More Changes Than the SAT: Revisions to AP Exams

While the College Board has drawn the most focus recently with regards to its upcoming changes to the SAT, additional updates are on the horizon for its AP tests, some of which take effect this year. In similar language as used by David Coleman in his unveiling of the new SAT, the revised AP tests will require more critical thinking, depth of understanding, and student achievement than required in previous years. While the specific changes depend on the subject, the general trend seems to be less content, more depth. AP teachers have voiced their frustration at the limited time frame and excessive amount of content tested on the AP exams, and they have a captive audience. It seems that the College Board’s revision of the SAT, centering its content around classroom learning objectives, is widening to include APs as well. Let’s take a look at a few changes in the upcoming years.

Time will tell how many of these changes prove significant to students' high school study and AP exams. One thing is clear: the College Board is doing everything it can to show that it is receptive to feedback, willing to change, and committed to relevant and clear learning. Faced with intense competition from the ACT to prove that its products are more in line with high school standards, the College Board can do little else. More information on additional changes can be found at the College Board's AP site.