Inside a Digital AP Exam Room

On exam day, the proctor starts by opening Test Day Toolkit on their device and signing in with their College Board account. 

Room Readiness 

Test Day Toolkit prompts the proctor to check their room setup, distribute scratch paper, and write instructions and a room code on the board. These instructions tell students how to start checking in to the Bluebook™ testing app. 

Attendance and App Check-In 

Students arrive, turn over prohibited devices, present their identification (if needed), and begin Bluebook check-in. Following instructions on the board, students start their testing devices, open Bluebook, sign in to their College Board accounts, and enter the room code. 

After students enter the room code, the proctor marks them present in Test Day Toolkit. This allows the student to complete Bluebook check-in, which should take less than 10 minutes. As they check in, students read important information about exam security, timing, and other topics.  

Starting the Exam 

The proctor monitors student progress in Test Day Toolkit. When they see that students have completed check-in, they read a short script, check desks, and provide students with a start code. The start code is not the same as the room code.

Students need an internet connection at the start and end of the exam, but they can keep testing if the connection drops momentarily. Their answers are saved to the testing device throughout the exam.  

Testing  

Students enter the start code and begin testing. Bluebook times students individually, so everyone receives the full testing time, regardless of when they enter the start code.  

During the exam, students can:  

• Skip questions within a section or part or mark them for review and return to them later.  

• View or hide a count-down clock. 

• Annotate questions and passages. 

• Cross out answer choices. 

• Use control +/- or command +/- to zoom in and out.

For exams with a scheduled break, Bluebook ends the first section and starts the break when each student’s time runs out. When their break is over, the student starts the second section by clicking a button.

The proctor uses Test Day Toolkit to monitor student progress but should spend most of their time observing the room, not looking at their own screen. 

Before students are dismissed, the proctor also completes or confirms a paper seating chart. 

Dismissal 

When each student’s time runs out, Bluebook ends the exam, submitting answers automatically if there’s an internet connection. If there’s no internet connection, answers are saved on the testing device and must be submitted as soon as possible after the exam.

When all student exams have finished, the proctor completes these steps before dismissing students: 

• Checks students’ testing status to make sure their answers were submitted 

• Collects scratch paper 

• Returns prohibited devices