantly breaking the rules set by the College Board. Some theorize that the subreddit was actually created by the College Board, aiming to catch potential cheaters and feed them false information. There hasn’t been any posting about any exam content to date; instead, the forum is flooded with anti-College Board grievances and rants. The last post was made on May 14, possibly signifying that the College Board has put an end to the forum.
To further ensure the legitimacy of the at-home exam, the College Board explicitly stated that the questions were not ones that could be answered with a definition or a simple Google Search. Students were expected to use memorized material and apply it to unique diagrams, pictures, or situations. In most past AP tests, students could always count on the multiple choice section to test facts and other memorizable material. With the new test format however, students only get credit for applying this information to a presented scenario. Although this structure may be a better indicator of a student’s proficiency in the subject, a 45-minute period is rather demanding. Simultaneously making sense of diagrams and applying terms is notably more difficult than just referencing definitions for multiple choice questions. And on top of that, test-takers had to complete two of free response questions that summed up an entire year’s worth of class knowledge.
Lastly, students testing at home were subject to all kinds of distractions. The College Board advised taking the test in an area with strong WiFi, free from noise and anything else that could have hindered test taking. However, that was not possible for everyone. Hundreds of students reported failing technology causing them to be kicked out of exams. Others reported problems with uploading files and difficulty submitting answers. All the College Board offered was a makeup test. But that doesn’t exactly mean things magically worked out fine that day. And even if you requested the makeup date, the College Board had an intricate process to ensure you’re not just trying to buy extra time to study.
It’s safe to say that students and parents are not happy with the way the College Board handled online AP exams. Certain students are understandably frustrated that they had to retake their tests due to a technical error. On behalf of some high school students, a lawsuit has been filed against the College Board based on breach of contract and gross negligence, demanding them to pay $500 million and accept students’ original answers instead of requiring a makeup test.
It’s understandable that the College Board was trying to satisfy students by letting them test at home, but many aspects of at home testing are questionable, at best. There is no way that students’ proficiency, especially in conditions susceptible to cheating and distractions, can be properly assessed in just three-quarters of an hour. However, during these unprecedented times, College Board has tried its best to adapt, and these new online tests, no matter how frustrating they can be, may pave the way for a new era of standardized testing.
