How to Proctor a Digital AP Exam

Detailed information is in the AP Proctor Exam Day Guide. Review the guide before exam day and have it available to reference while proctoring the exam.

Additional resources, including videos, are available at the bottom of this page.

Access Test Day Toolkit

You’ll follow instructions in Test Day Toolkit to administer digital AP Exams. Students will take their exams through the Bluebook testing application. 

On exam day, you’ll open Test Day Toolkit on your device, sign in with your College Board account, and navigate to your assigned room before students arrive. 

When your AP coordinator adds you to Test Day Toolkit, you’ll get an email with “Test Day Toolkit” in the subject line. Accessing Test Day Toolkit the first time requires 2-step verification, which can take a while, so don’t wait until exam day to do it.  

Ensure Room Readiness 

You’ll work with your AP coordinator to ensure you have everything you need to proctor the exam. Additionally, Test Day Toolkit will prompt you to check the seating and exam room to make sure they meet requirements and that you have the appropriate supplies for the exam you’re administering. 

The toolkit will also prompt you to distribute scratch paper and any applicable exam materials, and to write the Bluebook check-in instructions and room code on the board. 

Take Attendance and Complete Check-In 

As students enter the exam room, you’ll ask them to turn in prohibited devices, present their identification (if needed), and begin Bluebook check-in. Following instructions you’ve written on the board, students sign in to Bluebook with their College Board account information and enter the room code. 

After students enter the room code, you’ll mark them present in Test Day Toolkit. This allows the student to complete Bluebook check-in, which should take less than 10 minutes. As they check in, students read important information about exam security, timing, and other topics.  

Start the Exam 

You’ll monitor student progress in Test Day Toolkit. Once all students have completed check-in, distribute exam materials if applicable—such as free-response booklets and AP ID label sheets for hybrid digital exams.

Once students have all their exam materials, you’ll read a short script from Test Day Toolkit, check desks, and provide students with the start code. 

Students need an internet connection at the start and end of the exam, but they can keep testing if the connection drops momentarily. Their answers are saved to the testing device throughout the exam.  

Monitor During Testing and Breaks  

You’ll use Test Day Toolkit to monitor student progress, but you should spend most of your time observing the room, not looking at your own screen. The exam room must always be supervised and break rooms should be monitored.

Note: Students start their own exam when they enter the start code. As a result, their breaks may begin and end at different times.

Except for AP Seminar, digital AP Exams have two sections with a scheduled break between them. For exams with a scheduled break, Bluebook ends the first section and starts the break when each student’s time runs out. When their break is over, the student starts the second section by clicking Resume Testing.

Note: Students may also take an unscheduled break (e.g., restroom breaks), but they will lose testing time. 

Dismissal 

When each student’s time runs out, Bluebook ends the exam, submitting answers automatically if there’s an internet connection. Note: For hybrid digital AP Exams, you’ll need to ensure students stop writing when time is up at the end of Section II and that their exam booklets are closed.

When all student exams have finished, you'll follow dismissal steps in Test Day Toolkit to: 

• Check students’ testing status to make sure it says Submitted
• Collect scratch paper and any applicable exam materials
• Return prohibited devices

You’ll follow additional guidance about dismissal in the AP Proctor Exam Day Guide for the following scenarios, if applicable:

• Helping students with unsubmitted answers
• Dismissing students who are approved to test with timing accommodations