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AP Exams: Full List, How Scoring Works and How Many to Take
Last updated: November 10, 2026
AP exams are the College Board's end-of-course exams for its 42 Advanced Placement subjects, and each one is scored from 1 to 5. Many U.S. colleges give credit, placement or both for a 3 or higher. The 2027 exams run May 3–7 and May 10–14. You register through your school, the final deadline for schools to order exams is November 13, 2026, and the fee is $99 per exam in the U.S. Below: every exam with its 2027 date, the newest score distributions, and an honest answer to how many APs to take.
Most AP exams test a course someone else designed. AP Research scores a question you chose yourself. Imagine finishing high school with work like that. Send me the research starter guide →
What is an AP exam?
An AP exam measures how well you mastered one AP course. Teams of AP teachers and college professors write and score them.
Three rules to know:
- You sign up through your school, not online.
- The course is not required. The College Board says you can self-study for most AP exams, though it recommends the course.
- The exam is not required either. The College Board does not require the exam after the course, but some schools do.
The full list of AP exams and the 2027 schedule
All 42 AP subjects, with their 2027 date and format. S1 is Session 1, which starts at 8 a.m. local time at most U.S. schools; S2 starts at 12 p.m.
| Exam | 2027 date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Arts: 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, Drawing | Portfolio due May 7 | Portfolio |
| Art History | May 12, S2 | Digital |
| Music Theory | May 10, S2 | Hybrid |
| English: English Language and Composition | May 12, S1 | Digital |
| English Literature and Composition | May 5, S1 | Digital |
| History and social sciences: African American Studies | May 6, S2 | Digital |
| Comparative Government and Politics | May 14, S1 | Digital |
| European History | May 4, S2 | Digital |
| Human Geography | May 3, S1 | Digital |
| Macroeconomics; Microeconomics | May 7, S2; May 4, S2 | Hybrid |
| Psychology | May 14, S2 | Digital |
| United States Government and Politics | May 4, S1 | Digital |
| United States History | May 7, S1 | Digital |
| World History: Modern | May 6, S1 | Digital |
| Math and computer science: Calculus AB and Calculus BC | May 10, S1 | Hybrid |
| Precalculus | May 11, S1 | Hybrid |
| Statistics | May 11, S2 | Digital |
| Computer Science A | May 12, S2 | Digital |
| Computer Science Principles | May 14, S1 (task due April 30) | Digital + portfolio |
| Sciences: Biology | May 3, S2 | Hybrid |
| Chemistry | May 6, S2 | Hybrid |
| Environmental Science | May 13, S2 | Digital |
| Physics 1: Algebra-Based | May 5, S2 | Hybrid |
| Physics 2: Algebra-Based | May 6, S1 | Hybrid |
| Physics C: Mechanics; Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | May 3, S1; May 5, S2 | Hybrid |
| World languages: Chinese; Italian | May 13, S2; May 3, S2 | Digital + portfolio |
| French; German; Japanese | May 6, S1; May 7, S1; May 11, S1 | Digital + portfolio |
| Spanish Language and Culture; Spanish Literature and Culture | May 13, S1; May 14, S1 | Digital + portfolio |
| Latin | May 14, S2 | Digital |
| New for 2026–27: Business with Personal Finance; Cybersecurity | May 4, S1; May 5, S1 | Digital |
| AP Capstone: Seminar | May 10, S2 (tasks due April 30) | Digital + portfolio |
| Research | Tasks due April 30 | Portfolio |
World language students also submit a project reference by April 30, 2027.
Two exams at the same time, or you can't test in early May? Ask your AP coordinator for late testing. Late exams run May 17–21, 2027, and use alternate versions of each exam. Some schools outside the lower 48 states, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. have new 2027 start times; use the College Board's start time lookup tool to check yours.
Are all AP exams digital in 2027?
Yes. The College Board says that starting this year, all AP exams are digital, taken in its Bluebook app. In a digital exam you answer everything in Bluebook. In a hybrid exam you answer multiple-choice questions in Bluebook and handwrite free responses in a paper booklet; Statistics moves to fully digital and Music Theory to hybrid for 2027. Memorize your College Board password: a password saved on your device won't work on exam day.
On a hybrid exam you handwrite answers to questions someone else wrote. In a research paper, the question is yours too. Show me project ideas →
How are AP exams scored?
