How to Withhold Your AP Scores

You’ve finished your AP exams, but now you’re worried about one low score being sent to your first-choice college. It can feel unfair when one bad test result might distract from all the hard work you’ve done in other classes.

The good news is that you have a choice. The College Board lets you withhold AP scores, which means you can decide which colleges or scholarship programs get to see certain scores.

This guide explains what withholding means, why students do it, and how to do it step by step.

Key Takeaways

• You can withhold AP scores from specific colleges for $10 per score per college

• To block scores from your free score recipient, the deadline is June 15 of the year you took the exam

• Withholding is not the same as cancelling

• Withheld scores stay on your record and can be sent later

• Colleges cannot see that you've withheld a score, only the scores you choose to send them

What Does It Mean to Withhold an AP Score?

Withholding an AP score means stopping a specific college, university, or scholarship program from seeing that score.

The score is not deleted. It stays in the College Board system forever unless you cancel it. It’s simply hidden from the schools you choose.

This is different from cancelling a score. Cancelling permanently deletes the score, and you can never get it back.

You can also withhold scores from one college, but still send them to another. This gives you control over what each school sees your AP exam scores.

Reasons You Might Want to Withhold an AP Score

Many students decide to withhold AP scores for perfectly valid reasons. Usually, it’s because they got a score that was lower than they expected, and they are afraid it will look bad on their application. It can be a strategic move, and it gives students total control over their personal academic profile. It can be beneficial if the score is low, but it’s in a subject that is not relevant to their major. 

For some students, it’s a good move that allows them to present a stronger academic record without getting rid of the exam score altogether. Here are some of the reasons you might choose to withhold an AP score.

• Manage Lower Scores. If you score a 1 or a 2 on a difficult test, but you got As in the class, withholding the low score keeps it from overshadowing your good grades.

• Strategic Management. Withholding lower scores lets you send just your best scores (usually 4s and 5s) to specific colleges. It can make your application look stronger.

• Flexibility. Withholding a score is more like hiding it, and it doesn’t permanently remove the score. It is still on your College Board record, ready to be sent if you want to.

• Relevancy. If you are applying as an English major, having a low score on AP Calculus might raise too many questions, even though math isn’t your focus of study.

How to Withhold Your AP Scores

The process for withholding AP scores is simple, but timing is critical.

Step 1: Download the form

Go to the College Board website and download the AP Score Withholding Form (opens in a new tab). You’ll need to print it.

Step 2: Fill out the form

Add your personal information, AP number (if you have one), and list the specific scores you want to withhold. You must also name the college or scholarship you’re withholding the score from.

Step 3: Sign the form

Your signature confirms the request. If you’re under 18, a parent or guardian can sign.

Step 4: Pay the fee

The cost is $10 per score per college.
Examples:

• 3 scores withheld from 1 college = $30
  

• 1 score withheld from 2 colleges = $20

A credit card is the only payment option.

Step 5: Send the form

Mail the completed form to:

AP Services
P.O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-6671

Or fax it to: 610-290-8979

Step 6: Wait for processing

Requests usually take 15 business days. Once processed, the change will appear in your online AP account.

Meet the deadline

To stop your score recipients from seeing your scores, the College Board must receive the form by June 15.

How Withholding Affects College Applications

How do colleges or scholarship organizations view applications when scores are withheld? First off, recipients can’t see withheld scores. 

When you successfully withhold a score from a specific institution, that score will not appear on any score reports sent to that institution in the future.

• Colleges don't know a score has been withheld; they don’t get a message telling them it was withheld. They just see the scores you've chosen to send them.

• It’s pretty common for students to withhold scores. They want to send scores that are relevant to their college major or career choice. Plus, students often leave off lower scores and just send their higher scores to help strengthen applications.

• You probably won’t see much of an impact when you withhold scores. AP scores in general don’t play a major role in admissions decisions. College officials look at your course rigor, grades in AP classes, and your transcript. They evaluate applications holistically. A few withheld or lower AP scores won't derail a strong application with excellent grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities.

What If You Change Your Mind?

Withholding an AP score isn’t permanent. You have the option of releasing a withheld score at any time. All you have to do is send a written request to AP Services requesting the score to be released. You don’t have to pay a fee to remove the withhold, but you may have to pay the normal score-sending fee. (opens in a new tab)

This flexibility means you can withhold a score initially and then release it later if your circumstances change. Perhaps you've taken the exam again and improved your score, or you've decided the original score actually aligns well with your application.

To release a score, write to:

AP Services
P.O. Box 6671
Princeton, NJ 08541-6671

Include your name, date of birth, AP number (if you have one), the score you want to release, and the college that should receive it.

Withholding vs Cancelling an AP Score

These are two very different options with distinct consequences.

Withholding:

• Temporarily hides a score from specific institutions

• Score remains in College Board records

• Costs $10 per score per recipient

• Can be reversed at any time for free

• Institution-specific (you choose who doesn't see it)

When to withhold: Choose this option if you might want to use the score later, or if you only want to hide it from certain universities. For example, withhold if you're unsure whether you'll attend your safety school or reach school.

Cancelling:

• Permanently deletes the score from all records

• Cannot be undone

• No fee charged

• Affects all future score reports

• If the exam is being scored, it won't receive a score; if already scored, that score is permanently deleted

When to cancel: Consider cancellation only if you're certain you'll never want any college to see this score. This might apply if you walked out of an exam early or had circumstances that severely impacted your performance.

Deadline for both options: The deadline is the same, June 15th of the year you took the exam.

Most students choose withholding a score over cancellation because it preserves future options but still allows them to protect their application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can colleges see that I withheld a score?

No, colleges cannot see that you've withheld a score. When you withhold a score from a specific institution, it simply doesn't appear on the score report sent to that college. There's no notation or indication that scores were withheld.

Is it better to cancel or withhold an AP score?

Withholding is generally the better option. It gives you flexibility because the score remains in College Board records, and you can release it later if needed. Cancellation is permanent and cannot be reversed. Only cancel if you're absolutely certain you'll never want any institution to see that score.

What's the deadline for withholding my AP score?

The deadline is June 15th of the year you took the exam if you want to prevent your free score recipient from receiving the score. After this date, you can still withhold scores from other institutions, but the free recipient will have already received all your scores. Make sure to submit your withholding form well before the deadline to allow time for it to be processed.

Final Thoughts

Withholding AP scores gives you control over your college applications. It’s common, allowed, and easy to do if you follow the steps and meet the deadline.

If a score doesn’t reflect your strengths or doesn’t match your future plans, withholding may be the right choice. And if you change your mind later, you can always release the score.

Remember, AP scores are just one small part of your application. Strong grades, challenging classes, and your interests matter much more.

If you are preparing for AP exams, check out the resources available on Save My Exams. We provide online study tools like mock exams, exam questions, and past papers to help you get ready for your exam.

References

College Board AP Score Withholding Form (opens in a new tab)

College Board Sending AP Scores (opens in a new tab)