AP Exam Retake: Everything You Need to Know

It’s not uncommon for high school students to stress over what an AP exam retake would be like if they failed once. Here’s a quote from the 1997 classic movie Good Will Hunting. Dr Sean Maguire (played by the inimitable Robin Williams) says something extremely memorable: ‘You'll have bad times, but that'll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren't paying attention to.’

In this blog, we cover everything you need to know about an AP exam retake. But first, a quick note: Technically, you can’t ‘fail’ an AP exam; you can only get a low score. 

First, we quickly understand the AP exam scores. After that, we answer an important question: Can you retake an AP exam? Next, we look at the right time to retake an AP exam and also the AP exam retake options. We then discuss the AP exam retake policy before moving on to the implications of a retake.

Next, we explain how (and whether) a retake can impact college credits. Towards the end, we explore some proven ways to prepare effectively for a retake of an AP exam, and the things students and their tutors should know about the retake. Finally, we conclude by mentioning a powerful platform that can strongly support AP exam retake preparation.
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Can you retake an AP exam?

Yes, if you’re a student who has failed an AP exam, you can sit for a retake.

However, if you fail an AP exam, a retake is optional, not obligatory. The student can choose whether they’d like to test again. Many students opt not to take the test again.

If you’re a tutor, you want to mention three things to your students who are considering an exam retake:

• Once a year: The AP exams are administered only once a year. That means a student planning to sit for a retake will have to wait until the next academic year. 
• Not related to college admissions: The AP exam doesn’t directly impact a student’s chances for college admission. Scoring well on an AP exam helps with college credits and placement only.
• Other commitments: Your students should factor in workload while considering AP exam retake options. Other coursework, new AP classes, and important extracurricular activities can make the retake considerably demanding.

We’ve mentioned all this just to make sure your students and you are perfectly clear about what it means to opt for an exam retake. There are several benefits of sitting for another AP exam too, so don’t write off anything right now.
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When is the right time to retake an AP exam?

AP exams are conducted only once a year (usually May), and they don’t have a separate schedule. Hence, if a student doesn’t get a desired score this year and plans to retake the AP exam, the earliest they can do so is only next year or later. However, there is no provision to retake an AP exam in the same testing cycle.

A retake makes sense for your student who’s really keen to get AP credits in order to be placed out of the introductory college courses. If a student missed the cutoff by a whisker, the case for a retake becomes stronger. 

However, your student will need to address the gaps because of which the score fell short. When the AP exam is due next year, the student will need to juggle their extracurriculars, test prep for other tests (the SAT, for instance), explore and apply for scholarships… They’ll need careful planning, smart strategy, and effective coaching.

So, here’s the short answer: next year or the year after, but only after planning and guidance.

AP exam retake rules and eligibility requirements

There are no rules regarding a fixed time for retakes. Students may take the AP exam as often as it is offered. Since it is offered only once a year, a student gets one opportunity in a calendar year. However, they will need to register every time and pay the stipulated fees. Ask your student if their school will cover those fees.

Every attempt will produce a separate score. By default, the score of every AP exam a student takes remains on the student’s record. However, the student can choose to withhold or cancel one or more scores if they do not want colleges to see them. That means students have control over how retakes are presented during the admissions process.

For a retake, there are no eligibility restrictions based on past scores. That means a student with a previous score of 4 can retake the exam the same way a student with a previous score of 1.

The College Board clearly specifies that in case of an ‘unexpected issue’ that stops you from taking the exam, your AP coordinator will let you know if a later date is available.

AP exams within the US territories and Canada cost $99 per AP exam; at other locations, it’s $129. Some schools charge an additional fee to cover the proctoring and administrative costs. Late fees, cancellation fees, and other charges, if any, are mentioned on the official College Board website.
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Does retaking an AP exam replace your previous score?

The score of every AP exam is appended to the previous score. The new score doesn’t replace any of the previous scores. In other words, the College Board maintains a separate record of every AP exam a student takes.

So what scores will the colleges see? That’s a control that lies in the hands of the student. A student can decide which score to send and which score to withhold. Let’s say your student Beccy scored 2 last year and now scored a 4. She is free to submit to the college her higher score - 4, in her case - without disclosing she had scored a 2 last year.

