Accommodations for Digital AP Exams
We’ve designed digital AP Exams so all students can take them, including those with approved accommodations. As always, students may only use accommodations they’ve been approved for by the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.
NEW: The information on this page applies to fully digital and hybrid digital exam subjects in 2025.
AP coordinators and SSD coordinators should review digital AP Exam accommodations details in this section and discuss this year’s testing options with students who plan to test with College Board–approved accommodations.
For questions about accommodations for digital AP Exams, contact the College Board SSD office.
AP Computer Science Principles: There are specific guidelines regarding the Personalized Project Reference for students taking the AP Computer Science Principles Exam with certain accommodations, including braille, large print, and screen readers.
Confirming or Waiving Accommodations for Digital AP Exams
In AP Registration and Ordering, AP coordinators will need to review and confirm students’ accommodations listed for digital AP Exams and can also waive students’ accommodations if they don’t want to take a digital AP Exam with accommodations. Details about this step of ongoing exam order management will be provided in the AP Coordinator’s Manual, Part 2.
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.
Students don’t need to submit new accommodations requests to use a digital alternative for an accommodation they’ve already received College Board approval for. For example, a student approved for a human reader doesn’t require additional/new approvals to test using a screen reader with a digital exam. However, if a student needs to take a digital exam using a human reader or human writer/scribe, their SSD coordinator must submit a request in SSD Online for this accommodation by January 24, 2025.
For digital AP Exams, AP coordinators don’t need to complete a Nonstandard Administration Report (NAR) for students testing with accommodations.
Types of Accommodations for Digital AP Exams
Review this list to learn how common testing accommodations will work for this year’s digital AP Exams, including designated digital alternatives for accommodations.
Extended Time
Students will receive their approved amount of extended time within the digital exam. Extended time will be applied per section and/or part of the exam based on the student’s specific approval.
Breaks
Extra Breaks
Students approved for extra breaks will receive an exam with an extra five-minute break applied midway through each section.
Extended Breaks
Students approved for extended breaks will receive an exam with twice the time of the regularly scheduled break applied between Section I and Section II of the exam.
Extra and Extended Breaks
Students approved for extra and extended breaks will receive an exam with twice the time of regularly scheduled and extra breaks applied.
Breaks as Needed
Students approved for breaks as needed will receive an exam that allows them to pause their exam to take breaks as needed. The pause feature is below the timer.
Braille
Braille with Raised Line Drawings, Contracted
Students may:
- test with the digital exam using a refreshable braille display or screen reader; or
- test using the braille paper exam.
Note: Braille exams will be available for students with an approved accommodation who are unable to test using a computer. A student must be approved for both a braille accommodation and a paper testing accommodation for the AP coordinator to be able to order a braille format of a digital exam subject.
Raised Line Drawings (formerly “braille graphs and figures”)
Students may:
- test with the digital exam using a screen reader with or without a refreshable braille display; or
- test using the braille paper exam, either with or without a human reader.
Note:
- Raised line drawing supplements are not available with digital exams.
- If a student needs to take a digital exam using a screen reader, their SSD coordinator should submit the request for this accommodation in SSD Online by January 24, 2025. If the request must be made after January 24 due to a change in a student’s accommodations status, contact the College Board SSD office as soon as possible.
Braille Writer
For a digital AP Exam, braille writing software should be used. If a student uses a manual braille writer and/or does not have access to braille writing software, they can:
- test using a digital exam using voice recognition (speech-to-text) software;
- test using a digital exam and dictate their responses to a writer/scribe; or
- test using a braille paper exam with the manual braille writer.
Large Print, Magnification, Color
Large-Print Exam, Large-Print Answer Sheet, Record Answers in Test Book, or Magnification Device (electronic/nonelectronic)
Students will be able to take digital exams using their device’s functions (control +/- or command +/-) to zoom in and out.
Color Overlay/Color Contrast
Students can use the color settings available through their operating system and/or device screen, or they can use a plastic overlay attached to their device’s screen.
Reading and Writing Accommodations
Human Reader
Students approved for a human reader may:
- take a digital exam using the screen reader functionality available through their device’s operating system (i.e., text-to-speech) or their own screen reading software; or
- test with a human reader using a digital exam.
