AP Exam Tips For 2020
EMERGENCY AP UPDATE 5-15-2020
I know AP’s are about half over, but no one was aware of what issue might arise until reports began popping up online. If I can even help one student with today’s and next week’s AP’s…
Most Important: Check the College Board AP Exam Troubleshooting page here today or over the weekend and how to request a make-up exam here.
Make sure you are using the correct browser & operating system, and other tech. Go to link in #1 above and check your browser now and operating system compliance.
If you’re using an iPhone to take pictures of your work, adjust your settings. Go to link in #1 and read about how to submit photos.
Disable Grammarly if you are using it; it has caused tech issues
Go over the AP submission guide (pages 12-14 here) so you’re familiar with your options for submitting your exam in case your first-choice method fails.
You must keep track of timing. Wear a watch or have a clock. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to submit each response. Some students have reported slow upload speeds or have needed to make multiple attempts. If your work is in the process of uploading but hasn’t finished when you reach TIME, your response will not be scored.
Attach PDFs as text files, not as photos. When attaching a PDF, make sure to select the “Text” option rather than the “Photo” option.
If you’ve already requested a make-up exam, you can’t go back. So make sure you really need a makeup.
You CANNOT submit both responses to a two-question test at the same time. You MUST submit the first question first. If you have an issue submitting the first question and you think it didn’t go through, you can STOP and request a makeup exam.
However, If you’re not 100% sure whether or not your first response uploaded successfully, complete the exam to be safe. At the end of the exam, you should see a “Congratulations” message confirming both responses were submitted. If one or both of your responses did not go through, you should see a “We Did Not Receive Your Response(s)” page instead. If that’s the case, you’ll need to request a make-up exam within 48 hours.
Before your test, make sure you’ve looked over this checklist. Remember, if you have any problems during the test, stay calm and go through your options, including requesting a makeup. Record your issue by taking notes, a screenshot, and/or a picture with your phone. Contact the contact the College Board immediately after the exam to report the issue. And also notify your guidance counselor.
If you have ANY problems and need to request a make-up exam, click here.
Key Info About May 2020 AP Exams
I’m going to keep this post really short. Having watched the YouTube Live interview of the College Board’s CEO, David Coleman, by Sal Khan (Khan Academy), I thought I’d simply post relevant information and a few tips. You’ll find a link to the full interview below.
When:
Exams May 11-May 22nd, with makeup exams from June 1-5. Any student already registered for an exam can choose to cancel at no charge. See the full schedule here.
Be prepared to set up/sign in 30 MINUTES beforehand.
What:
45-minute + 5 minutes to upload your answers
The AP’s won’t test simple factual recall; they’ll focus on skills and thematic understanding.
Exams will be open notes/open book, but you may not consult with friends, parents, siblings, etc.
Each exam will have 1-2 free response questions, each be timed separately.
Exams will only cover what teachers have taught through March (=~75% of material).
How:
Access questions from any device, including a smart phone.
Warning:
David Coleman made it quite clear that there will be severe consequences for plagiarism, or any kind of cheating. In addition to informing your high school, the College Board woll “also provide information about the incident to colleges or other organizations to which the student has already sent any College Board scores (including SAT scores)—or to which the student would send scores in the future.”
Tips For AP Test Success
Make sure to go through an AP test simulation before your test day to avoid tech issues.
You have more time than usual these days; do some practice questions for timing. The College Board will be releasing practice questions by the end of this week of April 6.
Don’t assume that an open-book/open-note test will be easier. Here’s some advice from the College Board about that.
Always take a few minutes to organize your thoughts e.g. what your argument analysis will be, what examples you will use to back up your argument or analysis.
Additional Resources:
As new AP resources become available, I will add them here.
The College Board has recordings of its free online AP review course on YouTube . Also check the College Board website here.
Khan Academy’s YouTube Live interview of College Board CEO David Coleman.