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If you just received your AP scores or are planning ahead, this guide explains the full 2026 AP score reporting process. Learn how to send scores, free and paid deadlines, delivery times, multiple college sends, score withholding, and what colleges can see.
All details are based on official College Board policies as of April 2026.
Here is the complete AP score reporting process in plain English:
| What | Answer |
| How do you send AP scores? | Log in to your College Board account at apstudents.collegeboard.org → navigate to Score Reporting → search for your college → select and save. |
| How much does it cost? | ONE free score send per year. Additional reports: $15 each. Rush delivery: $25 extra (total $40). |
| Free score send deadline 2026 | June 20, 2026 – this is the hard deadline to designate a college for your free report. |
| When are scores released? | Mid-July 2026 (typically July 9–18). Specific date confirmed by College Board each spring. |
| How long does delivery take? | Free send via June 20 deadline → received by early July. Paid reports → 3–5 business days. Rush → 1–5 business days. |
| Can you send to multiple colleges? | Yes – one free + pay $15 per each additional college. |
| Do colleges get scores automatically? | No – you must designate them. The free send and paid reports are the only ways colleges receive your scores. |
| Can you withhold scores? | Yes – you can withhold specific exam scores for $10 per score per college, or cancel a score permanently for $10. |
Key Takeaway: You get one free AP score send each year, with a deadline of June 20, 2026. After that, each report costs $15, so use your free send before the deadline.
AP score reporting is the official process where College Board sends your AP exam results to colleges, universities, or scholarship programs. Unlike SAT or ACT scores, AP reports usually include your full AP score history.
| Resource Type | Description | Access |
| AP Score Reporting Guide 2026 | Complete guide covering how to send AP scores, deadlines, fees, delivery times, and college reporting rules | Download |
| AP Score Send Step-by-Step Guide | Easy walkthrough for sending AP scores online through your College Board account | Download |
| AP Score Send Deadline Guide | Important 2026 deadlines for free score sends, paid reports, and score release dates | Download |
| AP Score Fee Calculator | Quick tool to estimate costs for multiple colleges, rush reports, withholding, and cancellations | Download |
| AP Score Withholding Guide | Learn how to hide specific AP scores from colleges and when withholding is useful | Download |
| AP Score Cancellation Guide | Full guide explaining how to permanently cancel AP scores and important consequences | Download |
| AP College Credit Guide | Learn how colleges use AP scores for placement, exemptions, and academic credit | Download |
| AP Score Delivery Timeline | Understand how long free, standard, and rush AP score reports take to reach colleges | Download |
| AP Multi-College Sending Guide | Best strategies for sending AP scores to multiple colleges while saving money | Download |
| AP FAQ Cheat Sheet | Quick answers to common questions about AP score reports, deadlines, and colleges | Download |
College Board’s My AP portal is where you can send all of your AP scores online. This is the exact step-by-step guide for sending AP scores online in 2026, whether you are using your free send or paying for more reports.
| Step | Title | What to Do |
| 1 | Visit Official Portal | Go to the College Board AP Students website to access score reporting. |
| 2 | Sign In | Log in using your College Board account linked to your AP exams. |
| 3 | Open Score Section | Navigate to Scores and choose Send Scores. |
| 4 | Search College | Enter the full official college name to find the correct institution. |
| 5 | Submit Request | Select the college, review details, and complete free or paid submission. |
| 6 | Confirm Delivery | Check sent status, then verify receipt with the college after processing. |
A lot of students want to know what information is on the official AP score report that the College Board sends to colleges. Here is a full list of what is and isn’t included.
| Information Category | Included on Score Report? | Details |
| All AP exam scores (all years) | YES – complete history | Every AP exam you have taken since you started, including scores from 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade -UNLESS you withheld specific scores |
| Exam year and month | YES | The year and administration window for each exam is listed |
| Score (1–5) | YES | Your numeric score for each exam |
| Withheld scores | NO – hidden | Scores you have specifically withheld do not appear on that college’s report |
| Canceled scores | NO – permanently removed | Canceled scores no longer exist in the system |
| Your demographic information | YES – partial | Name, address, email, high school, and information you provided during testing registration |
| Your high school information | YES | The name of the high school where you took the exam is included |
| Your Social Security Number | NO | SSN is never included on score reports sent to colleges |
| SAT or ACT scores | NO | AP score reports contain ONLY AP scores – no other College Board test scores are included |
| How many times you took an exam | YES – all attempts | If you took AP Chemistry twice (rare but possible), both scores appear unless one is withheld |
One of the best things about the College Board reporting system is that you can send your AP scores for free. Every AP student gets one free score send each year. If you use it right, you can save between $15 and $75 or more on reporting fees.
How the Free Score Send Works
| Strategy | When It Works Best | Potential Savings |
| Send to your top-choice school | When you have a clear first-choice school you’re definitely attending | $15 – saves one paid report |
| Send to your intended college (early decision/action) | If applying ED or EA to one school, use your free send there | $15 – saves one paid report |
| Wait until after scores release to designate | If you’re uncertain and want to see your scores first before choosing (you still have until June 20 regardless of when scores release) | Smart if exam results are uncertain |
| Send to a school that requires official AP scores for credit processing | Many colleges require official (not self-reported) scores for credit decisions — use your free send for this | $15 AND ensures credit processing |
| Do NOT send to a school you definitely won’t attend | Free send is wasted if the college is only a backup | Save free send for a school you’ll actually attend |
Can You Change Your Free Score Send Designation?
Yes. You can change your free AP score send choice as many times as you want before the June 20 deadline. The last college selected before the deadline is the one that receives your free report.