For most exams, a computer scores the multiple-choice section, and college professors and experienced AP teachers score the free responses each June. The two combine into a composite score, which the College Board converts to the 1–5 scale "to ensure that, for example, a 3 this year reflects the same level of achievement as a 3 last year."
| AP score | College Board recommendation | College grade equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Extremely well qualified | A+ or A |
| 4 | Very well qualified | A-, B+ or B |
| 3 | Qualified | B-, C+ or C |
| 2 | Possibly qualified | none |
| 1 | No recommendation | none |
Is a 70% a 5? Not by any fixed rule. The College Board sets the "cut points" for each exam with studies that compare AP students with college students in the same course. It publishes no single percentage that equals a 5.
Scores come out in July. You can send one report free each year if you pick a college by June 20, 2027.
2026 AP score distributions
The newest official results: the share of students who earned each score in 2026.
| Exam | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 or higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research | 17% | 31% | 42% | 8% | 2% | 90% |
| Seminar | 10% | 21% | 57% | 10% | 2% | 88% |
| 2-D Art and Design | 12% | 30% | 43% | 12% | 3% | 85% |
| 3-D Art and Design | 7% | 25% | 43% | 23% | 2% | 75% |
| Art History | 15% | 25% | 27% | 24% | 9% | 67% |
| Drawing | 16% | 31% | 36% | 14% | 3% | 83% |
| Music Theory | 18% | 17% | 24% | 26% | 15% | 59% |
| English Language | 15% | 28% | 32% | 15% | 10% | 75% |
| English Literature | 16% | 26% | 31% | 16% | 11% | 73% |
| African American Studies | 20% | 30% | 27% | 17% | 6% | 77% |
| Comparative Government | 15% | 22% | 33% | 18% | 12% | 70% |
| European History | 16% | 33% | 25% | 18% | 8% | 74% |
| Human Geography | 19% | 26% | 21% | 24% | 10% | 66% |
| Macroeconomics | 19% | 22% | 25% | 20% | 14% | 66% |
| Microeconomics | 19% | 26% | 23% | 20% | 12% | 68% |
| Psychology | 15% | 35% | 24% | 18% | 8% | 74% |
| U.S. Government | 23% | 28% | 25% | 16% | 8% | 76% |
| U.S. History | 14% | 37% | 23% | 18% | 8% | 74% |
| World History: Modern | 14% | 36% | 16% | 26% | 8% | 66% |
| Calculus AB | 20% | 28% | 17% | 24% | 11% | 65% |
| Calculus BC | 46% | 22% | 14% | 14% | 4% | 82% |
| Computer Science A | 25% | 26% | 15% | 11% | 23% | 66% |
| Computer Science Principles | 10% | 23% | 30% | 21% | 16% | 63% |
| Precalculus | 29% | 29% | 24% | 11% | 7% | 82% |
| Statistics | 17% | 23% | 22% | 17% | 21% | 62% |
| Biology | 15% | 25% | 31% | 21% | 8% | 71% |
| Chemistry | 15% | 31% | 30% | 18% | 6% | 75% |
| Environmental Science | 13% | 29% | 27% | 15% | 16% | 69% |
| Physics 1 | 19% | 24% | 25% | 15% | 17% | 68% |
| Physics 2 | 20% | 29% | 23% | 21% | 7% | 72% |
| Physics C: E&M | 24% | 24% | 27% | 17% | 8% | 75% |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 20% | 25% | 27% | 17% | 11% | 72% |
| Chinese | 48% | 19% | 18% | 6% | 9% | 85% |
| French | 15% | 23% | 33% | 23% | 6% | 71% |
| German | 24% | 17% | 27% | 22% | 10% | 68% |
| Italian | 19% | 22% | 28% | 20% | 11% | 69% |
| Japanese | 47% | 10% | 15% | 7% | 21% | 72% |
| Latin | 20% | 29% | 24% | 17% | 10% | 73% |
| Spanish Language | 21% | 31% | 31% | 14% | 3% | 83% |
| Spanish Literature | 20% | 23% | 28% | 20% | 9% | 71% |
The two new courses have no results yet.
What are the hardest AP exams?
By the share of students who earned a 3 or higher in 2026, the five toughest were Music Theory (59%), Statistics (62%), Computer Science Principles (63%), Calculus AB (65%), and a four-way tie at 66%: Human Geography, Macroeconomics, World History: Modern and Computer Science A.
A pass rate shows who takes an exam as much as how hard it is. Calculus BC, for example, had 46% 5s, more than double the 20% on Calculus AB. The hardest exam for you is usually the one furthest from what you enjoy.
Pass rates hint that the hardest exam is the one furthest from what you love. Research works the other way: you start with the field that pulls you in. Help me choose my field →
How to prepare for AP exams
Use the free official materials:
- AP Classroom. After you join your class with the join code, your teacher can assign topic questions, progress checks, practice exams and short AP videos. The College Board says its online assessments closely match the Bluebook testing experience.
