Out of fear of their exam scores being canceled, only two of the AP United States History students at a Texan high school actually sat for the exam after their class reported that it had been leaked by a TikTok account
Multiple exam papers in China have been compromised and are still openly for sale on an app called 闲鱼 (Xian Yu). The recent discovery of the Xian Yu app’s unauthorized acquisition and distribution of confidential AP College Board exam materials has shocked the academic community and raised serious concerns about the integrity of the AP program. While the app is not officially affiliated with the College Board, the leak of these sensitive exam materials has been widely observed. This unauthorized access to confidential test content forces people worldwide to question the fairness and validity of the examinations.
Even though it is not connected to the College Board, the app’s distribution of unreleased exam materials has caused widespread concern among students and educators. Despite the app’s lack of affiliation, its presence has sparked discussions about the importance of exam security and the potential consequences of unauthorized access to sensitive educational content. An anonymous international teacher has claimed that their school verified that the questions they investigated on Xian Yu matched the ones on some AP exams, mainly APUSH (AP United States History). Multiple TikTok accounts have also used the Xian Yu app to leak the information on TikTok, including the account Examspro, which exposed the questions of form O for the 2024 AP statistics exam. These accounts still have not been taken down.
The leak of AP exams by the Xian Yu app raises serious legal and ethical concerns. Furthermore, using these leaked exams undermines the integrity of the AP program and the College Board’s efforts to ensure a fair and standardized testing process. This breach of trust could have far-reaching implications, potentially damaging the reputation and credibility of the College Board and eroding the value of AP credentials in the eyes of universities.
The impact on students who may have unknowingly accessed the leaked materials is also concerning, as they could face disciplinary action or have their AP scores invalidated. Overall, this incident highlights the importance of maintaining the security and confidentiality of educational assessments and the need for robust measures to protect against such breaches. However, it is essential to note that the college board’s CEO, David Coleman, and Trevor Packer, the head of the AP Program, have yet to release an official statement regarding the leak. But, will students know if their scores will be canceled before the release of the scores in July? Only time will tell.
