College Board, the coordinating body for Advanced Placement (AP) courses, will offer retests for four different exams this year: AP Computer Science A, AP Biology, AP Statistics and AP Chemistry. This rare action comes in light of the recent switch to online reference sheets for certain math and science courses.
“I definitely prefer paper reference sheets,” Math and Science Academy sophomore Ella Mathis said. “Especially for exams like AP Chemistry, where there are [many] different formulas, the paper reference sheets make things much more accessible.”
Many other students, as well as teachers across the country felt the same way, thus leading to College Board’s recent decision. As per the email sent out to administrators, students have the choice to retake either of the four aforementioned exams on May 21, 2025, completely free of cost. However, it is crucial to note that the previous exam will be discarded, and only the retest’s score will count.
AP Computer Science A and AP Statistics exams will start at 8 a.m., whereas the AP Biology and AP Chemistry exams will begin at 12 p.m. Paper reference sheets will be provided. Those interested in this opportunity should contact their assigned counselor as well as Janet Whitmer, the AP coordinator, for further scheduling information.
“During an AP exam, you do not have [much] time, and being able to quickly refer to a reference sheet without having to open up a file makes the process a lot easier,” Ella said.
