Alternate AP Exam policies

Occasionally it is necessary for students to test late. To preserve the security of AP Exams, alternate forms are used. All students who participate in late testing at a given school must take these alternate exams on the scheduled late-testing dates at the scheduled times. Early testing is not permitted under any circumstances.

Late testing: 

Here are some general examples why a student could take a test during the late testing period:

• Conflict with International Baccalaureate (IB) exam

• Conflict with tests that are mandated at the state, province, or national level

• Disabilities or accommodation issues

• Emergency: bomb scare or fire alarm

• Emergency: serious injury, illness, or family tragedy

• Language lab scheduling conflict

• Religious holiday/observance

• School closing: election, national holiday, or natural disaster

• Strike/labor conflict

• Three or more AP Exams on the same date

• Two AP Exams on the same date and time

• Academic contest/event

• Athletic contest/event

• Conflict with non-AP and non-IB exam

• Ordering error

• Other school event

• School closing (local decision, non-emergency)

• Alternate exams are equivalent in depth and difficulty to the regularly scheduled exams.

• Students’ scores may be delayed up to one month (until August). Make sure your students know this.

• Students’ free-response booklets from alternate exams are not available for purchase.

• AP Instructional Planning Reports do not include data from alternate exams.

• If a school fails to follow AP security procedures and does not administer the alternate exams on the specified dates at the specified times, scores for those exams will be canceled, and the school may be prohibited from offering AP Exams in the future.