What's new on the 2027 AP® exams

AP® World History: Modern

• All three short-answer questions are required. You no longer choose between Question 3 and Question 4: there are 3 short-answer questions, and you answer all of them. Each one is about a different time period. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Short-Answer Question (SAQ) section)
• Every short-answer question comes with a source. Question 1 gives you one or more secondary sources (like a historian's writing), Question 2 a primary text source, and Question 3 a non-text source, like an image, a map or a chart. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Short-Answer Question (SAQ) section)
• One long essay prompt, with a short intro. Instead of picking one of three long essay prompts, everyone answers the same one. It's a broad prompt that opens with a short statement to get you oriented and suggest areas you could write about. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Long Essay Question (LEQ) section)
• The document-based question covers a wider span of time. The DBQ covers a wider stretch of the course, so you can use evidence from more of what you've learned. The scoring rubrics and the multiple choice section don't change. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Document-Based Question (DBQ) and What Stayed the Same? sections)

AP® United States History

• All three short-answer questions are required. You no longer choose between Question 3 and Question 4: there are 3 short-answer questions, and you answer all of them. Each one is about a different time period. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Short-Answer Question (SAQ) section)
• Every short-answer question comes with a source. Question 1 gives you one or more secondary sources (like a historian's writing), Question 2 a primary text source, and Question 3 a non-text source, like an image, a map or a chart. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Short-Answer Question (SAQ) section)
• One long essay prompt, with a short intro. Instead of picking one of three long essay prompts, everyone answers the same one. It's a broad prompt that opens with a short statement to get you oriented and suggest areas you could write about. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Long Essay Question (LEQ) section)
• The document-based question covers a wider span of time. The DBQ covers a wider stretch of the course, so you can use evidence from more of what you've learned. The scoring rubrics and the multiple choice section don't change. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Document-Based Question (DBQ) and What Stayed the Same? sections)

AP® European History

• All three short-answer questions are required. You no longer choose between Question 3 and Question 4: there are 3 short-answer questions, and you answer all of them. Each one is about a different time period. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Short-Answer Question (SAQ) section)
• Every short-answer question comes with a source. Question 1 gives you one or more secondary sources (like a historian's writing), Question 2 a primary text source, and Question 3 a non-text source, like an image, a map or a chart. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Short-Answer Question (SAQ) section)
• One long essay prompt, with a short intro. Instead of picking one of three long essay prompts, everyone answers the same one. It's a broad prompt that opens with a short statement to get you oriented and suggest areas you could write about. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Long Essay Question (LEQ) section)
• The document-based question covers a wider span of time. The DBQ covers a wider stretch of the course, so you can use evidence from more of what you've learned. The scoring rubrics and the multiple choice section don't change. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Document-Based Question (DBQ) and What Stayed the Same? sections)

AP® United States Government and Politics

• Four more required foundational documents. The Emancipation Proclamation, Federalist No. 39, the Gettysburg Address and the core principles of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations join the required foundational documents you need to know. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1)

AP® Comparative Government and Politics

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1: only front matter, resource links and Progress Check wording)

AP® African American Studies

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP African American Studies row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® English Language and Composition

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP English Language and Composition row, Most Recent Change column)

Changed in the last two years:

• Multiple choice questions have 4 answer choices. Each multiple choice question has 4 answer choices instead of 5. (since May 2025, exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP English Language and Composition row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® English Literature and Composition

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP English Literature and Composition row, Most Recent Change column)

Changed in the last two years:

• Multiple choice questions have 4 answer choices. Each multiple choice question has 4 answer choices instead of 5. (since May 2025, exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP English Literature and Composition row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® Spanish Language and Culture

• A course project you present on exam day. In class you research a project topic using sources in Spanish (for 2027 it's about music, from Unit 3: Art and Creativity). You submit an outline, your Personalized Project Reference, by April 30, then present your project on exam day. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Course Project section)
• New speaking tasks you prepare for ahead of time. The old speaking free-response questions are replaced with speaking tasks you prepare for in advance, and the free-response scoring guidelines are updated. (scoring)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Exam Revisions section)
• A new exam layout. Free response comes first: a project presentation, a project Q&A with 4 questions, and an argumentative essay from three sources, scored out of 10 points. Then come 55 multiple choice questions, 25 listening and 30 reading. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED Exam Overview, pp. 89–91, and essay scoring guidelines, p. 105)
• Fully digital, with a headset. The exam moves to Bluebook and paper exams end. You'll need a wired headset with a microphone. (digital testing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Exam Revisions section)

AP® Human Geography

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Human Geography row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® Macroeconomics

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Macroeconomics row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® Microeconomics

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Microeconomics row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® Art History

• A few required works have new titles or corrected details. Work 141 is now titled The Migration Series, Panel 49, work 175 is now the Sande Sowei mask, and work 227 is dated 1979. The captions for works 61, 64 and 94 were corrected too. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Framework Clarifications))

AP® Biology

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Biology row, Most Recent Change column)

Changed in the last two years:

• An updated course framework. College Board released an updated course framework in fall 2025, so review books from before then may not match the current units and topics. (since May 2026, what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Biology row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® Chemistry

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Chemistry row, Most Recent Change column)

Changed in the last two years:

• Renamed units and a few moved topics. Some units got new names (Unit 6 is now Thermochemistry, and Unit 9 is Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry), and pH and solubility moved to topic 8.11. (since May 2025, what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED updates overview, pp. 6–9)
• A reorganized equation sheet. The equation sheet now follows the order of the course, and it added a table of metric prefixes. (since May 2025, exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED updates overview, p. 11)

