What are AP exams?

The Advanced Placement Program (AP) offered by the College Board is an educational initiative enabling high school students to access college-level courses and examinations.

Why take AP exams?

Taking AP courses and exams in high school could give you an advantage in college by letting you:

• Create a strong academic foundation
• Stand out in college admission process
• Earn college credit in advance
• Save money and time
• Keep your options open 

AP Exam schedule for 2026

The 2026 AP Exams will be administered in schools over two weeks in May: May 4–8 and May 11–15. AP coordinators are responsible for notifying students when and where to report for the exams.

Who is eligible for AP exams in India?

Any student, regardless of their curriculum, is eligible to take the AP exams. Most students take the exam in Class 10, 11, 12 to demonstrate academic readiness and subject proficiency. Please note that students may retake an AP exam in a future year to improve their scores. However, they cannot sit for the same exam more than once in a single exam administration year.

What is the registration process for APs? 

In India, AP registration and exams are administered through authorised test centres. It’s essential to know that students cannot register through their schools unless the school is an approved AP test centre. AP registration and exams are administered through authorised test centres. Registration usually occurs between September and March. 

AP Exam fees

Each AP exam has an associated fee, and payment is made directly through the test centre. For any AP exam (including AP Seminar and AP Research) taken outside the U.S, the cost is $129 per exam (INR 19,158)

How are the exams administered?

Like last year, most 2026 AP Exams will be delivered digitally (fully digital or hybrid digital) through Bluebook. The remaining AP Exams will be administered through other modes of testing. 

Fully Digital AP Exams

Students complete multiple-choice and free-response questions in Bluebook, with all responses automatically submitted at the end of the exam.

• AP African American Studies
• AP Art History
• AP Comparative Government and Politics
• AP Computer Science A
• AP Computer Science Principles*
• AP English Language and Composition
• AP English Literature and Composition
• AP Environmental Science
• AP European History
• AP Human Geography
• AP Latin
• AP Psychology
• AP Seminar*
• AP United States Government and Politics
• AP United States History
• AP World History: Modern  

*For AP Computer Science Principles and AP Seminar, students complete a fully digital end-of-course exam in Bluebook and submit performance tasks through the AP Digital Portfolio for scoring.

Hybrid Digital AP Exams

Students complete multiple-choice questions and view free-response questions in Bluebook. They handwrite their free-response answers in paper exam booklets that are returned to the AP Program for scoring. 

• AP Biology
• AP Calculus AB
• AP Calculus BC
• AP Chemistry
• AP Macroeconomics
• AP Microeconomics
• AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• AP Physics C: Mechanics
• AP Precalculus
• AP Statistics 

AP Exams Not Delivered Through Bluebook

The following exams aren’t delivered through Bluebook, they either have audio components or consist solely of portfolio assessments.

• Art and Design (AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, and AP Drawing)
• AP Chinese and AP Japanese Language and Culture 
• AP French, German, Italian, and Spanish Language and Culture
• AP Music Theory
• AP Research
• AP Spanish Literature and Culture

Source: collegeboard.org