Very rarely will a college ask students to submit all their past scores. In such cases, they likely intend to compare scores across multiple attempts. This could happen even if the highest score - typically the one a student prefers to submit - meets the college criteria. 
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How retaking an AP exam affects college credit and placement

“How do we make high school relevant, engaging, and purposeful? Bluntly, it takes [the] next generation of coursework,” said David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, in an interview.

This remark makes one thing very clear: The AP exam reflects the college-level rigor, which explains why students might score lower than expected. 

Students sit for an AP exam retake in the hope of getting college credit. When a student receives a higher score after a retake and crosses the threshold set by the college, they will earn a course credit. Besides the credit, it can fulfill the general education requirements of the course too.

However, each college sets their own criteria in awarding advanced placement and allowing students to skip introductory classes. In fact, the same college may have different criteria for different subjects.

What’s more, additional policies may come into the picture, especially when the college is highly competitive. Some colleges may have a ceiling on the number of AP credits a student can claim. 

For instance, Tufts lays down this condition: “Students in the School of Arts and Sciences may receive up to five credit-bearing pre-matriculation course equivalents towards their degree…” Princeton uses a combination of scores to decide what kind of advanced placement a student is eligible for. An AP 5 in Microeconomics alone would earn a recommended placement to Economics 101. In contrast, an AP 5 in Microeconomics as well as in Macroeconomics could land a recommended placement to Economics 300/310.

This means the students will have to be both realistic in their expectations and proactive in research about college policies before choosing from the AP exam retake options. 

Which brings us to the next point: preparing for the retake.
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How to prepare effectively for an AP exam retake

Here are the four most important things to remember when your students prepare for the AP exam retake.

1. It starts with a diagnosis: Put your students through an evaluation test in order to identify sections or skills that let them down. Reinforce that evaluation with teacher feedback and a one-to-one sitting with the student.
2. It must be different from the earlier attempt: As Henry Ford said, if you continue doing what you were doing, you will continue getting what you were getting. Help your students to prepare differently and prepare better by plugging as many holes as possible.
3. It must be backed by planning and consistency: Every student has the same AP exam retake options. What will produce different results is planning and consistency of their efforts.
4. It must be focused: Help your students narrow down to more AP-style questions and formats. Their improved familiarity with question types, structure, and range will provide a huge boost to their output.

What students should consider before retaking an AP exam

Most of the common suggestions that apply in any exam also apply here.

To begin with, the student needs to make sure they have thought through the decision - it shouldn’t be a knee-jerk reaction. In particular, they’d do well by asking questions like the ones below:

1. How important or critical is the college credit for the course they have in mind?
2. What are the chances that retaking the AP exam will raise their scores to the levels their dream colleges demand?
3. Are they willing and capable to invest the time and other resources required for a successful retake?
4. Is it possible to get equivalent benefits without the retake?
5. How difficult will it be to balance the retake preps along with the high school coursework, and important extracurricular activities? 

As a tutor, you want to make sure your students don’t take an AP exam ‘failure’ too badly. To begin with, the exam is tough (statistics support this, as we saw at the start of this blog). And in most cases, the knowledge gained from the AP course itself is valuable, even without credit. Students who already have a strong course load may benefit more from focusing on future classes rather than revisiting a past exam.
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What teachers and tutors should know when guiding retake students

The first thing teachers and tutors can help students with is in making grounded decisions. While it certainly hurts a student when they feel their AP attempt was not rewarded suitably, the decision to retake the exam should be objective.

Teachers will want to make sure the student’s desire to go for a retake stems from a genuine academic need, and not to merely prove a point. The proposed retake should align with a clear goal. For instance, a student could meet specific requirements of the college by achieving a certain score. Or the student might hugely improve their chances for a scholarship by scoring a perfect 5 on an AP.

Teachers and tutors should be able to help students decide how many AP exams to focus on and how to balance the load. If retaking the AP exam poses a risk to the other important academic efforts - SAT prep, for instance - it’s probably not worth the effort. 

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