'Zero-COVID' lockdowns cancel AP exams for students in China

Thousands of high school students in China are missing Advanced Placement exams that many prepared for to improve their chances of attending college in the West

Thousands of high school students in China learned Friday that COVID-19 restrictions will prevent them from taking Advanced Placement exams that many prepared for to improve their chances of attending college in the U.S. or Europe.

Many students are unable to sit for the in-person, pen-and-paper tests given once a year in May because of the government's “zero-COVID” lockdowns meant to curb the spread of the virus. The College Board, which administers the tests, previously offered an online option in response to pandemic school closures but said that was intended as a temporary solution.

“We regret the impact that this decision may have on students who have worked hard all year to prepare for this opportunity,” the College Board said in a written statement.

The decision to not provide an online option frustrated students who worry that missing test scores for the college-level AP courses will weaken their college applications. Students also risk losing out on the college credits that are a reward for high test scores, meaning they will have to enroll in — and pay for — classes they could have otherwise skipped.