Advanced Placement® courses and Advanced Placement exams allow students the opportunity to emphasize their academic strengths and show off their readiness for college-level courses.
With the cancellation of SAT Subject Tests™, Advanced Placement exams are the number one way to build a competitive college application that details the academic areas you have been passionate about throughout your high school career. AP tests highlight your capacity for success in that field or major.
With the developed emphasis on Advanced Placement courses and Advanced Placement exams, students also have more nuanced opportunities to show off their skills. In fact, there are almost twice as many AP exams as there were SAT Subject tests.
SAT Subject Test | Advanced Placement Test |
Math Level 1 Math Level 2 Biology-E Biology-M Chemistry Physics English Literature U.S. History World History Korean Latin Modern Hebrew Japanese Chinese Italian French Spanish German | Calculus AB Calculus BC Statistics Computer Science A Computer Science Principles Environmental Science Human Geography Psychology Biology Chemistry Physics 1: Algebra-Based Physics 2: Algebra-Based Physics C: Mechanics Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism English Language and Composition English Literature and Composition United States Government and Politics Comparative Government and Politics European History United States History Art History World History Modern Macroeconomics Microeconomics Latin Japanese Language and Culture Spanish Literature and Culture Spanish Language and Culture Italian Language and Culture Chinese Language and Culture French Language and Culture German Language and Culture Music Theory Seminar Art and Design |
AP courses and AP exams offer students the opportunity to show off specific skills in multiple areas. See the list above to compare SAT Subject Tests to Advanced Placement exams. You will notice that AP exams offer plenty of opportunities to show off specialized skills, while Subject Exams covered broader topics. For example, students taking Subject tests only had four options for science exams, while students taking AP exams have 11 tests focused on science-based skills.
With these benefits of the AP exam in mind, students should know that standardized exams continue to face changes. Here are some recent updates to know about as you begin your AP journey.
Exam Schedule For 2022
To check recent updates in testing schedules and testing formats for your high school and testing location, you should contact your school’s AP Coordinator. Your AP Coordinator will communicate when and where students are to take their AP exams.
For 2022 Advanced Placement tests are scheduled to take place May 2 through May 6 and May 9 through May 13.
- May 2: Japanese Language and Culture, United States Government and Politics, Chemistry, Spanish Literature and Culture
- May 3: Environmental Science, Psychology
- May 4: English Literature and Composition, Comparative Government and Politics, Computer Science A
- May 5: Human Geography, Macroeconomics, Seminar, Statistics
- May 6: European History, United States History, Art History, Microeconomics
- May 9: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science Principles, Italian Language and Culture
- May 10: English Language and Composition, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- May 11: Chinese Language and Culture, Spanish Language and Culture, Biology
- May 12: French Language and Culture, World History: Modern, Physics 1: Algebra-Based
- May 13: German Language and Culture, Music Theory, Latin, Physics 2: Algebra-Based
Late Testing Schedule
The late testing schedule allocates testing opportunities for students who registered for two exams that take place at the same time. It also serves students who were unable to test on their original test date due to various circumstances.
- May 17: Environmental Science, Psychology
- May 18: Chemistry, Computer Science A, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Statistics, United States History, Comparative Government and Politics, Computer Science Principles, English Literature and Composition, Macroeconomics, Spanish Literature and Culture
- May 19: Chinese Language and Culture, English Language and Composition, German Language and Culture, Human Geography, Physics 1: Algebra-Based, Art History, Biology, French Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, Latin, Physics C: Mechanics
- May 20: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Microeconomics, Physics 2: Algebra-Based, Spanish Language and Culture, European History, Italian Language and Culture, Music Theory, Seminar, United States Government and Politics, World History: Modern
Digital Testing
The College Board has not announced official plans to offer the option of digital testing for 2022 Advanced Placement tests (as they did in 2021). As of January 2022, the College Board® will hold exams in school in paper-and-pencil format.
They have stated,
“We’ll continue to monitor global, national, and local health conditions, putting the health and safety of students first, and if there are widespread school closures in spring 2022, we’ll provide options similar to those offered in 2021.”
Should digital testing be used at your testing location, expect to be notified by your AP Coordinator.
Students taking digital exams will do so on school-owned devices, so do not worry about acquiring computers last minute.
Because of the unpredictable changes schools face in the tumultuous climate of COVID-19, it is important to remain open-minded and prepared for last-minute shifts, like changes in schedule or digital testing.
Registration
When registering for an AP exam, students will pay an exam fee. In 2022, this fee is increasing by $1 for each exam.
Students in the U.S. Territories and Canada will pay $96 per exam. Students outside of the U.S. and Canada will pay $126 per exam.
The College Board offers AP Exam fee reductions to qualifying students. This reduction amount has gone up to $34 per exam.
Exam registration deadlines vary from school to school. Advanced Placement test registration takes place from September through November. To be sure that you register on time, talk to your AP teachers and AP Coordinator.
AP Art Student Portfolios
In recent years, AP 2-D Art and Design and AP Drawing students have submitted digital portfolio submissions. In 2022, these students will be required to submit physical portfolios and digital portfolios.
As you prepare for AP exams, use FLEX College Prep to ensure your study plan is time efficient and customized to your goals. You can be confident that your test prep is current to all AP exam curricula, as our tutors and instructors regularly update and refine their test-taking strategies. FLEX offers test prep for most AP courses. Reach your scoring goals and submit a competitive college application through FLEX’s online or in-person test prep courses.
Students need to stand out in the competitive admissions landscape. FLEX College Prep is a team of the best strategists in the industry and takes a holistic approach to ensure students use their pre-college years in intentional, enriching, and personally satisfying ways. Since 2001, we’ve worked with families to help students unlock their potential and find happiness, meaning, and success in college and beyond.