Important Changes: 2009-10
AP course, exam, and service enhancements
The AP Program periodically makes changes to courses and exams to ensure that each reflects current standards for college-level learning in that subject. In addition, annual service enhancements are implemented to improve the exam administration experience for Coordinators and administrators. See below for a list of changes to be implemented in the 2009-10 academic year:
No Increase in Exam Fee for 2010
The fee for each exam remains $86, with schools retaining an $8 rebate per exam.
AP® Art History Printed Color Inserts
The 2010 AP Art History Exam will feature printed color inserts, in place of slides, that exam takers will use to answer certain questions within the exam. Detailed information about this change will be available in the AP Coordinator's Manual and at apcentral.collegeboard.com/arthistory .
Online AP Score Reporting for Schools
The College Board is actively developing an online AP score delivery system for secondary schools and districts, which could be available as early as summer 2010. This system will deliver the same score report information as the current paper reports and rosters, but in a more flexible and environmentally-friendly format. For the most up-to-date information about score reporting services, visit the College Board's Web site. Additional information about online score reporting will be e-mailed to AP Coordinators, administrators, AP teachers and district personnel in advance of the system's launch.
Online SSD Student Eligibility Form
A Web-based Student Eligibility Form will be available later this year, which will allow schools the opportunity to submit accommodation requests online. More information regarding the online form will be sent to SSD Coordinators as the release date draws nearer.
AP Services Call Center Hours Extended
From April 19 to May 21, 2010, AP Services will be open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. ET.
Course and Exam Content
AP Art History
There are three changes to the AP Art History Exam, beginning with the 2010 exam administration. First, the order of free-response questions has changed so that the two 30-minute essay questions come first, followed by short answer questions based on color images or text. Next, prehistoric artworks such as Stonehenge are no longer accepted as appropriate examples for the 30-minute essays because it is not possible for students to provide accurate contextual information about such works. Finally, in the 30-minute essay that requires students to incorporate examples of art from beyond the European tradition, students will be encouraged to draw from areas other than Egypt and the ancient Near East, such as Africa (beyond ancient Egypt), the Americas, Islamic cultures and Oceania. More information about these changes is available in the 2010, 2011 AP Art History Course Description.
AP Computer Science A
The College Board is committed to ensuring the best possible college-level academic experience for students taking AP Computer Science A. To make more explicit particular content requirements for this course, the AP Computer Science Development Committee has made the following revisions to the 2010, 2011 AP Computer Science A Course Description:
- Addition of two-dimensional arrays to the list of standard data structures
- Addition of java.util.List interface
- Addition of Java constants Integer.MIN_VALUE and Integer.MAX_VALUE
- Addition of static variables (also known as class variables)
Please refer to the 2010, 2011 AP Computer Science A Course Description for detailed information about these revisions.
AP French Language Exam
Beginning with the 2010 AP French Language Exam, the second portion of the listening part, in which students listen to recorded dialogues or brief monologues, will be modified as follows: students will now be provided with 30 seconds to read the questions before listening to each monologue or dialogue.