AP Test Dates 2026–26 — When Are AP Exams and How to Register
AP test dates 2026-26: AP exams run May 5–16, 2026. Registration through your school by November 2026. Full AP exam schedule by subject and registration steps.
AP Exam Schedule — May 2025
AP exams are administered during a two-week period each May. Each exam is scheduled at a specific date and time — there is no choice in when you take a specific subject exam. All students nationwide take the same AP exam at the same time.
Week 1: May 5–9, 2025
- May 5 (Monday): AP Art History (8 AM); AP Human Geography (12 PM)
- May 6 (Tuesday): AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC (8 AM); AP Chinese Language and Culture (12 PM)
- May 7 (Wednesday): AP English Literature and Composition (8 AM); AP Japanese Language and Culture (12 PM)
- May 8 (Thursday): AP Biology (8 AM); AP Music Theory (12 PM)
- May 9 (Friday): AP US Government and Politics (8 AM); AP Statistics (12 PM)
Week 2: May 12–16, 2025
- May 12 (Monday): AP Computer Science A (8 AM); AP Environmental Science (12 PM)
- May 13 (Tuesday): AP English Language and Composition (8 AM); AP Physics C: Mechanics (12 PM)
- May 14 (Wednesday): AP Comparative Government, AP Macroeconomics (8 AM); AP US History (12 PM)
- May 15 (Thursday): AP Chemistry (8 AM); AP World History: Modern (12 PM)
- May 16 (Friday): AP European History, AP Microeconomics (8 AM); AP Psychology (12 PM)
Note: This schedule reflects College Board's standard 2025 AP exam calendar. Confirm exact dates and times at collegeboard.org as the College Board publishes the official schedule annually. Some exams (Spanish, French, Italian, German, Latin, Korean, French Literature) follow their own scheduling slots.
AP Exam Registration — Key Facts
- 2025 AP exam dates: May 5–16, 2025 (standard administration)
- Late testing: May 19–30, 2025 (approved late testing only)
- 2026 AP exams: Typically first two weeks of May 2026
- How to register: Through your high school AP coordinator
- Student deadline: Typically November 15, 2024 (school sets exact date)
- School order deadline: November 15, 2024 (College Board deadline)
- Standard fee (2025): $98 per AP exam
- Fee reduction: $34 per exam for qualifying low-income students
- Late fee: $40 added per exam after November deadline
- 2025 score release: Mid-July 2025 (exact date announced by College Board)
- Score range: 1–5 (3, 4, or 5 qualify for most college credit)
- Score report: Free to send to one college; $15 per additional
How to Register for AP Exams
AP exam registration does not happen directly through the College Board website for most students — it happens through your high school. Your AP coordinator manages exam orders and submissions.
Registration process for enrolled AP students:
- Enroll in AP courses in the fall — most schools require you to confirm AP exam intent when registering for the course in August/September
- Join My AP — your teacher gives you a join code for the College Board's My AP platform. Create an account at myap.collegeboard.org and join your AP class
- Indicate exam intent — in the My AP platform, confirm that you plan to take the AP exam for each course. This signals to your school's AP coordinator that you need an exam ordered
- Pay the exam fee — pay your school's AP coordinator (fee collection method varies by school — some collect online, some collect directly)
- Deadline: Complete this process by your school's deadline, which typically aligns with the College Board's November 15 school ordering deadline
Registering for AP exams as a home-schooled student:
- Home-schooled students and students at schools that don't offer AP must find a local school willing to administer the exam
- Contact schools in your area in September/October — many will accommodate outside students but require early arrangement
- The process: contact the AP coordinator at a local school, confirm they can test outside students, register through their school by their deadline
- Use the College Board's AP Coordinator locator to find nearby testing sites
Late Registration and Exam Changes
Missing the November registration deadline is costly but not necessarily final. Here is what your options are:
Late registration (after November 15, 2024):
- A $40 late fee per exam is added to the standard $98 fee
- The school must submit a late order to the College Board — the deadline for late orders varies but is typically by early March
- Late registrations are not guaranteed — contact your AP coordinator immediately if you missed the deadline
Canceling an AP exam:
- You can cancel an AP exam before the exam date and receive a partial refund of $15 per exam (the rest covers the College Board's administrative costs)
- To cancel: notify your school's AP coordinator — they submit cancellations to the College Board
- Do not simply skip the exam — a no-show still incurs the fee with no refund
Unused exam scores:
- You control which scores are sent to colleges — a bad score on one AP exam will not automatically go to your colleges
- You can withhold or cancel individual scores after seeing them in July for a small fee ($10 per score cancellation)