Important Updates
For more information, please see the AP Coordinator’s Manual, Part 2 or the AP Exam Instructions.
The AP French, German, Italian, and Spanish Language and Culture Exams and the AP Music Theory Exam allow the use of digital recording devices, also known as digital audio recorders or digital voice recorders. These devices record musical performances and speech as digital files which can be transferred from the device via a USB cable, removable storage media (e.g., an SD card), or Wi-Fi connection.
Many brands and models of digital recording devices are suitable for students' audio responses. AP requires that the device meet all requirements listed below to be used for the final exam.
Digital Recorder Requirements
| Feature | Requirement |
|---|---|
|
Ownership |
The device must be school or district owned or controlled; student-owned devices are prohibited. |
|
Digital Recording Format |
The device must be capable of saving the recorded audio as an MP3 formatted digital file. No other audio file format is acceptable (e.g. WAV, WMA, or AAC). |
|
File Transfer |
The device must include a means to move or copy digital files from the device to an external computer or the internet. Most devices do so via a USB cable, Wi-Fi, or removable media (SD card)—any of these is acceptable. |
What Must Be Disabled
If a device includes features for taking pictures or video such as a built-in camera or webcam, the camera or webcam must be disabled.
If a device includes features for wireless communication over a network—including cellular, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi—the communication capability must be disabled.
Administration Options
If necessary, to accommodate a large number of exam takers, the device may be reused to record more than one student's response. When reusing devices, each student's responses must be saved as a separate, single MP3 file.