Typical AP score release timing, how to check your scores online, and what to do if your score report looks wrong.
For the May 2026 exams, AP scores were released starting Monday, July 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern through your College Board account. The release is rolling by state and region over the following days, so if a friend in another state sees their score before you do, that's expected - not a problem with your account. Colleges began receiving your 2026 scores on July 1, 2026 through the Higher Education Score Reports Portal.
Two 2026 deadlines worth knowing: June 15 was the final day to cancel a 2026 score (permanent and free, but irreversible), and June 20 was the free score-send deadline for designating one recipient. For older years, scores remain available in the same account.
Scores are typically released in early July each year, in a staggered rollout over about two weeks, through your College Board online account (the same one used to register for exams). Exact dates vary by year, so check the College Board's official calendar for the current release schedule rather than relying on last year's dates.
To check your score: log into your College Board account, go to the "My AP Scores" section, and select the current exam year. If your school participated in online score reporting, you may also see a notification through your school counselor's office.
If a score looks wrong or missing, first confirm the exam was submitted and that your AP number matches your registration. If it's still incorrect after scores are finalized, the College Board offers a formal score verification and rescore process for a fee - typically only worth it if you're on the edge of a cutoff and the credit stakes are high.
How to check your AP scores (step by step)
- Go to apscore.collegeboard.org and sign in with the College Board account you used to register.
- Open My AP Scores and select the current exam year.
- If your score isn't there yet, check the release schedule - scores roll out by state and region over about two weeks, so a missing score may just mean yours hasn't posted.
- Verify the exam is listed as submitted and your AP number matches your registration before requesting a review.
Walk through the score-release timeline
Click a step (or use the buttons) to move through the season, from exam day to score day.
- May All AP exams are given in a two-week administration window, mostly on paper or via the Bluebook digital app depending on your school.
- Early June AP Readers - college professors and experienced AP teachers - score free-response answers at the Reading, subject by subject.
- June 15 Final day to cancel a score permanently (free, but irreversible) - done through your school's AP coordinator, not your account.
- June 20 Last day to use your one free score send, designating a single college recipient before scores are even posted.
- July 1 Colleges begin receiving your scores through the Higher Education Score Reports Portal - before most students can see their own.
- Early July Student scores go live in your College Board account, released state by state over about two weeks starting early July at 8 a.m. ET.
Exams administered
Typical timeline
| Date (typical) | What happens |
|---|---|
| May | Exams administered |
| Early June | AP Readers finish scoring free responses (the Reading) |
| June 15 | Last day to cancel a score (through your school) |
| June 20 | Free score-send deadline for one recipient |
| July 1 | Colleges begin receiving scores via the higher-ed portal |
| Early July | Student scores post to accounts, in a staggered state-by-state rollout |
Sending, withholding & reusing old scores
AP scores never expire, so scores from prior years stay available. You choose which scores colleges see: send one free report per year (before the June deadline), pay about $15 per additional report, or pay about $10 per score per college to withhold one from a report. The cancellation guide covers the cancel-vs-withhold decision in detail.
The score season, by the numbers
| Timeline point | Typical date (2026) | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Exams end | Mid-May | Last AP exams administered |
| The Reading | Early June | Free responses scored |
| Cancel deadline | June 15 | Last day to cancel a score (through your school) |
| Free score send | June 20 | One free college recipient per year |
| Colleges get scores | July 1 | Higher-ed score reports portal opens |
| Students see scores | Early July (rolling) | Posted to College Board accounts state by state |
Roughly seven weeks pass from exam day to score day. The release is staggered — if your state’s scores aren’t up on day one, that’s normal and not a sign something’s wrong with your account.
Your score is missing — what now?
Most “missing” scores are just a timing issue, but it’s worth ruling out the real ones. Work through this list in order.
- Check the release window. Scores post state by state over about two weeks in early July. If your region’s day hasn’t passed, wait — a missing score is normal on day one.
- Confirm your AP number. The score is attached to the AP number and email on your registration. A typo here is the most common real cause of a score not showing.
- Check the right account. Scores appear in the College Board account used at registration — a different email means a different dashboard.
- Verify the exam was submitted. If your proctor or exam-day form marked the exam as incomplete or unsubmitted, that blocks the score and you’ll need the College Board to resolve it.
If you’ve ruled all of these out after the full release window, contact College Board student support directly — they are the only ones who can see account-level status. Scores are never released by phone, so have your AP number and registration email ready. Give support the exam date and subject too; the more specific you are, the faster they can look it up.
When Do AP Scores Come Out? - quick answers
Do AP scores expire?
No. AP scores do not expire - they stay on your College Board account and can be sent to colleges years later for a fee.
Can I see my AP scores early?
No, there's no official early-release method. Scores post to your College Board account on the published release dates and are never released over the phone.
How do I send AP scores to colleges?
Log in to your College Board account and use 'Send Scores.' One free score send is included each year (typically until June 20); additional reports cost about $15 each.
What if my AP score is wrong?
First confirm your AP number matches your registration. If it's still wrong, the College Board offers a formal verification/rescore process for a fee.
Want a number, not just an explanation? Jump to your subject's score calculator and plug in your results.
Keep reading
Quick calculators: AP Lang · APUSH · AP Calc AB · AP Biology