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Technical Meltdown During AP Psychology Exam Sparks Nationwide Concern: What Students And Educators Need To Know
On May 16, 2025, the College Board’s transition to digital Advanced Placement (AP) testing faced a major setback when technical issues with its Bluebook application disrupted the AP Psychology exam. Thousands of students nationwide were unable to log in at their scheduled start times, sparking frustration and raising questions about the reliability of high-stakes digital testing.
What Happened?
At 11:30 a.m. EDT, students attempting to access the AP Psychology exam encountered widespread login failures. The College Board resolved the issue by 1:45 p.m. EDT, extending the start time to 2:00 p.m. local time for schools with scheduling flexibility. Students unable to test were offered free make-up exams beginning May 19, with late testing scheduled as late as May 23. The College Board acknowledged the disruption, stating, “We know how hard students work to prepare for their AP Exams, and we regret that their testing period was disrupted.”
Nationwide Impact
The outage affected students across the U.S., including those at one high pressure NJ suburban high school. 51 of 90 students could not log in, according to a parent. The testing coordinator described the incident as a “nationwide Bluebook outage,” and rescheduling impacted students for May 23.
Student and Educator Fallout
The delay exacerbated stress for students already anxious about college credit. Junior Eve Berta noted, “With the delay… I wasn’t able to focus as well,” while Junior Tyler Kalnicky criticized the College Board’s preparedness: “It just didn’t seem like they were prepared.” Despite frustrations, Senior Reya Rivera highlighted the calm response: “Everyone had something to talk about… we all felt on the same page.”
Educators expressed helplessness: “We don’t have answers to what the College Board will say; there are so many unanswered questions.”
College Board’s Response
The College Board emphasized that over 5 million exams were successfully submitted during the digital transition but offered no specifics on the root cause. Affected students were directed to AP coordinators for make-up exams.
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