Advanced Placement exams will be open note this year, testing general understanding of course concepts instead of “simple factual recall.”

The decision follows the College Board’s statement last week that exams would be administered in an at-home 45-minute free-response format as opposed to the usual three-hour exams in testing centers.

The College Board detailed the decision to AP teachers and coordinators over email.

“The short answer is yes,” the College Board stated in an email to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, Palo Alto High School’s AP coordinator, in regards to open-book testing. “In an attempt to offer students a college-like experience, they [students] are open to use the resources provided to best answer exam questions.”

The email also detailed a keycode that students will receive in order to access their tests, which will be sent through either My-AP Classroom or email. A full copy of the email obtained from Berkson can be found here.

Trevor Packer, the vice president of AP and instruction for the College Board, also announced the decision today in a tweet, shown below.

Yes. Like a college exam, these exams will be open book/”open note.” They won’t test simple factual recall; instead they’ll be focused on skills and thematic understandings. — Trevor Packer (@AP_Trevor) March 27, 2020

More information about testing dates, question types, and how the College Board will provide for students with accommodations is expected to be released by The College Board on April 3.

The Paly Voice will follow up on this story with updates as more information becomes available.