College Board recently announced changes to the 2021 AP exam dates in order to abide by COVID-19 restrictions in various locations. Although these changes were meant to protect students and school staff, they do not accommodate all students and also put students at risk of contracting COVID-19.
In years past, there have been two weeks designated for AP testing in early May for students nationwide to take the exams at the same time. This was the original plan for 2021 tests as well; however, because of the current status of the COVID-19 pandemic, College Board changed the previous plan in an effort to follow COVID-19 protocols of school closures, according to College Board.
Although these changes were well-intended, the announcement of these plans was delayed and the changes could have been executed in a better manner. College Board announced they are granting high schools the option to choose from Administration window one, Administration
window two and Administration window three. Administration window one is the earliest test window and takes place in-person on May 3-7, 10-12, 14 and 17.
Administration two and three are May 18-21 and May 24-28, and June 1-4 and June 7-11, respectively, and include a mix of in-person and online exams. Costa has selected Administration window two to conduct AP exams and will utilize Administration window three if need be.
These updates come at a disadvantage for students who planned AP tests around the original schedule of the May 2021 AP exams. Because these dates have changed, some tests overlap that did not overlap on the original test dates. For students who were ensured they would only take one exam per day but now have to manage two exams on the same day, the new test dates are problematic.
According to College Board, some exams, including the AP Language and Culture exams as well as the AP Music Theory exams, must be conducted in person, no matter the Administration window. In-person testing can put students at risk and students should not have to choose between health and education.
Rather, College Board should provide online versions of these exams to suit the needs for all students. According to College Board, all AP exams for the 2019-2020 school year were administered virtually. A testing structure that would resemble that for the 2020 exam dates would suit students’ needs.
Although College Board did provide options for schools regarding AP testing, the options are limited and put students at an unfair disadvantage.
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