Last Updated: April 21, 2021

Advanced Placement FAQs

The Advanced Placement Program provided by the College Board is gaining popularity among students because it allows students to take up intro-level college courses while in high school for a sum of $95 per subject. This is a great addition to their college applications since it proves that the student is capable of doing college-level academics while in school. It also lets the students graduate faster since they can skip the course they have already taken.

Students opt to take as many courses as they can while focusing on their high school academics, extra-curricular activities, and their ACT/SAT exams. This gives them extra credit in college and also helps prepare them for college by familiarizing them with the educational style in colleges beforehand. The importance of this course makes the confusion and questions regarding the course to be plenty. This page deals with the most frequently asked questions regarding AP courses.


What are the eligibility criteria to enroll for AP courses?

Most courses in the Advanced Placement Program do not have any prerequisites. This changes from course to course but it is generally recommended that the student should be able to comprehend college-level textbooks and write grammatically accurate sentences.

Is it necessary that the student do the AP courses in order to take the AP exam?

No, it is not absolutely necessary that students take the AP courses in order to take the examination. They have the option of taking the examinations independently though it is recommended that they enroll for the courses considering the difficulty level of the subjects they plan to take.

What is the cost of an AP exam?

Registering for the AP exam costs $95 per subject in the U.S., U.S territories, Canada, and DoDEA schools. Students will have to pay an increased sum of $125 for schools situated elsewhere. The College Board also offers a Capstone Diploma course that has a fee of $143 which does not include the 4 extra AP courses students will have to take up in order to complete the course. The courses that the student is taking must be applied for separately and must also be paid for separately.

What is the eligibility for a fee waiver?

The eligibility for availing of a fee waiver is as follows-

How many times can a student retake the examination?

Students can retake the examination every year if necessary. All their scores will be included in their score report unless the student has specifically requested to withhold or cancel a few of their scores.

Can homeschooled students take the AP exam?

Homeschooled students are required to contact their nearest school which administers the AP exams and enquire whether they allow homeschooled students to test there. Students can then apply at the said school depending upon their deadlines and policies for receiving external applications.

What are the steps to take the Digital Exams?

The College Board has initiated the Digital Exam mode during the pandemic in order to help the students take their AP exams. The steps to follow in order to take the Digital Exam are-

What is the exam schedule planned for 2021?

Each of the AP courses will have 3 different testing dates which can either be in the school or can be taken digitally at home. The first administration is taken only at the school whereas in the 2nd and 3rd administration the test can be taken at the school if the schools are still open or students can apply for the tests to be conducted digitally at home. Students will not be able to choose their exam dates. Their coordinators will be given the duty of assigning the students to the different administrations.

Is the duration of the digital exams different from the paper and pencil exams?

No, the time duration allotted to the exam and to the different sections of the exam will be the same for both digital exams and paper and pencil exams. The only difference will be in the questions where students were required to draw graphs and figures. In the digital exam, students will be required to answer questions pertaining to the graphs and figures provided instead of drawing them themselves.

What are the devices used for the Digital Exam?

The exams are to be conducted on desktop and laptop computers including Mac, Windows, and school-manages Chromebooks. The exam cannot be taken on smartphones.

What is the AP score required to earn college credit?

Students taking the AP exams are graded on a scale from 1-5 where they should get a minimum of 3 to pass the examination. Different colleges require different AP grades and this can be found on their official website. It is recommended that students aim for a 5 in every exam.

What is the procedure for sending scores after the test?

Students will be provided with an option of choosing the schools and colleges they want their test scores sent to during the examination. Students also have the option of sending their scores to different schools through their College Board account for an additional fee of $15 per subject.

When will the scores reach the designated colleges?

The schools and colleges that were assigned to receive the score reports during the time of the examination will receive them within a month. Students can choose whether they need to send their score reports through the standard delivery or the rush delivery system if they are sending additional reports. The standard delivery will reach within 7-14 days and cost them $15 per report whereas the rush delivery will reach within 5-9 days and cost them $25 per report.