Advanced Placement Exams were introduced by the College Board in the USA and Canada to help high-school students pursue university-level courses. Students achieving high scores receive placements and course credits from colleges and universities in the US. Advanced Placement Exam scores are also considered during admission to colleges. The exams are administered only in May every year and require advance registration. The registration fee costs USD 129 (INR 11,233).
- What is the Advanced Placement Exam?
- AP Exam Registration Process
2.1 Advanced Placement Exam Eligibility Criteria
2.2 Advanced Placement Exam Testing Policies
- Advanced Placement Exam Syllabus
- Advanced Placement Exam Scoring Method
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- Advanced Placement Exam Test Centers in India
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- FAQs
What is the Advanced Placement Exam?
The Advanced Placement Exam allows high-school students to demonstrate college-level knowledge and earn college credits and placements. Students undergo a rigorous curriculum to attain college credit, which makes their applications stand out during college admissions. Indian students planning to pursue undergraduate courses abroad can take the Advanced Placement Exam. More than 6,000 top global educational institutions have connected with the College Board to offer the Advanced Placement Exam in India.
AP Exam Registration Process
To take the Advanced Placement Exam, candidates must follow the steps mentioned below:
- Must create an account on the College Board to register for the AP exam online.
- Need to pay their AP registration fees to the test centers directly.
- Candidates will receive an admit card from the test center after their seat confirmation.
- Registration is final once the candidate registers and pays the fee.
Note: If you have already paid the test center but have not completed the online registration, you will not be able to take the exam. For successful registration, make sure you complete both the first 2 steps.
Advanced Placement Exam Eligibility Criteria
The Advanced Placement Exam can be taken by applicants who are below 21 years of age at the time of registration. You must bring your original and valid passport to the exam center. The Advanced Placement Exam is flexible. You can decide the number of exams you want to take in a particular year. Some students enroll in AP during their 10th grade. The ideal time for taking the Advanced Placement Exam in India would be in Class 11 or 12.
Note: Students older than 21 years with a 1-year gap between school and university, or who are in military service, can also take the exam.
Advanced Placement Exam Testing Policies
Mentioned below are some Advanced Placement Exam policies that candidates must know:
- You can take any or all of the 4 physics exams in a particular year.
- You cannot retake an exam in the same year.
- You cannot take both Calculus AB and Calculus BC in the same year.
- You cannot take 2 exams on the same day.
- If the test center allows, you can take the prerequisite for the AP Computer Science Principles Exam.
- AP Exams are paper-and-pencil-based. In-person digital exam options are not available for Indian students.
Note: For the AP Computer Science Principles Exam, you need to register for the exam and enroll in the corresponding AP course. You also need to submit a portfolio and complete the end-of-course exam to receive your AP Exam score.
Advanced Placement Exam Syllabus
Advanced Placement Exam offers 34 courses and exams that include maths, sciences, social sciences, arts, and world languages. It depends on the test centers to determine the exam subjects. The Advanced Placement Exam in India offers 22 different AP exam courses, and the duration can vary from 90 - 200 minutes, depending on the subject. The exam pattern consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and a free-response section. The subjects offered are as follows:
| Advanced Placement Exam subjects | Topics |
|---|---|
| World Languages and Culture | Chinese Language and Culture French Language and Culture German Language and Culture Italian Language and Culture Japanese Language and Culture Latin Spanish Language and Culture Spanish Literature and Culture |
| Arts | 2D Arts and Design 3D Arts and Design Art History Drawing Music Therapy |
| History and Social Sciences | Comparative Government and Politics European History Human Geography Macroeconomics Microeconomics Psychology US Government and Politics US History World History |
| Sciences | Biology Chemistry Environmental Science Physics 1 (Algebra-based) Physics 2 (Algebra-based) Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Physics C: Mechanics |
| English | English Language and Composition English Literature and Composition |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | Calculus AB Calculus BC Computer Science A Computer Science Principles Statistics |
The graph below shows the number of students who took the exam in a particular subject.
Advanced Placement Exam Scoring Method
The Advanced Placement Exam has a 5-point scoring system. A score of 3 or higher can get you the opportunity to apply for the AP Courses. Statistics show that students with higher AP scores (above 3) tend to experience easier and better academic success in college.
Here is the AP score scale table along with the college course grade equivalents:
| AP Exam Score | Recommendation | College Course Grade Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Extremely well qualified | A+ or A |
| 4 | Very well qualified | A-, B+, or B |
| 3 | Qualified | B-, C+, or C |
| 2 | Possibly qualified | NA |
| 1 | No recommendation | NA |
Advanced Placement Exam Dates 2026
The Advanced Placement Exam is conducted in May every year. The 2026 AP Exam will be administered over two weeks in May: May 4-8 and May 11-15.
Exam Timings
The Advanced Placement Exams begin between 8:00 and 9:00 AM for morning exams and between 12:00 and 1:00 PM for afternoon exams.
| Week 1 | Morning, 8 AM | Afternoon, 12 PM |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, May 4, 2026 | Biology Latin | European History Microeconomics |
| Tuesday, May 5, 2026 | Chemistry Human Geography | US Government & Politics |
| Wednesday, May 6, 2026 | English Literature and Composition | Comparative Government and Politics Physics 1: Algebra-Based |
| Thursday, May 7, 2026 | Physics 2: Algebra-Based World History: Modern | African American Studies Statistics |
| Friday, May 8, 2026 | Italian Language and Culture United States History | Chinese Language and Culture Macroeconomics |
Note: You can submit the 3 AP Art and Design portfolios by May 9, 2026, 5:30 AM IST.
