Contents
- 1 Step-by-Step: How to Register for the AP Exam?
- 2 Who Is the AP Coordinator and What Do They Do?
- 3 Important Deadlines for the 2025-2026 AP Exam Year
- 4 Fees for AP Exams in 2025
- 5 How to Sign in to Your My AP Account?
- 6 What Are Join Codes and How to Get One?
- 7 Need Accommodations for the AP Exam? Here’s What to Know
Advanced Placement (AP) exams can help you earn college credit, and show colleges you’re ready for new challenges. But before you can sit for the exam, you need to register—and the process comes with deadlines, codes, fees, and rules that can easily trip you up.
Not sure where to start with AP registration? We’ve got you covered—from join codes to what happens if you forget to register on time.
Step-by-Step: How to Register for the AP Exam?
Just being in the class doesn’t mean your exam is set up. There are a few extra steps you’ll need to take. Here’s how the process works for most students:
- Get your join code from your AP teacher or coordinator.
- Log in to your My AP account.
- Join each course or exam by entering the correct join code.
- Confirm with your AP coordinator that you plan to take the exam.
- Pay any required fees based on your school’s instructions.
If you’re homeschooled or preparing on your own, the steps are slightly different:
- Use the College Board’s AP Course Ledger to find a school offering AP exams.
- Contact the school’s AP coordinator and request to register as an exam-only student.
- Get a special join code, then follow the same process through your My AP account.
Heads-up from our teachers: Just logging into your My AP account isn’t enough. Your AP coordinator has to submit your exam order by the College Board deadline. If you don’t confirm or if your school misses the deadline, you may not be able to take the test.
Who Is the AP Coordinator and What Do They Do?
Your AP coordinator is the person at your school—or testing site—who manages everything related to AP exams. If you miss a step in the registration process, your coordinator is often the one who can fix it—or prevent issues in the first place.
Most students meet their AP coordinator in early fall, especially if they’re enrolled in AP classes. But if you’re homeschooling or testing at another school, it’s up to you to reach out and introduce yourself.
Your AP coordinator helps make sure that:
- Your exam gets ordered on time
- Your info is sent to the College Board the right way
- Any special circumstances (fee waivers, accommodations, transfers) are handled properly
Important Deadlines for the 2025-2026 AP Exam Year
Late registration often means extra fees. In some cases, you won’t be able to take the test at all. Here are the official AP registration deadlines for the 2025-2026 school year, according to the College Board:
| Deadline Category | Date (Expected) | Details |
| Final Exam Order Deadline (Fall Courses) | November 15, 2025 (11:59 PM ET) | Last day for AP coordinators to submit exam orders for all full-year and fall semester AP courses and exam-only sections |
| Spring Course and Changes Deadline | March 15, 2026 (11:59 PM ET) | Final deadline for ordering exams for spring semester courses and making changes to existing orders. |
| Fee Reduction Status Deadline | April 30, 2026 (11:59 PM ET) | Last day to indicate students eligible for fee reductions in AP Registration and Ordering. |
Reminder: These are national College Board deadlines. Your school may set earlier internal deadlines for registration, payment, or verification. Always ask your AP coordinator for your school’s timeline.
If you’re taking your exams with a different school or district (as a homeschool or independent student), reach out as early as possible. Some coordinators stop accepting outside test-takers well before the national deadline.
At Legacy, we begin sending reminders to students and families in early October, and we recommend setting calendar alerts to stay on track.
What to Do If You Miss the Deadline?
💬 “I missed my school’s AP exam registration deadline!!!! I’ve been stressing over my ED and my EA’s and working on my essays that I totally forgot about AP Exam registration”
— u/sf-bayarea on Reddit
Don’t panic if you missed the AP deadline—just act quickly before options run out.
The College Board allows late registration until March 15, 2026. However, many schools set earlier internal cutoffs—sometimes as early as January or February—to process payments and finalize exam orders. Once your school’s deadline passes, even if the national window is still open, your coordinator may no longer be able to include you.
Missing the deadline means paying a $40 fee per exam. Depending on your school, there may be extra charges. Check with your AP coordinator to see the full cost and if you can still register.
If the deadline was missed due to a school error—like an unsubmitted order—reach out immediately. Coordinators can still process a late submission, but only before March 15.
If your school can’t help, you might be able to test elsewhere. Use the AP Course Ledger to find a nearby school offering your exam, then contact their AP coordinator to ask about registering as an exam-only student.
Fees for AP Exams in 2025
AP Exams are a cost-effective way to earn college credit, often saving students thousands of dollars compared to taking the same class in college.
