Every year, the College Board gives AP exams, or Advanced Placement exams, to high school students. These tests are conducted each May, and students can find their specific AP Exam Dates for each subject in their local testing area. Each exam, differentiated by subject, is a rigorous exam that provides an excellent focus for college-bound students who want to have an impressive academic profile.
An AP exam is designed to measure how well students have mastered the content and skills of a particular AP course. So it stands to reason that in order to demonstrate your best academic performance, you must be aware of the dates to prepare yourself before the AP Exam Schedule.
2023 AP Exam Schedule Basics
The majority of the 2023 AP Exams will be administered in schools (as opposed to at home) using pencil and paper and will take place over a span of two weeks. However, AP Chinese and AP Japanese exams will be administered on school computers. The AP Test Dates begin their first week on May 1-5, and exams continue May 8-12 for the second week.
As for the start times, be aware that they can take up to one hour after the initial start time. For morning exams, start times can begin between 8-9 a.m. local time. The afternoon AP Schedule exams can start between 12-1 p.m. local time.
There are a few exceptions. As for “Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism,” exams begin between 2-3 p.m. during the regularly scheduled exam schedule.
Exams with Digital Portfolios
Several AP courses have a portfolio component, which you should submit digitally for the AP program to score. These digital portfolios will be submitted and uploaded through a secure web application. Here are the AP Testing Dates and deadlines:
- AP Art and Design: May 5, 2023 (8 p.m. ET)
- AP Seminar and AP Research: May 1, 2023 (11:59 p.m. ET)
- AP Computer Science Principles: May 1, 2023 (11:59 p.m. ET)
Week 1 AP Exam Testing Dates
Below is the AP Schedule for the first week:
| Week 1 | Morning (8 a.m. Local Time) | Afternoon (12 p.m. Local Time) |
| Monday, May 1, 2023 | United States Government and Politics | Chemistry Spanish Literature and Culture |
| Tuesday, May 2, 2023 | Chinese Language and Culture Environmental Science | Psychology |
| Wednesday, May 3, 2023 | English Literature and Composition | Comparative Government and Politics Computer Science A |
| Thursday, May 4, 2023 | Human Geography Macroeconomics | Seminar Statistics |
| Friday, May 5, 2023 | European History United States History | Art History Microeconomics |
Week 2 AP Test Dates
Below is the AP Exam Dates for the second week:
| Week 2 | Morning (8 a.m. Local Time) | Afternoon (12 p.m. Local Time) | Afternoon (2 p.m. Local Time) |
| Monday, May 8, 2023 | Calculus AB Calculus BC | Computer Science Principles Italian Language and Culture | |
| Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | English Language and Composition Japanese Language and Culture | Physics C: Mechanics | Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism |
| Wednesday, May 10, 2023 | Spanish Language and Culture | Biology | |
| Thursday, May 11, 2023 | French Language and Culture World History: Modern | Physics 1: Algebra-Based | |
| Friday, May 12, 2023 | German Language and Culture Music Theory | Latin Physics 2: Algebra-Based |
Late AP Exam Schedule
There are circumstances where students take the AP exams late. But don’t count on this option to save you; alternate forms are used for the late AP Testing Dates to preserve the security of AP exams. Additionally, all students participating in the late testing must take these alternate exams on the scheduled late-testing AP Exam Dates.
| Morning (8 a.m. Local Time) | Afternoon (12 p.m. Local Time) | |
| Wednesday, May 17, 2023 | Chemistry Computer Science A Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Psychology Statistics United States History | Computer Science Principles English Literature and Composition Environmental Science Japanese Language and Culture Macroeconomics Spanish Literature and Culture |
| Thursday, May 18, 2023 | Chinese Language and Culture English Language and Composition German Language and Culture Human Geography Physics 1: Algebra-Based | Art History Biology Comparative Government and Politics French Language and Culture Italian Language and Culture Latin |
| Friday, May 19, 2023 | Calculus AB Calculus BC Microeconomics Physics 2: Algebra-Based Spanish Language and Culture | European History Music Theory Physics C: Mechanics Seminar United States Government and Politics World History: Modern |
How Does Taking AP Exams Affect Your Chances of Getting Into College?
After taking these challenging exams and demonstrating the extent of your hard work on the AP Test Dates, you might wonder if your final score will affect your chances of getting into the college of your choice. But don’t worry too much—because choosing to take the AP exams (and therefore receive a score) won’t make or break your college admission, even if you don’t score a 5. In the end, you can opt not to report your AP scores on your college application, but you’ll want to strategize wisely.
In addition, it’s worth noting that taking an AP exam on the AP Test Dates and getting a good (or great) score can boost your overall profile. So even if the tests won’t directly affect your admission chances, taking the course can. It’s because these colleges see that you’re exerting effort to take an extra step toward your education.
How AP Courses Can Influence Your Personal & Academic Growth
Taking AP courses and ultimately preparing for the AP Test Dates can be challenging because you’re studying a subject that’s higher than the standardized high school level. However, it prepares you before the AP Schedule to help you with your college applications. It lets the college know that you had academic training on a particular subject, especially if it’s related to the course you’re applying to.
For instance, an AP score of 4-5 shows that you have advanced knowledge in a particular subject compared to other students who took the exams on the AP Test Dates. It shows that you’re a competitive student willing to excel in different academic areas.
