Advanced Placement Costs

Advanced Placement examinations are taken by high school students who wish to build their profile before applying to higher educational institutions. Candidates who can clear a few AP examinations will be deemed college-ready by institutions since the content and exam format of the examinations are at a college level. Students can also get extra credit from certain institutions or be exempt from certain first-semester courses if they have sufficient AP grades.

The AP examinations do not have a pass or fail grade, and the required grade is often based on the college or university to which one is applying. Taking an AP examination can be an additional burden for students already neck-deep in high school academic content and college application stress. To help, the College Board provides candidates with the AP exam dates a year earlier so one can prepare accordingly. Those staying in the US, Canada, or any US territory will have a lesser fee, whereas the candidates outside these places will have to pay an increased cost per examination.

Making the Payment for AP Examinations

Candidates who wish to take the AP examination must apply before November 14 or November 15 every year, and the fee must be paid to the school administering the examination. Students should not mail the test fee to the College Board under any circumstance. They can pay the fee through checks and money orders, payable at the school where they take the examination.

Cost for the AP Examinations

The details for the fee required are as follows-

Purpose	Fee Amount
Exam Fee for US, US Territories, Canada, DoDEA Schools	$99 per subject
Exam Fee for Authorized Centers Outside US	$129 per subject
AP Seminar and AP Research Exam	$147
Fee Reduction	-$37 per subject
Late Testing Fee, if applicable	+$40 per subject
Late Order Fee	$40 per Subject
Exam Cancellation Fee	$40 per Subject
Accommodation Fee	$0

Cost for AP Late Testing

The College Board offers candidates late testing dates, especially targeting those who cannot attend all examinations due to overlapping dates. Those who have personal reasons for not taking the test will also be able to take them on the late testing dates. Candidates with academic reasons for not writing the test will not have to pay an additional fee for taking the test on these dates. The permissible reasons include-

• Attending an academic/athletic event
• Overlapping with IB/Cambridge Exam
• Overlapping with National, Province, or State-mandated tests
• Having documented disability issues
• Family emergencies or serious sickness
• Graduation ceremony in high school
• Due to a religious holiday
• Court appearance for student
• Overlapping AP examinations

Those with reasons outside those listed above will have to pay an additional fee of $40 per subject for taking the test on late testing dates.

Cost of AP Exam Cancellations and Refunds

Candidates who wish not to take their AP exam and cancel a scheduled test after the November ordering deadline will have to pay $40 per subject as a cancellation fee. The amount one must pay for unused examinations will be the same. This is irrespective of whether the candidate is eligible for a College Board fee reduction for their examinations.

The only condition under which a candidate needn't pay this cancellation fee is if they have transferred out of school. Upon canceling the examination, they will get a refund of the amount they paid minus the cancellation fee. There is no refund for any additional fee paid at registration. Candidates who had to pay a late fee will not get this amount as a refund.

Cost for AP Exam Accommodations

Candidates requiring accommodations while taking AP examinations can request them before the examination dates. The accommodations provided are based on the documented disabilities that candidates have and are as follows-

• Candidates will be able to take the examination in a Braille format
• Candidates can take the exam in an assistive technology-compatible format.
• Candidates can have the exam paper in large print
• Candidates can request for extra time
• Candidates can take extra breaks
• Candidates can provide answers in large-block answer sheets
• Candidates can use a computer for writing essays
• Candidates can use a magnification device
• Candidates can request for a human reader to read out questions
• Candidates can request a writer who will record their responses If required,
• Candidates can request a written copy of oral instructions.

Those requesting accommodations must do so before January 18. They can do this online by submitting the necessary documentation on SSD Online. The approval for the same will be provided after March 15.

There is no additional cost to be paid for requesting accommodations.

Fee Reductions for AP Examinations

Candidates with financial needs can request a fee reduction from their AP coordinators. These AP coordinators will then be in charge of indicating the candidate's eligibility for the same on the AP Registration and Ordering section. One must meet the eligibility criteria based on the school or district from which they are taking the exam. The schools and districts that are part of the CEP/Community Eligibility Provision will have different eligibility requirements from those not in similar institutions. In all cases, the school or district will be able to decide whether a student is eligible for fee reductions or not.

College Board provides a $37 fee reduction per AP exam, and the schools provide an additional $9 rebate per exam. The fee one will have to pay after the fee reduction is as follows-

Purpose	Fee after Reduction
Exam Fee for US, US Territories, Canada, and DoDEA Schools	$53 per exam
Exam Fee for International Students	$83 per exam
Exam Fee for AP Seminar/Research Exams	$101