How To Check AP Scores | Can I Check My AP Scores Early?

Each year as the Spring semester comes to end and students work their way through finals, Advanced Placement test season arrives again. AP tests take place in the first two weeks of May, leaving students to anxiously await their test scores for the next two months of the summer. The wait is long! As students impatiently await, College Board insists that they won’t release early AP scores, but there may be some ways around this restriction.

How Are AP Tests Scored?

While you may be used to a percentage or 100 point grading system, AP exams are scored on a very unique scale. The highest possible score on an AP exam is a 5, and the lowest score is a 1. On this scale of 1-5, a 3 or higher is considered passing, and a score of 1 or 2 is considered failing.

Understanding this grading system is significant because many universities offer college credit for high scores in the same academic course. Many schools allow any passing score to count for college credit, others will only accept scores of 4 or 5, and still others will allow only a 5 in order to obtain the credit. 

Competitive colleges like those in the Ivy League can be particularly selective about which AP credits they accept as college credits, but taking AP classes can still be beneficial. If you’re filling out your college applications, receiving a good grade in the class and strong AP exam scores will demonstrate your academic ability. Many top schools want to see that you would be able to keep up with their rigorous course loads if you were accepted as a student.

You don’t necessarily have to send all of your AP score reports to the colleges you apply to, but most universities will want to see your GPA and transcript, so make sure you’re not slacking off in your AP courses!

When Can I Check My AP Scores

On average, scores are released approximately two months after students complete the exams. However, scores are released on an interval basis. The details of this release schedule are below. 

Results Release Dates

All AP test results are released in mid July, although the specific release date varies by state. Within 3 days, scores are released to all U.S. states, territories, and international locations. When you take the test in May, you may opt to send your AP scores to one college for free. Most students have already committed to a university by May of their student year, so they may choose to send their scores to that school before they are even released. 

Taking advantage of this system is more of a risk for students who are not already committed to a university as a low score could hurt an application and students may not want to submit that to schools. If you do select this free score report option, your designated school will receive your scores by mid-July. However, if you decide to order your own score reports after receiving your scores, you have to pay for each report.

A standard report in which your scores will arrive to the university within 7-14 days costs $15. A rushed report arrives within 5-9 days but will cost $25 per report. It’s important to keep this timeline in mind as many universities and scholarship programs have deadlines to receive scores for credit. 

Release dates vary by state, but are not specific to the region in which your state resides, so it is important to pay attention to the release date list. 

How To Check AP Scores Online

Go To apscore.org

Go to the web address apscore.org where you will see a button labeled “Go to Score Reporting Start Here” on the page; press this button.

Sign Into Your College Board Account

After pressing the “Start Here” button you will be prompted to sign into your account using your username and password.

Complete The Prompt Asking For Your AP Number or AP ID

If you took the AP test in 2019 or earlier and need to access your AP scores, your AP number (a unique 8-digit number) served as College Board’s way of identifying you with your score report. In 2020, the AP number was replaced with the AP ID.

The AP ID is a permanent 8-digit number that is always associated with you and your AP courses and tests, whereas the AP number changed with each AP exam that you took. You will be assigned this ID number upon first enrolling in a class section in My AP. If you have lost your AP number or account information, contact AP services 888-225-5427 or 212-632-1780 for help recovering your scores. 

Common Account Problems and How To Deal With Them

Forget Your Username Or Password?

If you have forgotten your username or password you can press the “forgot username?” or “forgot password?” prompts that appear after a failed login attempt. This will allow you to recover your login credentials through your registered email account.

Email Address Changed?

If you have changed your email address or no longer have access to your registered email address associated with your account, then you will have to call customer service to recover your account. The College Board customer service number is 866-315-6068. Once you have access to your account, you may update your email address by clicking “Account Settings” after logging into your account through the College Board homepage. If you change your email address at any time, you should ensure to keep your account settings current and updated. 

Creating Additional Account

While it is possible to create multiple accounts, it is not necessary or recommended. In order to keep all of your records and information straight, it is easiest to only create and access one AP account. 

How To Check AP Scores Without AP Number

In order to check your AP scores you will need either your AP number or AP ID, depending on what year you took the AP test.

If you no longer have access to the appropriate identification number, you will need to contact AP support in order to regain access to your account. 

Logging into the College Board website is the only way to see your official scores on score release days. Make sure you keep your information safely written down somewhere so you don’t face issues accessing your account!

Can I Check AP Scores Early

Officially, there is no way to check your AP scores early. College Board requires that you stick to the strict release schedule in order to access your scores. However, because some scores are released earlier depending on your timezone, you may be able to cheat the system, but only by a few days.

There are three loopholes that can be used to get your scores early; you can change your computer’s time zone, travel out of state, or utilize an out of state friend. By logging into your computer and changing the timezone to one other than your own, you may be able to access your scores a couple of days early. You may also have someone in a different state log into your account for you to safely view your scores early. The last, and definitely the most difficult, method would be to travel out of state in order to check your scores early. 

Get Your Desired AP Results With SoFlo Tutoring

One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable in preparing for all standardized and college prep tests, including AP tests, is through tutoring. SoFlo SAT Tutoring offers tutoring services for both the SAT and ACT, as well as tutoring for AP tests and high school classes, from high scoring students who attend top universities. Our online tutors have proven their mastery in the subject and provide individualized attention to other students. Check out our tutoring services to get started today and begin the journey to improving your own scores.

Sources

• https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/faqs/what-ap-number-and-where-can-i-find-it#:~:text=Your%20AP%20number%20can%20be,the%20AP%20number%20in%202020
• https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/faqs/what-ap-id 

About the Author

Catie Mullin is a sophomore at the University of Southern California studying Psychology. She is an expert tutor with SoFlo Tutoring and scored a 33 on her ACT. While she’s from Boise, Idaho, she was actually born in Germany!