Future AP Statistics Revisions
We periodically update AP courses and exams to reflect new developments in their disciplines and more clearly communicate required content and skills.
We’re revising AP Statistics to align with expectations of current introductory college statistics courses. The practices and skills for the course focus on student understanding of the statistical problem-solving process and are aligned with American Statistical Association recommendations.
The revisions will launch in the 2026-27 school year (May 2027 exam).
What’s Going to Change?
Course Revisions
- Removing the second-year algebra prerequisite. The AP Statistics course is an excellent option for any secondary school student who has successfully completed a first-year algebra course.
- Adding topics on investigative questions.
- Removing the following topics: 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.
- Consolidating Units 1–8 into 5 units.
Exam Revisions
Multiple-Choice Section
- Increasing the number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from 40 to 42.
- Decreasing answer choices per question from 5 to 4.
- Including 2 multiple-choice sets with 3 questions in each set. One set will focus on topics from Unit 2: Probability, Random Variables, and Probability Distributions, and the other set will focus on topics from Unit 5: Regression Analysis.
Free-Response Section
- Decreasing the number of free-response questions (FRQs) from 6 to 4.
- Increasing the number of points in each FRQ from 4 points to 10 points.
- Including 1 FRQ with the primary focus on assessing Practice 1: Formulate Questions and Practice 2: Collect Data.
- Including 1 FRQ with the primary focus on assessing Practice 3: Analyze Data and Practice 4: Interpret Results.
- Including 1 FRQ with a primary focus on assessing the inference skills associated with Practices 2, 3, and 4.
- Including 1 FRQ assessing Practices 2, 3, and 4 and multiple content areas from the course.
Learn More in the Course Framework
To learn more about the future course and exam, download the draft revised course framework (.pdf). A finalized version of the framework—incorporating updates from the draft—will be included in the revised Course and Exam Description (CED), which will be available by March 1, 2026.
What to Expect
We’ll update this page with more information and resources, on the following schedule:
- Spring 2026
- Revised course and exam description (CED) available by March 1, 2026
- Summer 2026
- Professional development opportunities to prepare teachers, including AP Summer Institutes, and the AP Annual Conference
- A new practice exam will be available in AP Classroom
- Fall 2026–Spring 2027
- AP Classroom resources updated throughout the school year
- Online workshops and teacher support sessions to help teachers plan and teach their course
FAQ
Why are you revising AP Statistics?
We periodically update AP courses and exams to reflect new developments in their disciplines and more clearly communicate required content and skills.
We’re revising AP Statistics to align with expectations of current introductory college statistics courses. The practices and skills for the course focus on student understanding of the statistical problem-solving process and are aligned with American Statistical Association recommendations.
We also removed the second-year algebra prerequisite for AP Statistics. The AP Statistics course is an excellent option for any secondary school student who has successfully completed a first-year algebra course.
Do these changes affect the course and exam in the 2025-26 school year?
No. The revised course will launch in the 2026-27 school year (May 2027 exam).
When will the AP Statistics revisions launch?
The revisions will launch in the 2026-27 school year (May 2027 exam).
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.
When will the revised AP Statistics CED be available?
The revised CED will be available on this page before the Course Audit opens on March 1, 2026.
Will there be new AP Statistics practice exams?
Yes. At least one new practice exam will be available in summer 2026.
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. As of March 2, eligible teachers can request an AP participant grant to cover the cost of APSI tuition. Teachers can also attend online workshops and teacher support sessions 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.