What to Know: 2022 AP Exam Updates

The annual slate of Advance Placement exams will begin on May 2, and the College Board has made notable changes to the format and delivery options again for the 38 exams being offered for 2022 after a whirlwind of changes in the AP exam format and availability the past two years.

This year sees the return of in-school, paper-based exams for most students after digital options being utilized almost exclusively in 2020 and 2021.

​In addition, a small subset of students will be trialing a new digital AP exam app for English Literature and Composition and World History: Modern (see below) that portends how exams will be delivered in future years.
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​For 2022, exams will again be full-length, multi-hour tests administered in school by proctors. Most exams will have the traditional number of questions in the multiple choice and free-response sections. Unsure about what will be on a certain AP exam? Learn the specifics for each.
 
Returning to a pre-covid timeline, the exams will be administered over two weeks (May 2-6 & 9-13), with a limited number of makeup days the following week. Last year, exams were administered over more than a month because of so many schools started the year late. Exam scores will also be available on the same schedule as before in July. Here is the 2022 AP exam calendar.

Test Day

What to Bring:
 

• No. 2 pencils for multiple-choice section and ink pens (black or dark blue) for free-response section.
• Watch (no internet access and must be silent)
• Calculator (if necessary - see calculator policies)
• Ruler (AP Physics only)
• Photo ID (Government or School) if testing at a different school
• College Board SSD Accommodations Letter (if testing with accommodations)

 
Do Not Bring:
 

• Personal electronics of any kind. You may use school-provided equipment for certain language exams.
• Any school supplies beyond the pencils/paper/calculator/ruler above.
• Written or printed materials
• Food or drink

 
Label It
 
Make sure your AP ID label (or hand-written ID number) makes it onto all your test materials. Each student should receive a sheet of ID labels from their AP coordinator or teacher. The ID number stays the same throughout your high school career.

Can You Use Them?

Every college uses a student’s AP exam scores and class credits differently. Some give credits for required introductory classes (i.e., Biology 100), some use them for placement into higher-level intro courses (Biology 200 instead), and others just note your achievement when considering the rigor of your high school course load compared to other applicants. Check the AP credit policy at your top school choices to understand how the exam results might affect your future academic course at each school and whether taking an AP class will be worth the effort versus an honors or other course.
 
Also know that the distribution of AP scores varies widely between subjects, so they cannot be used to rank by percentiles like an admissions test score, and so are not used directly for admissions. Colleges instead use them to judge if you demonstrated learning and mastering of course material and are qualified for receiving college credit or placement.

Getting Scores and How to Send Them

The College Board will release AP scores in July and offers students the opportunity to send a free score report to one school each year. We recommend only doing this as a senior. Students must select this option in their My AP profile and indicate the school before June 20. After June 20, reports can be sent to one or more schools for a fee. Note: the report contains the scores for every AP exam taken.
 
Students can ask the College Board to cancel a test score permanently (for free, but irreversible) or to withhold a score from a score report ($10 per score, but reversible) if they wish to hide low scores from a school receiving their score report. If opting for either, requests must be made by June 15, but we would recommend sooner.
 
A student who has problems accessing their scores should contact AP Services for Students.

No Surprises, So Be Prepared

​Because AP exams test students nationally on the same content, students should not expect any surprises on test day. A student who feels they have gaps in course knowledge or concepts can quickly recover with the right assistance. Everest offers specialized tutoring for a variety of AP courses with our subject-matter experts who can help every student achieve their academic goals. Contact us to discuss your AP exam prep needs.

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Sneak Peak: New Digital Exams Being Trialed in 2022

​In a little discussed development, some students will take a new type of digital exam at school this year for their AP English Literature and Composition or AP World History: Modern exams. The College Board has developed a new digital exam app to hopefully alleviate the problems many students encountered with the digital exam platforms used in 2020 and 2021. If this year’s trial results are a success, we would expect to see many more exams shifted to digital next year as the College Board moves away from paper testing and the cost and logistics involved.
 
Students taking the digital exams can use a wide variety of personal or school-loaned computers and devices (including iPads with keyboards). Schools can use the same loaned device for multiple students over the 2 weeks. Each school and school system may have a different device policy, so students should check with their school’s AP coordinator if they are unsure what device they can or should use.
 
Students must download the new AP app to their device if it is not being managed by their school, and then briefly set it up and login during each exam with specific codes the proctor will provide at the start of the test.
 

• Unlike the past two years, this year’s digital exams will allow students to move between questions in a section or part and return to previous questions if needed, restoring one key feature that students were missing after the switch from paper booklets. The new app will again allow for highlighting and annotation within the test.

 

• Most accommodations, such as extra time and larger type, are supported through the new app.

 

• Students must be connected to the internet for the start and end of the exam, but the app will continue to work if they lose connectivity during the exam.

 

• Students will be prompted to delete the 2021 AP app if it is installed on their device before downloading the 2022 version.

 
Individual proctors will start the clock for their exams instead of everyone being started at the same time across the country. Proctors can also monitor the progress of their students through the app.
 
Exam day for students using the new app will be a mix of old and new as well:
 

• Students should come prepared to sign into their College Board account. They need to do this beforehand as well to update the account if it was created before February 2022, or they may not be able to test on exam day.
• The proctor will write a room code on the board and give a few brief instructions, but students will need to read most of the instructions for the exam on their device.
• Once signed in, a room code will be used to access the exam and complete the 10-minute introduction process.
• Once everyone is checked in, the proctor will provide the start code and testing will begin. Each student is then running on their own clock based on when they entered the code.
• The app will tell students when to break (don’t miss it) and will have a personalized countdown clock, which can be toggled on and off.
• Once the exam is complete, the app will end the exam and automatically submit the answers, which it has saved as a student progresses or makes changes.
• Students then return their scratch paper, receive any surrendered electronic devices, and leave the test room.

 
Planning on using your own device? Check the list of compatible devices.
 
Learn more about the new exam format and controls on the AP Student Readiness page.