Standard Fees
The College Board has set the following base fees for the 2025 AP Exam cycle:
- $99 per exam for schools in the United States, U.S. territories, Canada, and Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools
- $129 per exam for schools outside the U.S. (except DoDEA)
- $147 per exam for AP Capstone™ courses (AP Seminar and AP Research)
Late and Cancellation Fees
Some students realize the issue only after it’s too late. “I missed the deadline, how dead am I?” wrote one frustrated user in the r/ApplyingToCollege subreddit. If you find yourself in the same situation, you might still be able to register—but there’s a cost. The College Board charges a $40 late order fee for any exam added after the November 15 deadline and for exams canceled after that date but before the March 15 final cutoff.
Fee Reductions
The College Board offers a $37 fee reduction per AP exam for students with financial need. If your school also waives its $9 rebate, your cost per exam would be:
- $53 per standard exam (U.S. schools)
- $83 for each regular AP exam (Schools outside the U.S.)
- $101 per AP Seminar or AP Research exam (all locations)
Eligibility is determined by your school’s AP coordinator, typically based on participation in programs like free or reduced-price lunch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Medicaid.
How to Pay?
Most students pay their AP exam fees directly through their school. Schools may use:
- Online payment systems
- Cash or check
- Student billing accounts or parent portals
If you’re testing as an independent student, the school administering your exam will provide payment instructions. Your exam will not be ordered until payment is received.
Heads-up from our teachers: Don’t assume the College Board collects your payment directly—they don’t. Your school handles all payments and submissions.
How to Sign in to Your My AP Account?
Your My AP account is where you join AP classes, register for exams, and view your scores. If you can’t access it, you can’t test. That’s why we recommend checking your login details early—before registration opens or deadlines hit.
Where to Sign In?
Go to myap.collegeboard.org. This is the official site for everything AP. There’s no mobile app, so use a web browser on your computer or phone. Avoid third-party sites. Bookmark the page so you don’t waste time later.
Forgot Your Password?
Click Forgot Password? on the login page. You’ll enter your email and either answer a security question or confirm with a verification code. Use the same email you used when creating the account.
If you’ve lost access to that email, don’t make a new account. Contact College Board Customer Service for help. Creating a second account can split your scores and delay reporting.
If You’re Locked Out
If you enter the wrong password too many times, your account might lock. Wait 15 minutes and try again. If that doesn’t work, go to the Help Center or call support. They can walk you through the reset process.
What Are Join Codes and How to Get One?
Join codes connect your My AP account to your AP class or exam. Without the right code, your exam won’t be ordered—and you won’t get a score or credit.
How Join Codes Work?
Each AP class has its own join code. Your school’s AP coordinator creates them for each course, teacher, and class period. If you’re taking more than one AP subject, you’ll need a different code for each one.
To use your code:
- Log in to myap.collegeboard.org
- Click Join a Course or Exam
- Enter the code exactly as you received it
Even a small typo can break the link between you and your class, so double-check your entry.
Lost or Missing Join Code
Ask your AP teacher or your school’s AP coordinator. If you’re self-studying or testing at a different school, you’ll need an exam-only join code, which is given by the testing site’s coordinator.
Never guess or borrow someone else’s code. Each code is unique to a school, subject, and class section. Using the wrong one means your exam won’t be processed correctly.
When to Use It?
Join codes should be entered as early as possible—ideally by October. Using the code connects your class to your account, but your coordinator still needs to confirm the order.
Need Accommodations for the AP Exam? Here’s What to Know
If you have a diagnosed disability or health condition, you may qualify for testing accommodations on your AP exams. These can include:
- Extra time
- Breaks
- A separate room
- Alternate formats (like a reader or large-print test)
Accommodations are not automatic. You must apply through your school’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) coordinator. This is usually a school counselor or special education teacher. They submit the request to the College Board using the SSD online system. You won’t apply through My AP, and you should never send documents directly to the College Board yourself.
We recommend starting early—ideally by late fall. The official deadline for most AP exam accommodation requests is usually in mid-January, but some schools close submissions earlier so they can review documentation on time.
If you were approved for accommodations in the past (for the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), Preliminary SAT (PSAT) or another AP exam), you may not need to apply again. Still, check with your SSD coordinator to confirm your approval is still active.
As the College Board explains, once approved, accommodations apply across all College Board assessments. But timing matters.
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Top Tips from Our Expert |
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Maya Robinson, AP Program Advisor at Legacy Online School
Sources: College Board, Reddit
