Pilot Primer
If your school is participating in the September 2026 pilot of digital AP Exams, it’s important to understand how these exams differ from others.
Pilot Basics
There are three pilot exams: AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP Spanish Language and Culture, and AP Music Theory.
Students take the exams on the Bluebook app.
All pilot exams can be taken on Macs, iPads, and school-managed Chromebooks. Only AP Music Theory and AP Spanish Language and Culture can also be taken on a Windows device.
Students test their headsets and keyboards during check-in and might need help troubleshooting issues.
AP coordinators and proctors use Test Day Toolkit to administer the exams.
Exams are not scored.
Exam Content
AP Chinese Language and Culture and AP Spanish Language and Culture: These fully digital exams include multiple-choice and free-response questions. Students use Bluebook to read or listen to all questions and to write or record their answers.
Unlike other fully digital exams, these exams begin with the free-response section and are followed by multiple choice.
AP Music Theory: This hybrid exam includes multiple-choice and written free-response questions as well as sight singing. The test taking experience is different for each.
Multiple-choice questions: Students read or listen to all multiple-choice questions and choose their answers in Bluebook.
Written free-response questions: Students read or listen to free-response questions in Bluebook and record their answers in a free-response booklet.
Sight singing: Students listen to a starting pitch and record their response in Bluebook. They use a sight-singing booklet to view and annotate the melodies that they will perform.
Technical Readiness
As with all other Bluebook testing, technical readiness for AP pilot exams includes configuring the network, installing Bluebook on approved devices, and making sure device settings meet requirements. This pilot requires additional equipment and readiness steps.
Attention Windows Users
For this pilot, students should not take AP Chinese Language and Culture on a Windows device.
Audio Equipment and International Language Keyboards
All pilot exams: Students taking any pilot exam need audio equipment, but requirements vary by exam.
AP Chinese Language and Culture: Devices must also support input method editors (IME).
AP Spanish Language and Culture: Students must use a Spanish language keyboard or a U.S.-international keyboard, or use long-press (pressing and holding keys) to select special characters from a menu.
Student Instructions
If you use a school-managed device, your school is responsible for installing Bluebook and preparing the device, but you might be able to adjust audio and keyboard settings yourself. Go to Pilot Device Settings to learn how.
If your school allows testing on personal devices, follow the instructions on Prepare to Take a Pilot Exam.
Readiness Steps for Technology Staff
Go to Pilot Technology Tasks for a complete list of readiness steps.
Test Administration Considerations for AP Coordinators
AP World Languages and Cultures
Students must start the exam simultaneously, so make sure your students are waiting at the start code screen before giving the start code.
Unlike the operational exam in May, this pilot doesn’t require a Personalized Project Reference (PPR).
Test Day Toolkit setup for the AP World Languages and Cultures pilot is the same as other digital AP Exams. Get instructions at AP Exam Setup.
AP Music Theory
AP Music Theory requires two rooms, one for multiple-choice and written free-response questions and the other for sight singing.
Each room has its own proctor and its own pair of room and start codes.
To start sight singing, proctors need to select the sight-singing room from the list in All Rooms and follow the instructions, being careful to click the link in the Skip Ahead for Sight Singing alert whenever they see it. alert whenever they see it.
Guides
The AP Coordinator Guide, AP Proctor Exam Day Guide, and AP Technical Troubleshooting Guide are available at Pilot Guides.