Pro
By Cyrus Turner / Staff Reporter
Sitting in front of a massive AP exam booklet is a core memory for many high school students, but why should paper packets remain a priority? As the world becomes more digital, it is to the benefit of students to take their exams online. The electronic format offers a more secure test and provides tools to aid students’ efficiency and likelihood for success when testing.
A major advantage of College Board accelerating the shift from paper testing to digital testing is improving the security of the tests themselves. According to Holly Stepp, College Board’s executive director of media relations, a record number of students violated College Board’s code of conduct in 2024 by sharing test materials. Since College Board has historically mailed paper exams to high schools weeks before the exam takes place, one stolen copy could be difficult to narrow down; however, a digital test is limited only to those who register for the exam, as it cannot be copied.
Moving AP exams online also benefits students because it eases the pressure of free-response questions. The ability to type lets students work nonsequentially, allowing them to revise their writing during an allotted section. However, the ease of typing hardly compares to the convenience of the digital “toolkit” provided: directions can be viewed in a drop-down menu, bookmarked questions are visible again at the end of the test and students can pace themselves with a built-in clock. This type of utility is something paper tests cannot offer.
A common complaint about digital testing is that staring at a screen for hours at a time is harmful to students. However, students who are taking the tests will still have the established “break” period, allowing them to relax in between intense online periods and decreasing the likelihood of an irritation.
Digital AP testing makes exams a more approachable feat; with increased access to resources and higher overall efficiency, the online test format is one that is advantageous to student success.
Con
By Evie Lippman / Staff Reporter
AP exams are being shifted to online, impacting students’ test taking experiences. Using computers instead of paper lowers students’ reading comprehension, quality of writing and focus, which are all crucial components of scoring well on the exam.
One of the main ways computerized tests lower scores is by impacting the tester’s reading comprehension. According to a study by Georgia Gowing at Macquarie University, when reading off a screen, people tend to come away with only a general understanding of what was written. This is because of the unfamiliarity of reading from screens as opposed to paper.
Other factors like brightness or the small size of the text create greater eye stress and fatigue, known as digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some of the symptoms of this syndrome are headaches, difficulty focusing, a burning eye sensation and tiredness.
The writing portion of the exams will also become more challenging for students as they switch from handwritten responses to typed ones. According to an article by Intelligent Change, since handwriting takes longer and is harder to “delete” than typing, students have to think more about what they are writing and why, which makes their essays more intentional. Additionally, handwriting is generally an easier skill for students because it requires less focus and allows more concentration.
Taking the exams on the computer can also add an extra level of stress for students. On top of an incredibly rigorous and important test, they now have to worry about bringing a charged Chromebook, difficulties with Bluebook technology and all the other issues which could occur while taking a test online. Sticking with the simple paper-pencil method would alleviate those concerns, allowing students to concentrate on getting the score they want.
In a time when AP scores are becoming increasingly important for college applications, it is much more important to ensure students score well, and the only way to do so is to ditch the digital and revert back to paper tests.
