How long are AP exams? It depends on the subject: testing time ranges from under two hours for the Chinese and Japanese exams to over three hours for Chemistry, English Language and the history exams. The times below are the section times College Board publishes for the May 2027 exams, added together; check-in, instructions and the break add time on the day. For results timing, see our AP score release dates.
How Long Is Each AP Exam in 2027?
| Exam | 2027 date and start time | Multiple choice | Free response | Testing time | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Human Geography | May 3, 8 a.m. | 60 questions, 60 min | 3 questions, 75 min | 2 hr 15 min | Fully digital |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | May 3, 8 a.m. | 42 questions, 85 min | 4 questions, 95 min | 3 hr | Hybrid |
| AP Biology | May 3, noon | 60 questions, 90 min | 6 questions, 90 min | 3 hr | Hybrid |
| AP United States Government and Politics | May 4, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 80 min | 4 questions, 100 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP European History | May 4, noon | 55 questions, 55 min, plus 3 short answers, 40 min | Document-based question and long essay, 100 min | 3 hr 15 min | Fully digital |
| AP Microeconomics | May 4, noon | 60 questions, 70 min | 3 questions, 60 min | 2 hr 10 min | Hybrid |
| AP English Literature and Composition | May 5, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 60 min | 3 essays, 120 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Physics 1 | May 5, noon | 42 questions, 85 min | 4 questions, 95 min | 3 hr | Hybrid |
| AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | May 5, noon | 42 questions, 85 min | 4 questions, 95 min | 3 hr | Hybrid |
| AP World History: Modern | May 6, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 55 min, plus 3 short answers, 40 min | Document-based question and long essay, 100 min | 3 hr 15 min | Fully digital |
| AP Physics 2 | May 6, 8 a.m. | 42 questions, 85 min | 4 questions, 95 min | 3 hr | Hybrid |
| AP Chemistry | May 6, noon | 60 questions, 90 min | 7 questions, 105 min | 3 hr 15 min | Hybrid |
| AP African American Studies | May 6, noon | 60 questions, 70 min, plus a project question, 10 min | 3 short answers, 40 min, and a document-based question, 45 min | 2 hr 45 min | Fully digital |
| AP United States History | May 7, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 55 min, plus 3 short answers, 40 min | Document-based question and long essay, 100 min | 3 hr 15 min | Fully digital |
| AP Macroeconomics | May 7, noon | 60 questions, 70 min | 3 questions, 60 min | 2 hr 10 min | Hybrid |
| AP Calculus AB | May 10, 8 a.m. | 42 questions, 100 min | 6 questions, 90 min | 3 hr 10 min | Hybrid |
| AP Calculus BC | May 10, 8 a.m. | 42 questions, 100 min | 6 questions, 90 min | 3 hr 10 min | Hybrid |
| AP Music Theory | May 10, noon | 75 questions, about 80 min | 7 written questions, about 70 min, plus 2 sight-singing tasks, about 10 min | About 2 hr 40 min | Hybrid |
| AP Seminar | May 10, noon | End-of-course exam: 3 short answers and 1 essay, 2 hr | Two performance tasks completed during the year | 2 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Precalculus | May 11, 8 a.m. | 42 questions, 105 min | 4 questions, 70 min | 2 hr 55 min | Hybrid |
| AP Statistics | May 11, noon | 42 questions, 90 min | 4 questions, 90 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP English Language and Composition | May 12, 8 a.m. | 45 questions, 60 min | 3 essays, 135 min (with 15 min reading) | 3 hr 15 min | Fully digital |
| AP Art History | May 12, noon | 80 questions, 60 min | 6 questions, 120 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Computer Science A | May 12, noon | 42 questions, 90 min | 4 questions, 90 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Environmental Science | May 13, noon | 80 questions, 90 min | 3 questions, 70 min | 2 hr 40 min | Fully digital |
| AP Comparative Government and Politics | May 14, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 60 min | 4 questions, 90 min | 2 hr 30 min | Fully digital |
| AP Computer Science Principles | May 14, 8 a.m. | 70 questions, 120 min | 2 written responses, 60 min, plus the Create task in class | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | May 14, 8 a.m. | 65 questions, 80 min | 4 questions, 100 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Latin | May 14, noon | 52 questions, 65 min | 5 questions, 115 min | 3 hr | Fully digital |
| AP Psychology | May 14, noon | 75 questions, 90 min | 2 questions, 70 min | 2 hr 40 min | Fully digital |
| AP French, German, Italian and Spanish Language | French May 6, 8 a.m.; German May 7, 8 a.m.; Italian May 3, noon; Spanish May 13, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 80 min | 3 tasks, 65 to 70 min | 2 hr 25 min to 2 hr 30 min | Fully digital |
| AP Chinese and Japanese Language | Chinese May 13, noon; Japanese May 11, 8 a.m. | 55 questions, 65 min | 4 tasks, 40 to 45 min | 1 hr 45 min to 1 hr 50 min | Fully digital |
| AP Cybersecurity (new) | May 5, 8 a.m. | 60 questions, 80 min | 1 question, 50 min | 2 hr 10 min | Fully digital |
| AP Business with Personal Finance (new) | May 4, 8 a.m. | 60 questions, 70 min | Business Canvas Project question, 25 min, plus 3 questions, 65 min | 2 hr 40 min | Fully digital |
Which AP Exams Are the Longest?
