The Trump administration announced Friday that states will be allowed to cancel federally mandated standardized tests in K-12 schools for the current year, as part of an ongoing disruption of familiar student performance measures caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Also, high school students will be able to take Advanced Placement tests at home and the SAT college admissions test is canceled through May, among other schedule changes.
What’s Changed with Advanced Placement Tests
The College Board, which administers the AP tests, announced Friday that the rigorous two- to three- hour exams will instead be a 45-minute, online test that will be taken at home.
It will include only questions about material that teachers are supposed to have covered through early March.
Students will be able to take the streamlined exams on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option. The College Board said it is working with partners to ensure that those who need technology to access the online test will receive it.
This is sure to be a relief to families who worry that not all high schools are currently providing strong online AP instruction. The College Board said this step is intended “to be fair to all students, some of whom have lost more instructional time than others.”
Students have the option of taking the exam prior to the traditional mid-May dates — while the material is still fresh in their minds. There will be two exam dates for each subject, which will be posted with other testing information by April 3.
Free remote learning resources, including practice tests, are available.Because these exams will not proctored, measures will be in place to prevent cheating, the testing company said.
The College Board has published more detailed information for student and teachers.
As schools and communities navigate the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the health and safety of educators and students are the AP Program’s top priorities. Here’s how we’re supporting schools:
We’re providing free remote learning resources.
We’re investing in the development of a new at-home testing option.
Through our members across the country, we understand the new time constraints on everyone in the education community. These solutions are meant to be as simple and lightweight as possible for both students and teachers — without creating additional burdens for school leaders during this time.
Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place. Students will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home.
Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.
The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, and additional testing details will be available by April 3. We’ll also unlock any relevant free-response questions in AP Classroom for digital use so students can access all practice questions of the type that will appear on the exam.
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update