- Past free-response questions. AP Central posts free-response questions from past exams with scoring information and real student samples. Write a full answer, then score it the way a reader would.
- One full practice exam under real timing. AP Classroom includes full practice exams and Bluebook-style assessments. Take one in a single sitting.
How to register for AP exams
- Get a join code from your AP teacher for each course.
- Sign in to My AP with your College Board account and enter each six-character code.
- Click "Register for the Exam" if you see it. If you don't, your school registered you automatically.
- Pay your school, not the College Board.
The official 2026–27 deadlines for schools to order exams:
- October 2, 2026: preferred deadline.
- November 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET: final deadline for full-year and fall courses and exam-only sections.
- November 14, 2026 to March 12, 2027: late orders cost $40 more per exam.
- March 12, 2027: deadline for courses that start after November 13.
Your school may set an earlier date. If you self-study or are homeschooled, ask a local school that gives AP exams for an exam-only join code. Testing accommodations must be requested by January 22, 2027.
How much do AP exams cost?
| Fee (2026–27) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam at schools in the U.S., U.S. territories, Canada and DoWEA schools | $99 |
| Exam at schools everywhere else | $129 |
| Cost after the College Board fee reduction ($37) | $53 ($83 outside the U.S.) |
| Late order fee | $40 extra |
| Unused or canceled exam after November 13 | $40 |
Your school may charge more to cover proctoring. Students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals usually qualify for the fee reduction (for 2026–27, a family of four earning up to $61,050 in the 48 contiguous states).
Do AP scores earn college credit?
Often, but each college decides. A college may give credit toward your degree, advanced placement (you skip an intro course), or both. Use the official AP credit policy search for each college on your list.
For the other route to early college credit, see our dual enrollment guide, which compares the two.
How many AP exams should you take?
The College Board's answer: "There's no specific number of AP courses that's right for all students." It also says colleges "want to see that you're taking the most rigorous coursework available to you." That means the strongest courses your school offers that you can do well in, not every AP on the list. See what colleges look for and how weighted vs unweighted GPA treats AP grades, then test your plan in the high school GPA calculator.
The stronger plan builds depth in a field you love. A future biologist might take AP Biology, then AP Chemistry, then AP Statistics. A future engineer might take AP Precalculus, AP Calculus BC and AP Physics C.
Then go one step past the courses. AP Capstone does that: AP Seminar, then AP Research, a yearlong investigation on a topic you choose. Your Research score comes from a 4,000–5,000-word academic paper (75%) and a 15–20 minute presentation and oral defense (25%). In 2026, 90% of AP Research students earned a 3 or higher, the highest rate of any AP subject. Score 3 or higher on both courses and on four other AP exams, and you earn the AP Capstone Diploma.
If your school doesn't offer Capstone, you can do the same kind of work with an expert mentor: a question in your field, carried to a finished paper. It shows what no transcript can, that you can find something new. Read more on whether research helps college admissions.
Three APs in one field show focus. A finished paper in that field, guided by a PhD mentor, shows where your curiosity leads. Show me how to start one →
Is AP harder than the SAT?
They do different jobs. The SAT tests Reading and Writing and Math on a 400–1600 scale for admissions. An AP exam tests one college course in depth and can earn credit. For SAT targets, see what is a good SAT score.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AP exam?
A College Board exam on one AP course, scored from 1 to 5. Many colleges give credit for a 3 or higher.
When are AP exams in 2027?
May 3–7 and May 10–14, 2027.
Is a 70% a 5 on the AP exam?
Not by a fixed rule. Cut points are set for each exam through research studies.
What are the top 5 hardest AP exams?
By 2026 rates of 3 or higher: Music Theory, Statistics, Computer Science Principles, Calculus AB, then four exams tied at 66%.
Can you take an AP exam without taking the class?
Yes, for most exams. Ask a school that gives AP exams for an exam-only join code.
Sources
- College Board, AP Courses and Exams
- College Board, 2027 AP Exam Dates
- College Board, AP Exam Start Times
- College Board, 2027 AP Exam Late-Testing Dates
- College Board, AP Classroom
- College Board, Past AP Free-Response Questions
- College Board, How AP Exams Are Administered by Course
- College Board, About AP Scores
- College Board, AP Score Scale Table
- College Board, 2026 AP Score Distributions
- College Board, How to Join Your AP Class Section
- College Board, How to Use AP Registration and Ordering
- College Board, AP Exam Fees
- College Board, AP Exam Fee Reductions
- College Board, Getting Credit and Placement
- College Board, How to Choose an AP Course
- College Board, AP Capstone Diploma Program
- College Board, AP Research Assessment
- College Board, SAT Suite Program Results
About learnSTEM
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