AP courses can be really rigorous, and the corresponding AP exam may feel totally different from the tests you are used to taking in high school. You might be wondering how to cancel AP exam registrations if you find yourself:

  • swamped and concerned about taking multiple AP exams
  • struggling to master the content of an AP course you thought would be easier
  • studying for the AP test without taking the course and getting lost
  • discouraged by your performance on practice exams
  • discovering that your chosen college won’t give credit for this exam
Male high school student raising his hand in class.

Are There Other Options?

It may be difficult to determine as early as November how comfortable you’re going to be by the exam date in May. Instead of cancelling your registration, consider the following scenarios.

  1. Late Testing . If you want to take the AP exam but are in a situation where you won’t be able to take it on the scheduled day, talk to your AP Coordinator. The College Board does offer non-digital exams at a specific later date in May,
  2. Score Cancellation. The experience of preparing for and sitting for an AP exam can help you improve on future AP exams. You’ll still have to pay for the test, but you can choose not to submit your scores to colleges. You can also outright cancel them so that they do not show up on your record if you fill out and submit the official AP Score Cancellation Form. This can theoretically be done at any time, but if the request has not been received by June 15 of the year you took the exam, the colleges you indicated on the free score report will still receive it.

How to Cancel AP Exam Registration

If you’ve already weighed your options and thought through your decision, here’s what you need to know.

  1. You cannot cancel your registration alone. The AP exams are ordered by schools, not students, which means you’ll have to talk to a high school’s AP Coordinator to register—or to cancel.
  2. There is a cancellation fee. The College Board charges $40 for any AP cancelled after their test-ordering deadline of November 15, however, this doesn’t apply to courses starting after November 15, such as one-semester AP courses taken in the spring. (Your AP Coordinator may place the order before then, so keep an eye on the online My AP portal.)
  3. Transfer students are in a separate category. Your registration is automatically cancelled if you find yourself transferring to a new school. (You’d actually have to reregister in such a situation, if you still wanted to take that AP exam.)
  4. No-shows are still charged the cancellation fee. You won’t have to pay for the exam if you don’t show up to take it, but you will still have to pay the $40 fee, even if you are eligible for reduced fees

What Should You Do?

If you’re still considering how to cancel AP exam registrations, know that there are no wrong decisions, only a best choice for you. That said, remember that good AP test scores can help you:

  1. earn college credit
  2. satisfy college requirements
  3. stand out to admissions officers
If you’re worried about your potential AP exam score, the Princeton Review has a ton of resources to help you succeed.