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Where to Go. What to Ask.

AP exams are administered once a year in early May, so homeschooling families need to plan ahead to find a school that will permit outside students to test there. The AP Course Ledger is a helpful place to start locating schools in your area that you might wish to contact.

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When you call schools to arrange for testing, you will want to ask for the "AP Coordinator" and then simply ask if you can sign up your student for the specific AP exam(s) you are interested in. It's likely you will communicate by voicemail to start with.

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Word of mouth experience within your homeschooling community is extremely helpful when looking for a testing site. Some schools are known to be more homeschool-friendly than others, and if another family in your area already has a contact name and/or email address, it will smooth your path.

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Register Early! New Timing!
The timing for signing up for AP exams is changing! Beginning in 2019 (for the 2020 exam) students will sign up for the AP exam in the fall. So homeschoolers will need to contact local schools very soon after school starts to make arrangements for 2020 testing.​

  • Toward the bottom of this page, check out the FAQ "I'm Homeschooled. How can I take the exam?

  • Note that the College Board recommends you get started locating schools by September 4th and have your exam site arranged no later than October 4th.

  • Check out this AP Timeline, and note that AP Coordinators will need to have their exam orders in by November 15th.

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To Take an AP Exam or Not . . .

A couple of important things to keep in mind when deciding whether to take an AP class and/or an AP exam:

  • The College Board considers AP classes and AP exams to be decoupled. You can take one without the other.

    • You can take an AP exam without taking an AP class (self studying).

    • You can list a College Board-approved AP class on your transcript even if you don't take the actual exam.

  • Some AP class providers (not Blue Tent) may insist that students take the AP exam for AP class credit, but that is the class provider's requirement. It is not a requirement established by the College Board. ​

  • HERE's a great blog that is chalk-full of helpful AP information.

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Will I Get Credit?

  • College credit for AP exams will vary. The College Board's College Credit link is really helpful to quickly and easily find credit guidelines for colleges and universities across the country.

  • AP Scholar Awards. If you plan to take more than one AP exam, there are lots of opportunities for you to receive transcript-enhancing kudos for your effort and success.

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If you have AP exam questions that you think we can help you with, just drop us a note!

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