AP® Environmental Science

• Free-response questions 2 and 3 have new names. Question 1 is still Design an Investigation. Question 2 is now Analyze and Interpret Quantitative Data, and Question 3 is Analyze an Environmental Problem Doing Calculations. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 3)
• Some learning goals are reworded. College Board refined the wording of one learning objective and some knowledge statements. The content you need to know doesn't change. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Clarifications for 2026-27 notice)

AP® Physics 1: Algebra-Based

• Multiple choice has 42 questions in 85 minutes. The multiple choice section goes from 40 questions in 80 minutes to 42 questions in 85 minutes. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))
• Free response is 95 minutes. You get 95 minutes for the free-response section instead of 100. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))

AP® Physics 2: Algebra-Based

• Multiple choice has 42 questions in 85 minutes. The multiple choice section goes from 40 questions in 80 minutes to 42 questions in 85 minutes. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))
• Free response is 95 minutes. You get 95 minutes for the free-response section instead of 100. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 2 (Exam Overview))
• Updated equation sheet conventions. Some of the conventions in the equation sheet's reference information were updated, so practice with the current sheet, not one from an older exam. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 2 (Appendix I))
• Radioactive decay includes dropping to a lower energy level. Knowledge statement 15.7.B.1 now says radioactive decay can also take a nucleus to a lower energy level of the same nucleus, not only turn it into different nuclei. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Unit Guides))

AP® Physics C: Mechanics

• Multiple choice has 42 questions in 85 minutes. The multiple choice section goes from 40 questions in 80 minutes to 42 questions in 85 minutes. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))
• Free response is 95 minutes. You get 95 minutes for the free-response section instead of 100. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))

AP® Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism

• Multiple choice has 42 questions in 85 minutes. The multiple choice section goes from 40 questions in 80 minutes to 42 questions in 85 minutes. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))
• Free response is 95 minutes. You get 95 minutes for the free-response section instead of 100. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Exam Overview))
• Updated equation sheet conventions. Some of the conventions in the equation sheet's reference information were updated, so practice with the current sheet, not one from an older exam. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 1 (Appendix I))

AP® Psychology

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Psychology row, Most Recent Change column)

Changed in the last two years:

• Clearer free-response directions and scoring. In the Article Analysis Question, the study summary now lists several ethical guidelines, and you pick one to identify and describe. In the Evidence-Based Question, the evidence you cite has to be accurate. (since May 2026, scoring)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, pp. 1–2 (Exam Updates))
• A redesigned course and exam. The exam has fewer multiple choice questions, each with 4 answer choices instead of 5, and two new kinds of free-response questions. (since May 2025, exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (allaccess.collegeboard.org · AP Psychology section)

AP® Precalculus

• Multiple choice has 42 questions, with less time for Part A. Part A (no calculator) goes from 28 questions in 80 minutes to 29 in 65, and Part B (graphing calculator) goes from 12 questions to 13. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarification and guidance, p. 5 (Exam Overview))
• More time for free response. Each part of the free-response section now gets 35 minutes instead of 30. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarification and guidance, p. 5 (Exam Overview))
• Free-response Question 2 is restructured. In Question 2, Part B (iii) was removed, and Part C now covers more. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarification and guidance, p. 5 (Sample FRQs))
• Open or closed intervals aren't tested. Telling open intervals from closed ones, when saying where a function is increasing or decreasing, is now outside the scope of the course and exam. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarification and guidance, p. 2)

AP® Calculus AB

• Multiple choice has 42 questions in 1 hour 40 minutes. Part A (no calculator) goes from 30 questions in 60 minutes to 29 in 62, and Part B (graphing calculator) from 15 questions in 45 minutes to 13 in 38. That's 42 questions in 100 minutes, down from 45 in 105. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 2 (Exam Overview))

AP® Calculus BC

• Multiple choice has 42 questions in 1 hour 40 minutes. Part A (no calculator) goes from 30 questions in 60 minutes to 29 in 62, and Part B (graphing calculator) from 15 questions in 45 minutes to 13 in 38. That's 42 questions in 100 minutes, down from 45 in 105. (timing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · CED clarifications, p. 2 (Exam Overview))

AP® Statistics

• A new course with 5 units. Units 1 to 8 were combined into 5 units, and Unit 9 (inference for slopes) was removed. Departures from linearity, combining random variables, the geometric distribution and chi-square goodness of fit tests were removed too. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Course Revisions section)
• New topics on investigative questions. You'll learn how to ask a statistical question that a study can answer. (what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Course Revisions section)
• 42 multiple choice questions with 4 answer choices. It was 40 questions with 5 choices each. Two sets have 3 questions each: one on probability and one on regression. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Multiple-Choice Section)
• 4 free-response questions worth 10 points each. It was 6 questions worth 4 points each. (scoring)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Free-Response Section)
• Fully digital, with no paper booklet. You answer both sections in Bluebook, so you type your free-response answers instead of handwriting them. (digital testing)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Fully Digital Testing section)
• Graphing calculators only. Calculators that can't graph aren't allowed anymore, even ones with the statistics functions you need. (exam format)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · Update for 2027 AP Statistics Exams)

AP® Computer Science A

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Computer Science A row, Most Recent Change column)

Changed in the last two years:

• A revised course framework. College Board released a revised course framework in fall 2025, so review books from before then may not match the current units and exam. (since May 2026, what's tested)
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Computer Science A row, Most Recent Change column)

AP® Computer Science Principles

No changes announced for the May 2027 exam.
See College Board's list (opens in a new tab) (apcentral.collegeboard.org · AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) row, Most Recent Change column)

Coming later:

• A redesigned course with AI built in (first on the May 2028 exam). The redesigned course launches in the 2027–28 school year. College Board says it will build generative AI, machine learning and data ethics into the course, and add a new final project, the AI Create Project, where you build your own AI app.
  See College Board's announcement (opens in a new tab) (newsroom.collegeboard.org · College Board news release, September 23, 2026)