When do AP Scores come out in 2022?

 

• AP exams are held yearly on specific dates during a two-week period in the month of May
• Results typically come out approximately two months later, in the early weeks of July
• It can take time to get results because free-response questions are manually graded
• Your My AP account is where you need to go to access your scores online
• AP exams are graded from 1-5, where a score of 3 is passing; 3 is also the lowest score a college/university will consider giving course credit for

 

Most high schools around the United States offer AP (advanced placement) courses — and their related exams. AP subjects are higher-level classes meant to help prepare students for college by implementing rigorous curricula. AP exams test what students have learned in their AP courses and can even help students save money during college by earning them credit.

If you’re here wondering about the AP exam results this 2022, this guide has all the answers you need. So when do AP scores come out?

What Are AP Exams?

AP tests are college-level exams on specific subjects. They are administered in May upon the completion of an AP course taken at a student's high school. A high enough score on an AP exam can earn the student course credit at many colleges and universities.

Advanced Placement (AP) examinations are held by the College Board and are scheduled each May for the applicants. The tests are the peak of Advanced Placement (AP) programs that last a whole year. The AP exams have two sections - a multiple-choice section and a free-response section.

When Do AP Scores Come Out in 2022?

AP exams are generally held during a two-week period each year, always in the month of May. Once you’ve taken your exam, your score will typically be out within two months, in the month of July. Unfortunately, this two-month wait is pretty much mandatory — scores are simply unavailable until this point.

It does appear as though CollegeBoard releases AP scores in waves, depending on your geographical location. Some states, like Florida and Texas, receive their results earliest. U.S. territories, Canada, and International test results are released last, often from July 9th.

What time do AP exam scores come out? You can expect the results to be declared all around the world at exactly 8 AM EST, on the following dates:

State	AP Test Scores Release Date
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas	Sunday, July 5, 2022
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia	Monday, July 6, 2022
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia	Tuesday, July 7, 2022
California, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon	Wednesday, July 8, 2022
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming	Thursday, July 9, 2022
Canada, U.S. territories, International	Thursday, July 9, 2022

 

Your AP scores release during the month of July, including scores for individual subjects. So if you’re asking “when do AP lang scores come out” or “when do AP psych scores come out,” the answer is the same — sometime during the month of July, starting July 5th. If you are still missing some of your scores by August 15th, College Board recommends getting in touch with their AP Services for Students.

Where Can I Get My AP Scores?

If you want to find your AP scores, check your My AP Account to view them online. You’ll have to log in to the College Board site with your credentials. Once logged in, you can then view the AP Score Report containing all your results.

Your report includes details such as the year you sat for your exams, the exam names, and final scores between one to five. There will be no added info in your reports — so don’t expect any scoring breakdowns!

Why Does It Take So Long to Get AP Results?

You’re probably asking why AP results take so long (two months) to come out when SAT scores come out within a matter of weeks. Well, the reason your AP results take so long is because grading free-response questions takes a lot of time. Unlike the multiple-choice questions, which are checked by a machine, free-response questions are graded manually by AP readers.

Grading usually happens during an annual event called the AP Reading Conference, which usually happens in June. However, to accommodate the challenges brought forth by the Covid-19 pandemic, readers have been able to grade from home since 2020. The case was the same this year, although it is unknown whether home reading will be allowed next year.

It is only once your free-response questions are graded that your final score (from 1-5) can be determined. All of this can take quite a lot of time, hence the two-month lead time.

Can I Get My AP Results Early?

Due to the reasons mentioned above (free-response questions being manually graded), there is no way to get your AP results earlier than the timeframe set forth by College Board. You can expect to start viewing your results from July 5th, though the actual date on which yours becomes available depends on your geographical location (what state or country you live in).

If you live in a state where scores come out late, or if you live in a country where scores always come out last,  you can sort of circumvent the wait. You can do this by:

• Using a VPN to set your location to a state where the scores have already come out, or
• Asking someone located in a different state to access your scores using your My AP account

The hassle may not always be worth it though, considering you’ll likely only really save a few hours to a few days’ worth of waiting. If you’re really feeling impatient, you can attempt the methods above, though there is no guarantee that your scores will be available.

Generally, scores all become available by mid-July. If you have not gotten yours by August 15th, College Board advises you to get in touch with AP Services to ask for help.

