The College Board has announced that AP tests will be offered at home or in person this year as the coronavirus crisis persists. Last year’s AP exams were cut to only 45 minutes, however, this year’s AP exams will return to their usual length before the pandemic. Although digital testing will help schools prioritize their students’ health and safety, it will not be fair for those who are planning to take their exams in-person.

Some people believe that it will be fair since the College Board has developed a wide range of exam security measures to prevent AP students from cheating and taking advantage of digital testing. Kenneth Yang, a senior at Fairmont Preparatory Academy, believes that “Although in general, it might seem tempting for students to take advantage of it, there could be ways for the College Board to adjust to those factors and rearrange their system to prevent such problems from occurring.” He believes that as long as the College Board puts a handicap on many categories of the exam, it will be fair for in-person students.

However, this is not the case. AP students who are planning to take their tests at home have so many advantages over in-person students. First, they are going to have a lot more resources next to them when taking the test than those who are taking it in-person. Some will be taking their exams with their notes opened as well as their textbooks. Sean Son, a sophomore at Troy High School, agrees, “For me personally, I’d be better off taking the AP tests at home. I think this format would be unfair because the people who are taking the test at home would have more resources in a less-strict environment.”

He also believes it is unfair and he would also want to take it at home. Taking the test in a less-strict environment can be helpful for those who don’t do well on the test under a lot of pressure.

In addition, in-person students will have to take their exams a month earlier than at-home students. There will be three different testing windows for this year’s exams and most of the in-person students will have to take their tests in the first testing window, which is from May 3rd to May 17th. However, most of the at-home students are expected to take their tests in the third testing window, which is from June 1st to June 11th. This means that those who are taking the test online will have an additional month to prepare for their exams.

Therefore, even under the College Board’s new plan for this year’s AP exams, those who are taking the test at home will have plenty of advantages over those who are taking it at school with paper and pencil.

<Frederick Suh / Cypress HS 11th Grade>