Selecting Testing Locations

AP Coordinator's Manual, Part 2

This page offers a summary to help you prepare for the 2024 AP Exams. Review the AP Coordinator’s Manual, Part 2 for complete information.

There are additional requirements for testing locations for digital AP Exams. See Digital AP Exams. 

The success of any exam administration depends greatly on the suitability of the testing site. Failure to comply with any of the following requirements may result in score cancellation:

  • Only 1 subject exam at a time may be administered in each exam room, except for Calculus AB and Calculus BC, which may be administered in the same room.
  • The rooms chosen to administer AP Exams should provide the best possible conditions for student performance and exam security.
  • Seating should be able to be set up properly and quickly.
  • Provide a large, smooth writing surface, preferably desks or tables.
  • All testing rooms must adhere to the AP Program’s seating policy.
  • Any special equipment needed for administering the exam should be set up and tested in the room before the start of the exam.
  • Avoid disturbances: disruptive events, such as fire drills, should be scheduled for another time. Intercoms should be turned off.
  • Make sure there’s a wall clock clearly visible to students during the exam.
  • Remove maps, periodic or other tables, posters, or any subject-specific materials from the walls.
  • Post “Exam in Progress” and No Devices" signs.
  • Make sure the room has adequate lighting and ventilation.

Off-Site Testing

Community facilities may be used for off-site testing if the rooms are appropriate in size and configuration and all security procedures can be followed. Some schools test in community centers, church halls, hotels, public libraries, or local colleges and universities. Exams in AP Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, and Music Theory, as well as exams for students testing with approved accommodations, have special requirements that need to be considered when selecting testing sites and testing rooms.

Review the “Selecting Testing Locations” section in the AP Coordinator’s Manual, Part 2 for specific information about ensuring testing room compliance.

If schools are testing students off-site:

  • AP coordinators should visit off-site testing locations to confirm that all desks and tables have been set up in compliance with the seating requirements.
  • AP coordinators should order enough CDs for all testing rooms.
  • Take steps to ensure the testing experience for students is not disrupted or negatively impacted by their environment. If this is not possible for a given location, consider a different one.
  • The exams must be transported to the off-site location on the day the exam is to be administered. They must be returned to locked storage at the school, not the off-site location, that same day.
  • Students’ AP ID label sheets must also be transported to the off-site location on the day of the exam.
  • AP coordinators or proctors may not take the exams home or store them in their cars.
  • AP coordinators must not store the exams in off-site locations overnight.
  • Each testing location must have the required number of proctors based on the number of students testing.
  • Exams must be administered on the scheduled date and time. Exams cannot begin earlier than the scheduled time.
  • After the exam administration, make sure all exam materials are accounted for before leaving the off-site testing location, including students’ AP ID label sheets.

Additional tips:

  • For locations that are not owned by your school district, make sure there is somebody available to address any problems that arise on exam day. Also ensure that you are able to disable bells, alarms, and intercoms for the duration of the exam.
  • Plan for any necessary changes to attendance-taking procedures for off-site testing and ensure your school administration is appropriately informed of all students’ whereabouts on exam day.
  • Make a plan early and clearly communicate it to staff, students, and parents to limit exam day confusion.
  • Work with your SSD coordinator to plan for students testing with approved accommodations.

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