How Well Students Fared in the 2022 AP Exam Dates
Below is how well students have performed on the most recent 2022 AP Exams on their scheduled AP Exam Dates. 5 is the highest, and 1 is the lowest for each AP subject.
| Exam | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| AP Research | 12.6% | 25.8% | 44.3% | 13.3% | 4.0% |
| AP Seminar | 11.6% | 19.2% | 51.8% | 11.8% | 5.6% |
| AP 2-D Art and Design | 10.8% | 35.5% | 40.3% | 12.8% | 0.5% |
| AP 3-D Art and Design | 6.4% | 28.6% | 38.5% | 23.8% | 2.6% |
| AP Art History | 14.1% | 21.0% | 26.3% | 26.9% | 11.6% |
| AP Drawing | 14.6% | 38.1% | 35.6% | 10.3% | 1.4% |
| AP Music Theory | 18.7% | 17.7% | 25.5% | 23.7% | 14.4% |
| AP English Language and Composition | 10.4% | 21.1% | 24.2% | 29.8% | 14.5% |
| AP English Literature and Composition | 16.9% | 27.3% | 33.7% | 14.1% | 7.9% |
| AP Comparative Government and Politics | 15.9% | 24.3% | 30.3% | 16.7% | 12.9% |
| AP European History | 13.5% | 21.0% | 24.4% | 29.7% | 11.4% |
| AP Human Geography | 14.9% | 18.7% | 19.6% | 15.0% | 31.8% |
| AP Macroeconomics | 16.4% | 20.0% | 15.4% | 15.1% | 33.1% |
| AP Microeconomics | 17.7% | 22.5% | 18.8% | 16.9% | 24.2% |
| AP Psychology | 17.0% | 22.2% | 19.1% | 13.1% | 28.5% |
| AP United States Government and Politics | 12.0% | 10.9% | 25.8% | 25.7% | 25.7% |
| AP United States History | 10.8% | 15.6% | 21.9% | 23.0% | 28.8% |
| AP World History | 13.2% | 21.9% | 27.0% | 23.7% | 14.3% |
| AP Calculus AB | 20.4% | 16.1% | 19.1% | 22.6% | 21.7% |
| AP Calculus BC | 41.2% | 15.6% | 20.1% | 16.4% | 6.8% |
| AP Computer Science A | 27.3% | 20.4% | 19.9% | 10.4% | 22.1% |
| AP Computer Science Principles | 11.4% | 21.0% | 31.1% | 19.9% | 16.6% |
| AP Statistics | 14.8% | 22.2% | 23.4% | 16.5% | 23.1% |
| AP Biology | 15.0% | 23.1% | 29.7% | 21.6% | 10.5% |
| AP Chemistry | 12.5% | 17.0% | 24.5% | 23.6% | 22.5% |
| AP Environmental Science | 8.9% | 27.4% | 17.5% | 25.9% | 20.3% |
| AP Physics 1 | 7.9% | 17.0% | 18.3% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| AP Physics 2 | 16.3% | 18.1% | 35.3% | 24.1% | 6.3% |
| AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 31.5% | 23.6% | 14.3% | 18.1% | 12.5% |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | 26.4% | 25.7% | 21.3% | 15.6% | 11.0% |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | 49.3% | 19.6% | 18.0% | 5.3% | 7.8% |
| AP French Language and Culture | 13.1% | 23.7% | 34.8% | 22.3% | 6.0% |
| AP German Language and Culture | 20.0% | 19.1% | 26.5% | 22.9% | 11.6% |
| AP Italian Language and Culture | 22.6% | 20.6% | 27.3% | 18.6% | 10.8% |
| AP Japanese Language and Culture | 48.5% | 9.8% | 17.1% | 7.5% | 17.1% |
| AP Latin | 11.2% | 16.1% | 29.8% | 24.8% | 18.2% |
Other Benefits of Taking AP Exams on the AP Test Dates
Apart from having a high score increase your college application chances, there are many other benefits of taking the exams on the AP Exam Dates. Some of these are as follows:
Apply for Scholarships
Once you take the exams on the AP Test Dates, some universities and colleges give awards or scholarships to students who have done well in their AP exams. Therefore, it helps you save money while in college.
Familiarize Yourself with College-Level Courses
Taking the AP exams can also help you become familiar with college-level courses. Once you enter college, it will be easier to transition due to the academic preparation that taking an AP course gives you.
Preparation for SAT Subject Tests
Some colleges and universities require students to take an SAT subject test before getting accepted. And if you take the AP exam on the AP Exam Dates, you’ll be hitting two birds with one stone since an AP class in the same SAT subject is already a resource you can use to study.
Positivity & Hard Word is the Key to Success
Before the AP Exam Schedule, you must prepare to ensure that you pass the test with flying colors. It can be stressful for students, but its rewards are worth it. All it takes is positivity and hard work to ace the AP exams.
Now that you know the AP Schedule, it’s time to do your best to excel. And if you ever need help, Empowerly is here to guide you throughout your college admissions journey. Book a consultation today so that we can get things started. If you want advice on your college applications or just want to impress the college admissions team, Empowerly has your back.
Madeleine Karydes
Sophia Minhas