| Week 2 | Morning, 8 AM | Afternoon, 12 PM |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, May 11, 2026 | Calculus AB Calculus BC | Music Theory Seminar |
| Tuesday, May 12, 2026 | French Language and Culture Precalculus | Japanese Language and Culture Psychology |
| Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | English Language and Composition German Language and Culture | Physics C: Mechanics Spanish Literature and Culture |
| Thursday, May 14, 2026 | Art History Spanish Language and Culture | Computer Science Principles Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism |
| Friday, May 15, 2026 | Environmental Science | Computer Science A |
Advanced Placement Exam Fee
The table below mentions the details about AP exam fees and service costs.
| AP Exam Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Regular AP Exam fee | USD 129 (INR 11,233) |
| Late Order Fee | USD 40 (INR 3,483) per exam |
| Unused/canceled exam fee | USD 40 (INR 3,483) per exam |
| Late Testing fee | USD 40 (INR 3,483) |
You can make the payment once you complete the registration process. AP Exam payments can be made either through Net Banking or a Credit Card. Here is the list of banks along with the bank code:
- 10 – ICICI Bank
- 50 – Axis Bank
- 120 – Corporation Bank
- 130 – Yes Bank
- 140 – Karnataka Bank
- 160 – Oriental Bank of Commerce
- 170 – Bank of Rajasthan
- 190 – Union Bank of India
- 180 – South Indian Bank
- 200 – Vijaya Bank
- 230 – Citibank
- 240 – Bank of India
- 270 – Federal Bank
- 280 – Allahabad Bank
- 300 – HDFC Bank
- 310 – Bank of Baroda
- 330 – Deutsche Bank
- 340 – Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait
- 350 – J&K Bank
- 370 – Dhanlaxmi Bank
- 420 – Indian Overseas Bank
- 440 – City Union Bank
- 450 – Standard Chartered Bank
- 490 – Indian Bank
- 520 – IDBI Bank
- 530 – State Bank of India
- 540 – Development Credit Bank
- 550 – State Bank of Mysore
- 560 – State Bank of Hyderabad
- 570 – United Bank of India
- 620 – TamilNad Mercantile Bank
- 680 – State Bank of Travancore
Advanced Placement Exam Test Centers in India
The Advanced Placement Exam in India is administered by authorized test centers. You need to follow the exam registration and payment instructions provided by your chosen test center. AP test centers operate independently, so their exam offerings, deadlines, fees, exam cancellation, and refund policies vary.
The table below gives a list of AP Test Centers in Indian cities:
| Indian City | Test Center |
|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad International School |
| Amritsar | Spring Dale Senior School |
| Bangalore | Bangalore International School |
| Chennai | USIEF |
| Hyderabad | Chirec International School |
| Indore | The Emerald Heights International School |
| Jaipur | Jayshree Periwal High School |
| Kolkata | USIEF |
| Lucknow | City Montessori Inter College |
| Ludhiana | Sat Paul Mittal School |
| Mussoorie | Mussoorie International School |
| Mumbai | USIEF |
| New Delhi | USIEF |
| Noida | Alliance World School |
| Rajkot | The Galaxy School |
| Vishakhapatnam | Oakridge International School |
Advanced Placement Exam Preparation Tips
Advanced Placement Exam practice papers for every subject can be found on the College Board website. It comprises questions in the Free Response format and also has scoring guidelines. Here are a few tips that you can follow to achieve higher marks in the Advanced Placement Exam:
- Practice more to be able to select answers easily.
- Keep the time limit in mind.
- Make sure to go through all the questions.
- Write the step used to work out the solution for a particular question.
- If confused, do not spend extra time on one question, skip to the next.
- Partial answers can be stored in the calculator for further direct calculations without the scope of errors.
- A graphing calculator helps with questions with graph functions and numerical derivatives.
There are numerous advantages of taking the Advanced Placement Exam. It helps you stand out in college and reflects competency among students. The AP Exam scores can be increased with rigorous practice and taking mock tests. You can additionally use a graphing calculator to answer questions like the computation of definite integrals and to solve equations.
FAQs
Ques. Who is eligible for the Advanced Placement Exam?
Ans. To be eligible for the Advanced Placement Exam, you must be enrolled in secondary school or high school, or be a recent graduate who needs the exam for college admission. There is no strict age limit, but most students take them in grades 11 or 12.
Ques. How many AP classes are required for Ivy League colleges?
Ans. For admissions to Ivy League universities, you need at least 8 AP classes. It is recommended that you take 1 AP course in each of the following core disciplines of English, Foreign Language, History, Math, and Science.
Ques. Is a 70% a 5 on the AP Exam?
Ans. A 75% translates to a 5. However, some exams are exceptions to this rule. For example, the AP Computer Science Principles requires 90%, and AP Physics C requires around 60%.
Ques. How many attempts of the AP exam can I take?
Ans. You can take an AP Exam each time it is conducted. Exams are administered once a year in May. Your score report will include your scores for all the AP Exams you have taken unless you request to withhold or cancel one or more scores.
Ques. How long is the AP exam?
Ans. AP exams take between 2–3 hours to complete and are broken into 2 sections: multiple choice and free response. The number of questions per section and the time allotted vary per test subject.
Ques. Which countries accept the AP exam?
Ans. Top universities in the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia accept AP scores as a valid measure for granting credit or advanced placement. This means you can skip introductory-level courses and focus on major-related studies sooner. This leads to saving time and tuition fees.
Ques. What is the passing mark for AP?
Ans. AP Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Many U.S. colleges grant credit or advanced placement for scores of 3 and above.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.
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