Students approved for a human reader accommodation will receive a digital exam formatted to work with screen reader applications. If a student needs to take their digital AP Exam with a human reader, their SSD coordinator should submit the request in SSD Online by January 24, 2025. If the request must be made after January 24 due to a change in a student’s accommodations status, contact the College Board SSD office as soon as possible.
If a student is taking a digital AP Exam and will test with a human reader, all reader criteria and requirements apply.
Students approved for a human reader will receive an exam format enabled with time and one-half (+50%) extended time.
Note:
- The digital AP Exam cannot be accessed on multiple devices.
- A human reader working with a student for a digital AP Exam would need to sit close enough to see the exam screen on the student’s device for the duration of the exam.
- AP Computer Science Principles: If a student is approved to use screen reader assistive technology with their digital exam for AP Computer Science Principles, they will need to have a human reader assist them only for reading the Personalized Project Reference during Section II. An accommodations request needs to be submitted through SSD Online for any student who does not already have an approval for a human reader on record with the College Board SSD office and needs it for this exam.
Writer/Scribe
Students approved for a writer/scribe may:
- take the digital exam using their own voice recognition (speech-to-text) software; or
- test with a human writer/scribe using a digital exam.
Students approved for a writer/scribe accommodation will receive a digital exam formatted to work with speech-to-text applications. If a student needs to take their digital AP Exam with a human writer/scribe, their SSD coordinator should submit the request in SSD Online by January 24, 2025. If the request must be made after January 24 due to a change in a student’s accommodations status, contact the College Board SSD office as soon as possible.
If a student is taking a digital AP Exam and will test with a human writer/scribe, all writer/scribe criteria and requirements apply.
Students approved for a writer/scribe will receive an exam format enabled with time and one-half (+50%) extended time.
Note:
- The digital AP Exam cannot be accessed on multiple devices.
- For fully digital exams, all exam responses must be entered on the student’s device being used for testing. A human writer/scribe would need to type on the same device the student has used to access the exam.
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology Software and Configuration
Students will be able to take a digital exam using approved assistive technology software. Some types of assistive technology may require specific configuration steps to be done before the student tests. Review details about necessary configurations for different types of assistive technology and share this information prior to the exam administration with students who will be testing using assistive technology.
On exam day, after checking in to the Bluebook testing app (and before entering the room code), students will be able to access configuration instructions through the Help menu and complete any configuration steps if needed before beginning the exam.
Assistive Technology–Compatible-Format Exams
Students approved for an ATC format may test using an accessible format of the digital exam in Bluebook.
Note: ATC-format exams are not available for fully digital or hybrid digital exam subjects.
Word Processors, Calculators
Computer Word Processing (for essays only)
Students approved for computer word processing (essays only) may:
- test with the digital AP Exam; or
- for hybrid digital exams, use a school-issued computer to type their essay in addition to the device being used for the Bluebook digital exam.
4-Function Calculator
Students approved by the College Board SSD office for use of a 4-function calculator may use one for the AP Computer Science Principles Exam or the AP Computer Science A Exam.
Limited Time
Limited Time, Multiple-Day Testing
Digital exam options will be available to support students approved for limited time or multiple-day testing. See below for additional information on multiple-day testing.
Required Steps for Multiple-Day Testing
AP coordinators need to take these steps for any student taking a digital AP Exam who’s been approved by the College Board SSD office for accommodations that make them eligible for multiple-day testing.
- Confirm with the SSD coordinator and the student that the student wants to take their digital exam over multiple days.
- Indicate multiple-day testing for the student in AP Registration and Ordering.
- Before exam day (and after indicating multiple-day testing in AP Registration and Ordering), set up testing rooms for both days in Test Day Toolkit.
- Move the student to their Day 1 and Day 2 rooms in Test Day Toolkit and assign the proctor to the Day 1 room.
- After Day 1 testing is complete, assign the proctor to Day 2 (if using the same proctor for both days of testing).
Audio
Auditory, Amplification/FM System
Students approved for this accommodation may use their FM system.
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 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 to SSD via the request form. Follow the instructions on the form.
The deadline for submitting requests for temporary assistance is 10 calendar days before the scheduled digital exam date.