AP Score Report: Layout Explained

Key Takeaways

• Your AP score report is the official record of every AP exam you've taken, stored in your College Board account

• Scores are released in July each year and use a 1–5 scale, where 3 or above is generally considered a pass

• The report shows your exam name, score, score descriptor, and the year you took each test

• You get one free score send per year during registration – additional sends cost $15 each

• You can withhold specific scores from colleges for $10 per score, per institution

What Is an AP Score Report?

Your AP score report is the official document that lists every AP exam score you've earned. It stays with you and updates each year you sit new exams.

The College Board stores your report in your (opens in a new tab)My AP account (opens in a new tab). Scores typically appear in early to mid-July, roughly two months after exam day. If you're waiting on AP results day, scores are staggered by date, so yours might arrive a few days before or after your friends’.

The report is what colleges and universities use to award credit or placement, which is why understanding what's on it matters.

How to Access Your AP Score Report

See if the College Board has your current email address and check that you can sign in to your College Board account. Don’t create a new account if you already have one, as this can cause a delay in getting your scores.

Once you sign in to your College Board account, you’ll be able to see your scores.

See our quick step-by-step guide on how to check your AP scores for more information.

What's on Your AP Score Report

Your report contains a few key pieces of information for each exam.

•  Exam name – the subject name, e.g. AP Biology or AP US History

•  Score – a number from 1 to 5

• Score descriptor – a short phrase that explains what your score means, e.g. ‘Extremely Well Qualified’

• Year taken – the year you sat the exam

If you've taken the same AP exam more than once, both scores appear on your report. Colleges typically consider the higher score, but policies vary.

Your report also shows whether you qualified for any AP awards, such as AP Scholar or AP Scholar with Distinction. These are based on your cumulative AP performance across multiple exams.

Understanding the AP Score Scale

AP exams use a 1–5 scoring scale, which is outlined in the table below:

See our explanation of AP grades for more information.

How AP Scores Are Calculated

AP exams are made up of two main components: multiple-choice and free responses. The College Board will evaluate each section independently and then combine the results to come up with a single composite score (opens in a new tab).

Our full breakdown of how AP exams are scored gives you all the information you need.

How to Send AP Scores to Colleges

Colleges don’t automatically receive your AP score report. Instead, you need to submit a request to the College Board to send your AP scores to colleges (opens in a new tab).

You can use the free score send (opens in a new tab) to designate one college to receive your scores for free. This send includes all your AP scores from every year.

After the free send window closes, each additional score send (opens in a new tab) report costs $15.

Can You Withhold or Cancel AP Scores?

Yes. Here are the differences between the two options:

Withholding lets you hide a specific score from a specific college. It costs $10 per score, per institution.

Cancelling (opens in a new tab) permanently removes a score from your record. It's free but irreversible – once canceled, the score is gone.

For most students, withholding makes more sense than canceling. You keep the score on your personal record and control which colleges see it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my AP score report?

Sign in to your College Board account. Once you’re signed in, you’ll be able to see your scores.

What does my AP score mean?

AP scores range from 1 to 5. A score of 5 means ‘extremely well qualified’, while a 1 means ‘no recommendation’. Most colleges consider a 3 or higher as a pass, and may award credit or advanced placement based on your score.

How much does it cost to send AP scores to colleges?

You get one free score send each year during AP registration. After that, each additional send costs $15 per report, per college. You can order sends through your My AP account.

What is a good AP score?

A 3 is the minimum passing score, but what counts as "good" depends on your goals. Competitive colleges often require a 4 or 5 for credit. If you scored a 3 and you're unsure how your target school treats it, check their AP credit policy directly.