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AP Statistics Revisions

Learn about AP Statistics revisions, effective beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

AP Statistics will be revised to align with expectations of current introductory college statistics courses. The practices and skills for the course will focus on student understanding of the statistical problem-solving process and will align with American Statistical Association recommendations.

The revisions will be effective beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

What’s Changing?

Course Revisions

The second-year algebra prerequisite will be removed. The AP Statistics course is an excellent option for any secondary school student who has successfully completed a first-year algebra course.
Topics on investigative questions will be added.
The following topics will be removed: analyzing departures from linearity (2.9), combining random variables (4.9), the geometric distribution (4.12), chi-square goodness of fit test (8.2 and 8.3), and Unit 9: Inference for Quantitative Data: Slopes. These changes align the course with introductory college statistics courses and allow AP teachers to cover other topics in more detail.
Units 1–8 will be consolidated into 5 units.

Exam Revisions

Fully Digital Testing

The AP Statistics Exam in May 2027 will be fully digital, with all student responses submitted through the Bluebook testing app. The exam will no longer include paper free-response booklets.
Students will complete both the multiple-choice and free-response sections in Bluebook.

Multiple-Choice Section

The number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) will increase from 40 to 42.
Answer choices per question will decrease from 5 to 4.
2 multiple-choice sets with 3 questions in each set will be included. One set will focus on probability, random variables, and probability distributions, and the other set will focus on regression analysis.

Free-Response Section

The number of free-response questions (FRQs) will decrease from 6 to 4.
The number of points in each FRQ will increase from 4 points to 10 points.
1 FRQ will assess Practice 1: Formulate Questions and Practice 2: Collect Data.
1 FRQ will assess Practice 3: Analyze Data and Practice 4: Interpret Results.
1 FRQ will assess the inference skills associated with Practices 2, 3, and 4.
1 FRQ will assess Practices 2, 3, and 4 and multiple content areas from the course.

What to Expect

This page will be updated with more information and resources on the following schedule:

Spring 2026
- AP participant grant form for teachers to request free tuition for an AP Summer Institute
Summer 2026
- Professional learning opportunities to prepare teachers, including AP Summer Institutes, and the AP Annual Conference
- New practice exam available in AP Classroom
Fall 2026–Spring 2027
- AP Classroom resources updated throughout the school year
- Professional learning opportunities to help teachers plan and teach their course

FAQ

Why are you revising AP Statistics?

AP courses and exams are updated periodically to reflect new developments in their disciplines, to respond to feedback from the AP teacher community, and to more clearly communicate required content and skills.

The second-year algebra prerequisite for AP Statistics will be removed. The AP Statistics course is an excellent option for any secondary school student who has successfully completed a first-year algebra course.

When will the AP Statistics revisions take effect?

The revisions will be effective beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

Will AP Statistics teachers need to resubmit in the AP Course Audit?

Yes. All new and returning AP Statistics teachers will need to complete the 2026-27 AP Course Audit to maintain access to AP Classroom. The 2026-27 Course Audit is open from March 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027.

What should I know about the fully digital AP Statistics Exam?

The AP Statistics Exam will be fully digital with all student responses submitted through the Bluebook testing application, beginning in May 2027. Paper free-response booklets will no longer be used. Students will complete all parts of the exam, including the free-response section, in Bluebook.

Students will still be allowed to use an approved handheld graphing calculator in addition to the built-in Desmos graphing calculator in Bluebook.

Students will continue to be provided with scratch paper for planning and calculations, as well as a printed reference information booklet (reference information will also be available through Bluebook).

Will there be new practice exams and AP Classroom resources for the revised AP Statistics course and exam?

Yes. One new practice exam will be available in summer 2026. We’ll update other AP Classroom resources throughout the 2026-27 school year.

What professional learning opportunities will be available to help AP Statistics teachers prepare for the revised course?

Teachers preparing to teach the revised course can attend an AP Summer Institute in summer 2026. Eligible teachers can request an AP participant grant to cover the cost of APSI tuition. Grant requests will be accepted through June 2026 or until all grants have been distributed. Teachers can also participate in professional learning throughout the 2026-27 school year for ongoing support.

Will the textbooks teachers currently use for AP Statistics work with the revised course?

Yes. Textbooks published in the last 10 years will adequately address the revised course material.

We will work with publishers to update their materials so that schools can purchase new textbooks if they wish.

Who was involved in the AP Statistics revisions?

Multiple committees consisting of high school teachers and higher education faculty were responsible for the revisions. We also gathered feedback on the revised framework from AP Statistics teachers and higher education faculty.

Did you consult colleges and universities about the AP Statistics revisions, and will they still have the same credit policies?

We consulted universities during the revision process and included many faculty members on the advisory board. We expect these revisions will preserve current credit and placement policies and create opportunities to broaden them.