As the coronavirus suspends school, educational institutions must adapt to how they traditionally administer exams. The College Board will alter AP exams to accomodate for the circumstances introduced by the coronavirus by offering 45-minute online tests taken at home.

According to the AP Central website, the new exams will cover free response questions and can be taken on any device – including smartphones. The tests will only cover material that many teachers have reached by the time of the outbreak in the United States and be offered on two testing dates for each subject to ease the process for students.

“I am glad that there are new tests to accomodate for the coronavirus,” said junior Chloe Kwasigroch. “It is nice to see that my hard work this year will still be accounted for.”

Colleges support the decision to shorten the exams and credit will still be given. However, students can also cancel an exam they registered for at no additional charge.

Shortened AP exams have been administered in the past to students who have experienced emergencies, but the nationwide scope of the tests worries some students. “I’m disappointed that multiple choice is gone on many of the tests and am nervous that it’ll be harder to get a qualifying score,” said junior Kelsi Padalia.

The College Board has offered solutions to ease the concerns of students – such as a live-streaming service on their YouTube channel, Advanced Placement, starting on March 25. The courses are free, covering classes in 45 minutes blocks from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Additionally, their coursework service AP Classroom allows teachers to assign questions and practice material from similar exams. The instructional support can be used supplementary by teachers or as the main resource for students whose teachers can no longer instruct.

“The live-streams are a good idea, especially if they want to adapt the test; I just hope that they effectively prepare us,” said junior Makenzie Michaelson.

Because the tests are taken without direct teacher supervision, academic integrity is concerning; therefore, the College Board ensures that the exams will have provisions such as anti-plagiarism technology to prevent cheating.

The College Board recognizes that students in areas without access to digital services may inhibit them from an optimal test-taking experience. They are working to help students without access to reliable connection with the tools to still take the tests.

More information about the exams will be released April 3 on the AP Central website.