What to Do While Waiting for AP Scores

Waiting for your AP test results can feel nerve-wracking, especially if you really want to know if you can qualify for some college course exemptions. Although you usually finish your AP exams in May, the results won’t be available for two months — so what should you do while you wait?

Well, as you wait for your AP results, you should most probably try to finish your school year strong. You probably already know by now that your GPA matters and carries a lot of weight in your college applications. Now that your AP exams are over, use whatever time you have left to try and get your grades as high as possible, especially your grades in your AP courses.

Finals also typically happen during the wait between your AP exams and their results, so it may benefit you to focus on preparing for those exams! Your finals are likely weighted heavily and can help you finish the year with grades you are happy with.

If you’re in 12th grade, then chances are you’ve probably already gotten decision letters from your colleges, so you can relax and enjoy the rest of your summer once you end your year strong.

What other things can you do while waiting for AP scores when you’re not a senior?

• As a freshman or a sophomore, you can use the wait to start preparing for your SAT or ACT. It may seem like you’re starting extremely early, but if you want to get into extremely selective schools you want to use as much time as possible to raise your scores as high as you can get them. The earlier you start preparing and taking practice exams, the better off you’ll be when you take the actual tests. Remember that you can also retake your ACT and SAT to get better scores. Retakes aren’t always necessary, but they may be quite beneficial if you’re going for schools like Harvard or Stanford.
• As a junior, it’s ideal to have already taken your ACT or SAT at least once by this time. But even if you haven’t, you should use this time after your AP exams to start preparing for them. Taking your SAT or ACT in your junior year can help prepare you for taking your actual tests the next year. Your SAT/ACT results can also tell you what to focus your study and prep on so you can improve before a retest.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I expect my AP scores?

So, when do AP exam scores come out? You can expect your AP scores to start coming out on July 5th. This would put it about two months after you took your exams initially, which is the norm. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this wait.

What time will 2022 AP scores come out?

If you’re asking the question “what time are AP scores released?” the answer is 8 AM Eastern Standard Time, starting on July 5th, 2022.

Should I send my AP scores to colleges?

AP Scores aren’t all too necessary when it comes to college admissions — in fact, they aren’t usually part of the application. AP Scores don’t go into your high school transcript or work into your GPA, so there isn’t really a place for them in your application. However, you may want to send them in anyway, especially if you get a score of five on a variety of subjects. High AP scores in certain subjects can help your application stand out among a sea of elite students, so you can consider sending yours if you’re applying to highly selective institutions.

How can I see my AP scores early?

You’ve probably asked “when are AP scores released this 2022” followed by “can I see my scores early?” Unfortunately, there’s no real way around the two-month wait between your exam dates and your score release dates. The reason for the wait is that free-response questions on the AP exams are graded manually, which means teachers have to score them in person — which will take time!

There are some ways you can get access to your AP scores early, including setting your VPN to a state that receives scores early or asking a friend in another state where scores are already available to check yours. However, doing this really isn’t all too worth it considering you’ll probably only be able to get your scores a few hours to a couple of days earlier.

What is a good AP score?

You can expect an AP score between one to five, where five is the highest possible. Scoring a five means you’ve exceeded the expectations of your AP course, and if you submit this score to a college you can most probably get exempted from that college course.

A score of four also shows you’ve done quite well on your exam and your course in general. Four says that you have a rather firm grasp on the subject and at this score, you have a good chance of getting exempted from the course as well.

Three is a passing score and is the last score accepted for course exemptions. However, some schools will no longer accept a three for exemptions.

What if some of my AP scores aren’t available?

If some of your scores have not yet become available, wait a few days or weeks to see if they come up. AP scores can take an entire month to show up, depending on a few factors. College Board does state that if yours have not shown up by August 15th, you should contact AP Services for assistance. If you’re concerned about designated colleges receiving your scores, there’s no cause for worry. Your first score report gets sent to the school, and other scores get added as they become available.

Can teachers see your AP scores?

According to this College Board page, only some authorized teachers can.

Conclusion

The answer to the question “when do AP scores come out?” is simple: they usually come out two months after you sat for your exams. This year, AP scores started coming out on July 5th at 8 AM EST. We hope that this guide has helped you figure out when to expect your scores and what to do if yours come out late. Good luck; we hope you get college credit for your AP courses!

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