AP Exam Schedule 2026
Complete schedule of 2026 AP exam dates, times, and durations. Plan your study schedule and check for conflicts.
Last updated: · Official 2026 College Board schedule
Add all 35 AP exam dates to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook.
The 2026 AP exam period spans two weeks in May. College Board administers each exam once on a specific date and time — there are no alternate dates except for students with scheduling conflicts or emergencies. Below is the complete schedule for the 35 AP exams covered by our score calculators, organized by date so you can plan your study schedule and identify any conflicts.
Morning sessions begin between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. local time; afternoon sessions between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. Exact start times are set by each school.
Week 1: May 4-8, 2026
| Date | Session | Exam | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, May 4 | Morning | AP Biology | 3 hr |
| Morning | AP European History | 3 hr 15 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Microeconomics | 2 hr 10 min | |
| Tue, May 5 | Morning | AP Chemistry | 3 hr 15 min |
| Afternoon | AP Human Geography | 2 hr 15 min | |
| Afternoon | AP US Government | 3 hr | |
| Afternoon | AP Comparative Government | 2 hr 35 min | |
| Wed, May 6 | Morning | AP English Literature | 3 hr |
| Afternoon | AP Physics 1 | 3 hr | |
| Afternoon | AP African American Studies | 2 hr 30 min | |
| Thu, May 7 | Morning | AP Physics 2 | 3 hr |
| Afternoon | AP World History | 3 hr 15 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Statistics | 3 hr | |
| Afternoon | AP Spanish Literature | 3 hr | |
| Fri, May 8 | Morning | AP US History | 3 hr 15 min |
| Afternoon | AP Macroeconomics | 2 hr 10 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Precalculus | 3 hr |
Week 2: May 11-15, 2026
| Date | Session | Exam | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, May 11 | Morning | AP Calculus AB / AP Calculus BC | 3 hr 15 min |
| Afternoon | AP Music Theory | 2 hr 40 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Italian | 3 hr 3 min | |
| Tue, May 12 | Morning | AP French Language | 3 hr 3 min |
| Morning | AP Chinese Language | 2 hr 15 min | |
| Morning | AP Japanese Language | 2 hr 15 min | |
| Morning | AP German Language | 3 hr 3 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Psychology | 2 hr | |
| Wed, May 13 | Morning | AP English Language | 3 hr 15 min |
| Afternoon | AP Physics C: Mechanics | 1 hr 30 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Latin | 3 hr | |
| Thu, May 14 | Morning | AP Art History | 3 hr |
| Afternoon | AP Spanish Language | 3 hr 3 min | |
| Afternoon | AP Physics C: E&M | 1 hr 30 min | |
| Fri, May 15 | Morning | AP Environmental Science | 2 hr 40 min |
| Afternoon | AP Computer Science A | 3 hr | |
| Afternoon | AP Computer Science Principles | 2 hr |
Common Scheduling Conflicts
Several AP exams share the same time slot, creating conflicts for students taking multiple AP courses. If two of your exams fall in different sessions on the same day (one morning, one afternoon), you take both as scheduled. But if two exams share the same session, you need to arrange late testing through your AP coordinator.
Notable same-session conflicts in 2026:
- May 5, Afternoon: AP Human Geography, AP US Government, and AP Comparative Government — students taking more than one will need late testing
- May 7, Afternoon: AP World History, AP Statistics, and AP Spanish Literature — a common conflict for juniors taking World History and Statistics
- May 11, Morning: AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC — by design, since BC includes AB content
- May 12, Morning: AP French, AP Chinese, AP Japanese, and AP German — language exams share the same session; students rarely take more than one AP language
- May 14, Afternoon: AP Spanish Language and AP Physics C: E&M — rarely a conflict since these draw different student populations
- May 15, Afternoon: AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles — by design, since the courses have overlapping content
If you have a conflict, contact your school's AP coordinator as early as possible — see our AP exam registration guide for details on working with coordinators. Late-testing dates are available in the third and fourth weeks of May. College Board arranges these directly with your school, and you must remain sequestered between sessions to prevent sharing exam content.
How to Prepare for Exam Week
With exams running over two weeks, pacing your study schedule is crucial. Here are practical tips for managing the AP exam period:
- Start with your earliest exams. Focus your final review on exams in Week 1 first, then shift attention to Week 2 subjects. Trying to study for everything simultaneously is less effective than focused preparation.
- Use the gaps between exams. Most students have days between their exams. Use these for targeted review of your next test, not for cramming everything at once.
- Take practice tests under timed conditions. Use our AP score calculators to estimate your performance on practice tests and identify weak areas before exam day.
- Arrive early on exam day. Plan to be at your testing location at least 30 minutes before the start time. Bring pencils, pens, an approved calculator (for applicable exams), a watch, water, and a snack for the break.
- Know what is not allowed. Cell phones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices must be turned off and stored away during the exam. Bringing prohibited items can result in score cancellation.
After Your Exams
AP scores are typically released in early to mid July. For the full timeline of when and how to check your scores, see our AP Score Release Dates 2026 guide. You can also use our score calculators to estimate your results while you wait — enter your best recollection of how you performed on each section to get a predicted score.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are AP exams in 2026?
AP exams in 2026 run from Monday, May 4 through Friday, May 15. Morning sessions begin between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. local time and afternoon sessions between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m. Each exam is given once on a specific date — there are no alternate test dates except in cases of conflicts or emergencies approved by College Board.
What happens if two of my AP exams are on the same day?
If two of your AP exams fall on the same day but in different sessions (one morning and one afternoon), you take both as scheduled. If two exams are scheduled for the same session, College Board offers late-testing dates in the third and fourth weeks of May. Contact your AP coordinator as early as possible to arrange alternate testing.
How long are AP exams?
AP exam lengths range from 1 hour 30 minutes (AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: E&M) to 3 hours 15 minutes (AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP US History, AP World History, and AP English Language). Most AP exams are around 3 hours. Plan to be at your testing location for about 30 minutes longer than the exam duration to account for check-in and administrative time.
Can I take AP Calculus AB and BC in the same year?
AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC are both scheduled for the morning of May 11, 2026, so you cannot take both in the same year. This is by design — Calculus BC covers all of Calculus AB plus additional topics, so most students take one or the other. If you are strong in calculus, take BC since it includes AB material and many colleges grant credit for both Calc I and Calc II with a strong BC score.
Exam dates are based on the official 2026 AP Exam Schedule published by College Board. Dates and times are subject to change. Always confirm your exam schedule with your school's AP coordinator. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by College Board.
Sources
Schedule data is from the following sources:
Reviewed by the AP Score Calculator editorial team on . Not affiliated with or endorsed by College Board.