One of the most common and expensive mistakes students make is missing the deadlines for sending their AP scores. In order, here are all the important dates in the 2026 AP score reporting calendar.
| Date | Event | What to Do |
| Now – June 20, 2026 | Free score send window | Choose your free college recipient |
| June 20, 2026 | Free send deadline | Submit before cutoff or later reports cost $15 |
| June 20 – July 1 | Processing pause | Expect delays during this period |
| July 1, 2026 | Processing resumes | Paid reports begin processing |
| Mid-July 2026 | AP scores released | Check scores and send more if needed |
| July 2026 | Best time for seniors to send | Send before fall enrollment deadlines |
| Aug / Sep 2026 | Some colleges close processing | Verify college-specific deadlines |
| After July | Paid reports anytime | Order additional reports for $15 each |
College Board does not extend the free AP score send deadline. If you miss June 20 at 6:30 PM ET, your free send is lost for that year. You can choose a college before scores are released, so set a reminder now.
The College Board sets the fees for sending AP scores. These fees apply to any score report sent after the free score send or after the June 20 free deadline. The full list of fees for 2026 is as follows:
| Report Type | Fee (2026) | Delivery Time | Best For |
| Free Score Send | $0 | Early July | Use once each exam year |
| Standard Paid Report | $15 | 3–5 business days | Extra colleges |
| Rush Report | $40 total | 1–5 business days | Urgent deadlines |
| Score Withholding | $10 per score | With report request | Hide a low score |
| Score Cancellation | $10 per exam | Permanent | Remove score completely |
| Multiple Reports | $15 each college | 3–5 business days | Applying to many schools |
You can get one free official AP score report every year. After that, each extra report costs $15 per college. Many colleges let you report your own AP scores for free when you apply, but you usually need official reports later for credit or placement.
When you ask for your AP score reports, the delivery time will depend on whether you use the free score send or a paid report and when you ask for them compared to the score release schedule.
| Report Type & Timing | Delivery to College | Notes |
| Free send before June 20 | Early July | Sent after score release |
| Paid report before July 1 | 3–5 business days after processing starts | June 20–July 1 queue |
| Paid report after July 1 | 3–5 business days | Most reliable estimate |
| Rush report | 1–5 business days | Extra fee applies |
| Orders during June 20–July 1 pause | Processed after July 1 | Expect delays |
Many students need to send AP scores to multiple colleges for applications, scholarships, or credit. Here is how sending scores to more than one school works.
You can send AP score reports to as many colleges as you want. There is no limit, but after your free send, each additional report costs $15 and is charged separately.
| Number of Colleges | Cost (if free send is used) | Cost (if no free send) |
| 1 college | $0 (free send) | $15 |
| 2 colleges | $15 (1 paid) | $30 |
| 3 colleges | $30 (2 paid) | $45 |
| 5 colleges | $60 (4 paid) | $75 |
| 10 colleges | $135 (9 paid) | $150 |
If you miss the June 20 free send deadline or need to send scores to more colleges, you can order paid AP score reports anytime through your College Board account. Here is what to know about the paid reporting process.
It depends on whether you use the free score send or a paid report and when you send in your request compared to the score release schedule when the AP score reports will be sent.
Score Cancellation vs. Score Withholding
| Feature | Score Withholding | Score Cancellation |
| What it does | Removes score from specific report(s) sent to college(s) | Permanently deletes the score from your record forever |
| Cost | $10 per score per college | $10 per score (permanent) |
| Reversible? | Yes – you can un-withhold before the report is sent | NO – cancellation is permanent and cannot be undone |
| When to use | When you want to hide a low score from specific schools | When you want to completely erase a score from existence |
| Effect on you | Score still exists in your record; just not visible to that college | Score is gone from your College Board account permanently |
| Recommendation | Use withholding for low scores you don’t want specific colleges to see | Use cancellation only as last resort – it is irreversible |
This is a common question, and the answer is No. Colleges do not automatically receive your AP scores. You must choose to send them through College Board.
Here is exactly what happens automatically – and what does not:
| Who Gets Your Scores | Automatically? | How |
| You (the student) | YES – automatically | Scores appear in your College Board account when released in mid-July |
| Your high school and AP teachers | YES – automatically | College Board shares score data with your school. Your AP teachers see scores. |
| Your school district | YES – automatically | District receives aggregate data; individual scores shared as permitted. |
| One college you designated before June 20 | YES – if you designated before the free send deadline | Your free score send delivers scores to this college automatically when released |
| All other colleges you applied to | NO | You must order and pay for paid reports ($15 each) |
| Colleges that have your Common App application | NO | Colleges see only what you self-reported on the application. Official scores require a separate report. |
| Scholarship programs | Only if you designated them | Scholarship organizations can be designated as free send recipients |
Q: Do colleges automatically get AP scores?
A: No. Colleges do not automatically receive your AP scores. You must send them through College Board. The only exception is the one college selected for your free score send before the June 20 deadline.
Q: Do I need to send AP scores to colleges?
A: It depends on your goal. Many colleges accept self-reported AP scores during admissions, but official reports are usually required later if you want college credit, placement, or course exemptions.
Q: Can I send AP scores after applying?
A: Yes. You can send AP scores before, during, or after the application process. Many students apply first and send official scores later once results are released in July.
Q: What happens if I don’t send AP scores?
A: If you do not send official AP scores, you may not receive college credit or placement benefits, even if you earned high scores like 4 or 5.
Q: Can I send AP scores late?
A: Yes. Paid score reports can be ordered anytime, but colleges set their own deadlines. Some schools may stop accepting AP scores after orientation or classes begin.
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