For the May 2026 AP exams: the initial school order deadline was November 14, 2025 and the final order deadline was March 13, 2026. Both are past. If you are looking ahead to the May 2027 exams, the next cycle's deadlines land the same time of year — mid-November 2026 and mid-March 2027.
These dates come straight from College Board AP Central. Your school may use slightly different internal cutoffs — most set their student deadline 5 to 10 days before the College Board date so the AP coordinator has time to compile the order.
The pattern repeats every year. November initial, March final, May exam. The exact dates shift by a few days because they all snap to weekdays and end-of-week.
| Cycle | Initial deadline | Final order deadline | Exam window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Nov 15, 2024 | Mar 14, 2025 | May 5–16, 2025 |
| 2025–26 | Nov 14, 2025 | Mar 13, 2026 | May 4–15, 2026 |
| 2026–27 (expected) | ~Nov 13, 2026 | ~Mar 12, 2027 | ~May 3–14, 2027 |
| 2027–28 (expected) | ~Nov 12, 2027 | ~Mar 10, 2028 | ~May 1–12, 2028 |
Future cycle dates are projected from the historical pattern. College Board publishes the official 2026–27 calendar around June 2026 on AP Central.
These are not two chances at the same deadline. They are two distinct cutoffs that affect what you pay and whether you can test at all.
The main registration cutoff. Schools place their bulk order at the standard $99 per exam fee. Miss this and you can still register, but the late fee window opens.
What you save: the $40 to $50 per-exam school late fee. Worth $40 to $50 if you register on time.
The absolute last date a school can add or change an order. After March 13 schools generally cannot register a student at all — you would have to wait for the next year's exam.
What you save: the entire year. Missing March 13 means losing the chance to earn college credit in May.
The hardest part about a November deadline is that it does not feel urgent in September, when registration opens. By the time it does feel urgent, the deadline is days away or already past. A reminder closes that gap.
See the full guide on AP exam registration reminders for context, or read what to do if you missed the deadline.
Set a reminder for the next AP registration deadline (November 14, 2026):
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The final school order deadline for the May 2026 AP exams was November 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The last possible date for schools to add or change exam orders was March 13, 2026. Both 2025–26 deadlines have passed. The next cycle (May 2027 exams) follows the same timing: initial deadline mid-November 2026, final deadline mid-March 2027.
College Board has not yet published the exact 2026–27 dates as of May 2026, but the calendar repeats every year. Expect a preferred ordering deadline around early October 2026, the final initial deadline around November 14, 2026, and the final order deadline around March 13, 2027. The May 2027 AP exam window will run the first two full weeks of May 2027.
The November deadline is when schools must submit their initial bulk order to College Board at the standard fee. After November, the late fee window opens — students who add an exam between mid-November and March 13 are charged a $40 to $50 per-exam late fee at most schools. After March 13, schools generally cannot order or change exams at all.
Yes. November 14 is the College Board cutoff, but most schools set their internal deadline a week or two earlier so the AP coordinator can compile the full school order. Always register against your school's deadline. Ask your AP coordinator if you cannot find it on the school's AP page.
The 2026 AP Exams are administered May 4–8 and May 11–15, 2026, with late testing dates running into the third week of May. Specific dates by subject are listed on AP Central. Registration in November is what guarantees you a seat in those May testing windows.
Most schools open AP class enrollment and exam registration in My AP at the start of the school year, usually August or September. The "preferred ordering deadline" (an early-bird internal target College Board sets for schools) is typically the first week of October, which is why some schools push their student deadline to late September.
Test centers outside the US set their own registration windows that may close earlier than the US schedule. For example, Fulbright Korea's 2026 first window opened August 11, 2025 and closed in early October 2025. International students should check directly with their authorized test center, not the College Board US calendar.
Free, no account. Get an email before the cutoff so you do not pay the $40 late fee or miss the year entirely.
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