About Digital AP Exam Accommodations

Digital AP Exams Versus Paper Exams 

Many accommodations work the same way for digital exams as they do for paper exams. For example, students who are approved for extended time will receive a digital exam enabled with their approved amount of extended time per section/or part of the exam. 

Some accommodations differ for digital testing because of features available in the Bluebook testing app. For example, students approved for large-print test books won’t need separate exam materials. They can take the digital exam with an increased font size by zooming in to enlarge the content as needed.

New for 2025: Some unique considerations are needed for students taking hybrid digital AP Exams with accommodations since students taking these exams use both Bluebook and paper exam booklets. Learn more about hybrid digital AP Exams and review updates in this section about accommodations.   

New for 2025: For some accommodations, new requests aren’t needed for students to use a digital alternative for an accommodation they’ve already received College Board approval for. For instance, a student approved for large print can zoom on screen in Bluebook. However, for other types of accommodations, a student does need to be approved to be able to use a digital alternative. For example, starting in 2025, a student approved for a human reader needs to be approved for a screen reader or embedded text-to-speech accommodation in order to receive an appropriate version of the exam, or must be approved for the accommodation of human reader for digital tests in order to test with a reader. AP coordinators and SSD coordinators should work together and with students to determine which accommodations to request for students.

For all digital AP Exams administered in Bluebook (fully digital and hybrid digital), AP coordinators don’t need to complete a Nonstandard Administration Report (NAR) for students testing with accommodations. 

Accommodations with No Exam System Requirements

Accommodations that don’t involve assistive technology or a change to exam timing or breaks don’t require a special format of the digital AP Exam. Examples of these types of accommodations include permission for small-group testing, food/drink/medication, and permission to test blood sugar. These types of accommodations can be used by students with approvals from the College Board SSD office.  

Temporary Supports   

A student who has a temporary medical or physical condition (e.g., a broken hand) may request temporary assistance if it's needed to complete the exam. This process should be used only for students who don't have a disability but who need support during the test due to a temporary physical/medical condition. Requests must be submitted in SSD Online.

The deadline for submitting requests for temporary assistance is 14 days before the scheduled digital exam date. Submit requests as early as possible.