The May administration window
AP exams are held once a year in a two-week window in May. The College Board sets the exact dates each fall for the upcoming administration, and schools typically run exams during the first two weeks of the window. Because nearly every exam is now digital through the Bluebook app, most students take their subject's exam on one scheduled day rather than across multiple sessions.
Two practical consequences follow. First, if you're planning around the score release, scores for May exams post starting in early July. Second, there is only one administration per year - if you miss your subject's date, you wait until next May (some exceptions apply for unusual circumstances, decided by your school and the College Board).
Registration timeline, in general
Exactly when you register is set by your school, but the pattern across US high schools looks like this:
| When | What typically happens | Cost note |
|---|---|---|
| Late fall (Nov-Dec) | School opens registration for the following May; you commit to exams and course load. | Standard exam fee |
| Winter (Jan-Feb) | Final ordering window; schools submit exam orders to the College Board. | Standard exam fee |
| Early spring (Feb-Mar) | Late registration; some schools allow adds or drops. | Late fee applies |
| May | Exam administration window; bring your approved calculator and photo ID. | — |
| Mid-June | Last day to cancel a score; free score-send deadline. | — |
| Early July | Scores post to your College Board account. | — |
Fees are set by the College Board each year and schools may add local fees. The standard base exam fee and the reduced fee for students with financial need are explained in the AP exam cost guide.
If you miss a deadline
- Missed registration? Ask your AP coordinator immediately - some schools keep a late window and a few allow exam-day walk-ins for seated subjects.
- Course dropped? You can usually cancel your exam order and avoid the fee if you act before the ordering window closes.
- Exam day conflict? Talk to your coordinator; make-up exams are scheduled within the May window for documented conflicts (College Board sets the make-up dates).
- Missed the exam entirely? You generally can't take it later in the year - plan for the next May administration and use the study plan generator to pace a full year.
Planning your course load around the schedule is half the battle. The course-load guide and the how to get a 5 hub help you build a realistic calendar.
Digital vs. paper exams
Nearly all AP exams now run digitally through the Bluebook app. That changes the practical schedule in a few ways you should plan for:
- One app, one schedule. Bluebook handles the exam flow, the on-screen calculator (where permitted), and autosave - so the exam-day routine is the same for most subjects.
- Device check. Run Bluebook's check-in and download the exam application ahead of test day; your school or the app will tell you what to prepare.
- Exceptions remain. Some subjects with performance components (AP Art portfolios, AP Seminar and AP Research projects, world-language speaking tasks) have components scheduled separately from the May window, so your personal exam calendar may span months, not weeks.
The week before the exam
Protecting the schedule is as important as hitting it. In the final days: confirm your room and check-in time, charge and test your device, check your calculator's batteries against your subject's calculator policy, and lay out your photo ID. Do a light review rather than cramming new material, and sleep - the single most underrated factor in exam performance.
After the exam: the June window
Your schedule obligations don't end when the exam does. Two dates in June matter no matter how you did:
- June 15 — last day to cancel a score permanently (through your school).
- June 20 — last day to use the free score send for one college.
Everything you can do with a score lives on the score logistics reference; see when scores come out for what happens next.
Planning around multiple exams
If you're taking several APs, you'll likely have two to four exams in one week. Back out the schedule before the semester starts: identify back-to-back days, aim study plans at the earliest exam first, and treat the whole May window as a protected two weeks in your calendar. The study plan generator can lay out the weeks, and the how-to-get-a-5 hub ties difficulty and pacing together.
AP Exam Schedule: When the May Exams Happen & How to Register - quick answers
When are AP exams held?
AP exams are administered once a year in a two-week window in May. The exact dates are announced each fall by the College Board for the upcoming administration.
When does AP registration open and close?
Registration is set by each school, typically opening in the late fall (November-December) and closing in the early spring (February-March), with late registration and fees after that.
Can I take an AP exam outside my school?
Schools administer AP exams to their own students; if your school doesn't offer the subject, ask your AP coordinator about testing at a nearby participating school.
When do AP scores come out?
Scores for May exams post starting in early July, released in waves by state and by subject. See the release-dates guide for the full timing.
Want a number, not just an explanation? Jump to your subject's score calculator and plug in your results.
Related reading
Quick calculators: AP Lang · APUSH · AP Calc AB · AP Biology