Today, I’d like to share some important information about the 2025 AP retests, which are being held due to reference material issues during the AP exams administered earlier this May.

 

Let’s take a moment to discuss certain AP subjects affected by this year’s retesting issue for the 2025 cycle.

 

The digital AP exams are administered online using the Bluebook app at designated test centers. While some subjects are still in a hybrid format, the overall direction is toward fully online testing.

 

Certain AP subjects require Reference Materials during the exam. These materials can typically be accessed by clicking the reference icon located in the upper-right corner of the Bluebook interface. However, during the 2025 AP exams, some subjects experienced malfunctions with these reference files, causing disruption for test-takers.

 

Because the test is online, technical issues are always a possibility.

 

AP exams take place in early May, over the course of two consecutive weeks—Week 1 and Week 2. This means all AP exams are completed within those two weeks. For the Week 2 exams in 2025, due to known problems with digital references, schools were instructed to print and distribute reference materials manually for students to use during the test.

 

The College Board also provided a downloadable version of the reference materials on its official website, and a notice titled “Important Update” was posted to address the issue publicly.

 

Subjects Offering a Week 1 Retest Option:

• AP Biology
• AP Chemistry
• AP Computer Science A
• AP Statistics

 

The College Board typically allows students to take each AP exam only once per year. If a student wants to retake the exam, they must register again the following year.

 

That said, when unforeseen issues prevent a student from taking the exam as scheduled, they may qualify for what’s called a Late Test. In such cases, schools can pre-order late exams in anticipation of students needing to test at a later time.

The College Board prepares two versions of each AP exam: a standard version and a late-testing version. Students may request the late version under approved circumstances.

While late testing is most commonly used when there are scheduling conflicts with major competitions or events, a new policy for 2025 now allows late testing in the case of technical issues with digital testing logistics as well.

 

The College Board sends out official notices to schools regarding which subjects are eligible, and schools must quickly determine whether affected students will retest and submit their requests accordingly. Those who choose to retest will take their exams the following week, with May 17 being the key date for determining eligibility.

 

The College Board had significant challenges during the 2020 pandemic, when students completed their AP exams only to find the Submit button unresponsive, or the system crashed after a browser refresh, not to mention widespread concerns about cheating.

 

As a result of legal challenges and public backlash back then, the College Board is now acting much more quickly and decisively when problems occur.

 

Students Are Now Asking:

“If I choose to take the retest, will I get to choose between my original score and the new one?”

The answer is no—if you opt in for the retest, only the score from the retest will be recorded.

If you’re confident in your original exam, you’re better off not retesting and simply waiting for your score to be released.

 

However, if you sign up for the retest, your original score will be voided, and your new test will be the only one that counts, regardless of how well or poorly you perform.

 

Some say the late test versions are often slightly easier, so with a bit of luck, you might come out ahead. Also, having a few extra days to study before the retest could be a golden opportunity to dramatically improve your score—so choose wisely.

 

If you're looking for extra support, www.ett-test.com offers full AP practice tests to help students prepare. Be sure to check it out if you’re planning to take the retest.

 

That wraps up our update on the 2025 AP retesting process.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at A ONE INSTITUTE.

Thank you.