As technology advances, it’s essential to change with it; we must embrace newer formats as past ones become obsolete. But sometimes, we try to implement these switches before we are prepared for them.

This may be the case with the upcoming shift in AP exams: 28 of the 40 exams are switching to fully digital or hybrid digital-paper formats this May. While this change does have some benefits, such as increased security, it has sparked concerns that it may be too abrupt a shift.

Until now, only nine exams offered a digital option. The sudden switch to digital-only formats has been inelegant and possibly too hasty. It’s received major backlash from students, teachers, and administrators alike nationwide.

“I wish [going to digital exams] wasn’t such an abrupt change and that we could have eased into it… as a coordinator, I have questions and concerns, and it’s a pretty severe change in a short amount of time,”  Matthew Starks, MN’s AP testing coordinator, said.

The switch to digital brings plenty of logistical concerns for the test administrators, but there are also concerns for the test-takers and the scores themselves.

“There is pretty compelling evidence that for two students who are otherwise similar, if one took the test on paper and one took the test on a computer, then the student taking the test on paper would score higher,” an article by Future Ed said.

Many students report that testing online feels far more arduous than testing with paper and pencil. Sitting for hours working on one test, repetitively filling out question after question, trying not to let your mind wander- it’s hard enough on paper, but it’s all made worse when faced with a glaringly lit screen.

Not only this, but research studies by Macquarie University found that when we read text on a screen, we understand less than if we read the same text on paper.

It isn’t just the loss of concentration affecting students, though; some may not understand the test layout or the tools available to them, whereas on paper, annotating and writing notes is far more intuitive.

Furthermore, many students are not as proficient at typing, and this may put them at a significant disadvantage during the timed writing portions of the tests.

Although practice and becoming familiar with the tools available can help, technology is still notoriously unreliable. You never know what may go wrong at the worst times.

Are all the students going to remember their chargers? Will there be enough outlets? What if a computer malfunctions mid-test? For the larger exams, will the internet be able to support all the test takers at once?

While there are measures in place to minimize and prevent these issues, such as testing the internet’s bandwidth and ordering more power wheels, technology remains unpredictable. With all the test-takers and administrators accustomed to paper-and-pencil tests, the sudden switch to digital is challenging.

A more graceful transition would have been ideal, but because of advancements in technology, going paperless was bound to happen at some point. There are definite benefits to switching to online testing, especially from an administrative perspective.

Online testing gives an added level of security, such as the lockdown browser, which restricts access to external websites or applications for the exam duration.

Fewer paper tests to keep track of and less organization required to submit them could potentially lead to quicker score turnaround time and lower testing costs in the future, although the online infrastructure likely has a cost as well.

Additionally, editing the essay portions of many of the exams will be easier when taken digitally. Online platforms allow students to go back, revise, and reorganize their work without needing to rewrite sections or cross things out entirely. It also simplifies grading, as teachers will not have to decipher students’ messy handwriting.

So, is the switch to digital ultimately beneficial for the future of the exam? From the administrative side, it seems promising, but only time will tell.

If only the switch had been integrated more smoothly, such as starting with more widely advertised online testing options, this change may have been received better.

As it is, it remains a controversial decision. The students taking the exam online will be some of the first to do so in many subjects, so it remains to be seen how online testing will affect scores and the overall testing experience.