AP Course Selection and Exam Schedule: 2027 Exam Dates, Registration, Fees, and Score Reporting

Students planning to take the AP exams often get stuck on logistical questions: How many should I take? Which ones? What if my school doesn't offer AP? When are the 2027 exams? How much does each cost? How do I send scores to colleges? Based on the College Board's official website (AP Students), this guide covers everything from course selection to score reporting. For tips on scoring a 5, check out our article on How to Score a 5 on the AP Exams.

1. 2027 AP Exam Schedule

According to the schedule released by the College Board, the 2027 AP exams will be held over two weeks in May: May 3–7 and May 10–14. Each day is divided into a morning (Session 1) and an afternoon (Session 2) session. Some popular subjects include:

For the complete schedule, please refer to the College Board website. A few important things to note in advance:

• Portfolio and project deadlines: Portfolios and projects for Computer Science Principles, Seminar and Research, and World Languages and Cultures are due by April 30, 2027; Art and Design portfolios are due by May 7 (all deadlines are 11:59 p.m. ET);
• Calculus AB and BC are scheduled at the same time, so you can only take one;
• Scheduling conflicts: If two exams you want to take are scheduled at the same time, the College Board recommends checking with your school's AP coordinator to take one during the late-testing period. You can register for both.

2. How Many and Which APs to Take

According to the College Board, AP courses are challenging, but with hard work and academic preparation, students can succeed. Here are some factors to consider when choosing your courses (based on our experience):

• Align with your intended major: For STEM majors, AP math and science courses best demonstrate your abilities; for economics or business, AP Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Statistics are more relevant;
• Match your strengths: Choosing subjects you can excel in and score well on is more important than blindly chasing a high number of APs;
• Know your limits: How many APs to take in a year depends on your school's curriculum and extracurricular schedule. Don't sacrifice your grades in other courses just to take more APs;
• Check college credit policies: The College Board provides a tool to search for college AP credit and placement policies. If you want to earn college credit, check how many points your target universities require.

The College Board also makes it clear that a single low AP score won't significantly impact your college admissions. Universities consider much more than just test scores, including the rigor of your coursework and your grades in challenging classes; simply choosing to take AP courses shows your willingness to challenge yourself.

3. How to Register

If Your School Offers AP

Register through your school's AP coordinator. The College Board states that the deadline for schools to submit AP exam orders is mid-November, so confirm your registration with your school early in the fall semester.

If Your School Doesn't Offer AP, or Doesn't Offer the One You Want

• You can take the exam without taking an AP course: The College Board recommends taking the course before the exam, but it's not required. Self-studying students can prepare using the Course and Exam Description (CED) as well as past free-response questions and scoring guidelines;
• Find another school to test at: Use the College Board's AP Course Ledger to find nearby schools that offer AP. Contact them early in the school year, as each school may have its own deadlines and policies for accepting outside students;
• In mainland China and Hong Kong: The College Board notes that if you cannot find a school to test at, some countries and regions have authorized test centers, including mainland China and Hong Kong. For specific registration methods and deadlines, please refer to the College Board website for your region.

4. Fees (2026–27 School Year)

The above are the exam fees published by the College Board. When registering through a school or test center, there may be additional fees charged by the school or testing site. Please refer to the registration site for details.

5. Scores and Score Reporting

• Free score reporting: Each year you take the AP exams, you can send your scores to one college or scholarship program for free. The deadline is June 20; colleges designated this way will generally receive your scores in early July;
• Additional score reports: $15 per report;
• Who can see your scores: You, your designated colleges, and your school and district teachers will automatically receive your scores once they are released.

If you haven't decided which colleges to apply to yet, you don't have to rush to use your free score report. You can wait and send them when you apply.

6. A Year-Long Timeline

1. Spring (previous school year): Decide which AP subjects to take the following year;
2. September–October: Confirm your registration with your school; for subjects your school doesn't offer, start contacting other schools or test centers;
3. Before mid-November: Complete registration (the deadline for your school's order);
4. November–April of the following year: Review systematically, practice with official past free-response questions, and train according to the scoring guidelines;
5. Late April: Deadline for submitting portfolios and projects;
6. May: Take the exams;
7. Before June 20: Decide whether to use your free score report;
8. July: Scores are released.

Final Thoughts

The challenge of AP isn't just the exams themselves, but also the logistics: choose subjects related to your intended major that you can excel in, complete registration by mid-November, watch out for scheduling conflicts and project deadlines, and make the most of your free score report after testing. Once everything is organized, the rest is just solid preparation.

For subject-specific preparation tips, check out our articles on How to Score a 5 on the AP Exams and How to Prepare for AP Calculus. If you need help with AP course planning or exam prep, feel free to chat with our counselors.

Verification note: This article was verified against the College Board AP Students website in September 2026. The 2027 exam schedule and portfolio deadlines are from the exam dates page; the 2026–27 school year fees are from the exam fees page; score reporting rules are from the score reporting page; information on whether you can take the exam without taking an AP course, what to do if your school doesn't offer AP (including the mid-November order deadline), authorized test centers outside the U.S., exam scheduling conflicts, AP course rigor, and whether a low score affects admissions comes from the corresponding Q&A in the AP Students Help Center. The course selection advice and timeline are based on our experience; for specific registration methods, deadlines, and testing site fees, please refer to the latest information from the College Board and your school or test center.

References:

• College Board：AP Exam Dates
• College Board：AP Exam Fees
• College Board：Sending AP Scores
• College Board：Where can I sign up for an AP Exam if I don't live in the United States?
• College Board：The AP Exam I want to take isn't offered at my school
• College Board：Can I take an AP Exam if I haven't taken the AP course?
• College Board：What if two exams are scheduled at the same time?
• College Board：Will a low AP score hurt my chances of admission?
• College Board：AP Credit Policy Search