AP score release 2027: when scores arrive and how score sends work

Key dates between the exam and the score report

Source: College Board AP 2026-27 key dates and AP Students pages, checked October 2026. College Board confirms the release day in late spring; scores reach the free recipient in early July.

What each AP score means

Each exam combines the multiple-choice and free-response sections into a composite score, which is converted to the 1 to 5 scale so that a 3 means the same standard from year to year.

Many US colleges grant credit or placement for 3 and above, but each sets its own score and subject rules. UK universities that accept AP for international applicants usually ask for several 4s or 5s, so check the course page.

Using the free score send well

Every student gets one free score send each year they take AP exams. The report includes every AP score the student has ever earned, not just this year's, unless a score is withheld or cancelled. For a Grade 12 student who already knows their university, the choice is easy: send to that university before 20 June. For a Grade 11 student, the free send is most useful for a university at the top of the list, because sending later costs $15 per report.

Many Gulf students apply to universities in several countries. US colleges usually want official reports sent from College Board. Universities in the UK, Canada and the region vary: some accept self-reported scores at application and ask for the official report only once an offer is accepted. Check each university's own instructions before paying for sends.

Cancelling or withholding a score

Cancelling deletes a score permanently. There is no fee, but the exam fee is not refunded, and a cancelled score cannot be restored. To stop a score reaching the free score-send recipient, the request has to reach AP Services for Students by 15 June.

Withholding keeps the score on record but hides it from one college or scholarship programme. It costs $10 per score per college and can be removed later at no charge. Most students should think twice before either: a 2 or 3 alongside good grades is rarely what decides an application.

What to do on results day

1. Sign in to the AP score portal with the College Board account used for registration. Parents cannot see scores unless the student shares them.
2. Check each university's AP credit policy on its own website for the subjects and scores your child earned.
3. If a score is lower than expected, look at next year's plan: a retake in May 2028 is possible, but most students are better served by strong grades in the next course.
4. Order any extra score sends needed for applications. Reports ordered online are usually available to the recipient within a day.

If the next exam needs a better score

Students who plan to retake an AP subject, or take a harder one next year, gain most from working on the free-response section, where marks are lost for reasoning not shown. A tutor who teaches the course reviews released questions with the official scoring guidelines and builds a plan from September to May. Lessons are one to one, online, 60 minutes, and fit after the school day in any Gulf time zone.