Five exams run 3 hours 15 minutes of testing: AP Chemistry, AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History, AP European History and AP World History: Modern. AP Calculus AB and BC follow at 3 hours 10 minutes, and a group of exams sits at exactly 3 hours, including AP Biology, all four physics exams, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science A, AP English Literature, AP United States Government, AP Art History and AP Latin.
Which AP Exams Are the Shortest?
AP Chinese and AP Japanese are the shortest timed exams, at about 1 hour 45 to 50 minutes. AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics and the new AP Cybersecurity exam each take 2 hours 10 minutes, and AP Human Geography 2 hours 15 minutes. AP Seminar’s end-of-course exam is 2 hours, but most of the course score comes from performance tasks completed during the year.
What Changed on AP Exams for 2027?
- Calculus AB and BC: multiple choice Part A went from 30 questions in 60 minutes to 29 questions in 62 minutes, and Part B from 15 questions in 45 minutes to 13 questions in 38 minutes (College Board).
- Precalculus: Part A changed from 28 questions in 80 minutes to 29 questions in 65 minutes, Part B from 12 to 13 questions, and each free-response part grew from 30 to 35 minutes (College Board).
- Physics 1, Physics 2 and both Physics C exams: multiple choice changed from 40 to 42 questions and from 80 to 85 minutes; free response went from 100 to 95 minutes (Physics 1; Physics 2; Physics C: Mechanics; Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism).
- Statistics: 42 multiple-choice questions with four answer choices instead of 40 with five, 4 free-response questions instead of 6, and a move to a fully digital exam (College Board).
- US, European and World History: all three short-answer questions are now required, and there is one long essay prompt instead of a choice (College Board); the exams still run 3 hours 15 minutes (AP United States History exam).
- World languages: French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese were revised for 2026-27 and move to fully digital exams in Bluebook in May 2027, as does AP Spanish Literature (College Board).
- Music Theory and new courses: AP Music Theory moves to hybrid digital testing in 2027, and the new AP Cybersecurity and AP Business with Personal Finance exams are fully digital (College Board).
When Are the 2027 AP Exams?
The 2027 AP exams are given over two weeks, May 3 to 7 and May 10 to 14, with late testing May 17 to 21 (College Board; AP key dates); students can see the full schedule on College Board’s 2027 AP Exam Schedule. For most US schools the morning session starts at 8 a.m. and the afternoon session at noon, local time. Students with two exams scheduled at the same time should ask their AP coordinator early about late testing, which College Board allows for that conflict (College Board).
Are AP Exams Digital?
Yes. College Board states that all AP exams are now digital (exam modes). Twelve are hybrid, with multiple choice answered in the Bluebook app and free responses handwritten in a booklet: Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Music Theory, Physics 1, Physics 2, both Physics C exams and Precalculus. The rest of the timed exams are fully digital. AP 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, Drawing and AP Research have no timed exam; students submit portfolios or papers instead.
How Much Do AP Exams Cost in 2026-27?
Each exam costs $99 in the United States, US territories and Canada, and $129 at schools elsewhere (AP exam fees). Students with financial need receive a $37 fee reduction per exam. Exams ordered between November 14, 2026 and March 12, 2027 carry a $40 late-order fee, and unused or canceled exams cost $40. The final ordering deadline for most schools is November 13, 2026, and scores are released in July 2027 (AP calendar).
Which AP Courses Are Graded Partly on Projects?
Several courses score work done before exam day. AP Research is a 4,000 to 5,000 word paper plus a presentation and oral defense. AP Seminar combines a team project, an individual essay and presentation, and the end-of-course exam. The Art and Design portfolios are due May 7, 2027. AP Computer Science Principles counts the Create performance task and two exam-day written responses about it for 30% of the score, and the world language exams, AP Latin, AP African American Studies and AP Business with Personal Finance include project components. Most project deadlines are April 30, 2027.
How Should Students Plan for a Heavy AP Exam Schedule?
Oriel Admissions advises students taking four or more AP exams to map them against the calendar in the fall, when schools place exam orders. Three-hour exams back to back in one week, such as Chemistry and World History on May 6, are harder than the course load suggests. Seniors should weigh which exams matter for credit at the colleges on their list, since policies differ: Yale gives acceleration credit in a limited set of subjects, and most of them require a score of 5 (Yale College), Michigan lists credit by subject and score (University of Michigan), and Princeton uses scores for placement (Princeton). For course choices, see the best AP courses for junior year and how many AP classes MIT expects.
Frequently Asked Questions About How Long AP Exams Are
Most AP exams last 2 to 3 hours of testing time, plus check-in, instructions and a break. In May 2027 they range from about 1 hour 45 minutes for AP Chinese and AP Japanese to 3 hours 15 minutes for AP Chemistry, AP English Language and the three history exams. Oriel Admissions advises students taking four or more exams to map them against the calendar in the fall.
AP Chemistry, AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History, AP European History and AP World History each have 3 hours 15 minutes of testing time in 2027. AP Calculus AB and BC follow at 3 hours 10 minutes.
AP Chinese and AP Japanese, at about 1 hour 45 to 50 minutes. Among other subjects, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics and AP Cybersecurity run 2 hours 10 minutes.
3 hours 10 minutes in 2027: 42 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes and 6 free-response questions in 90 minutes. The same structure applies to AP Calculus AB.
3 hours 15 minutes: 55 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes and 3 short-answer questions in 40 minutes, then a document-based question and a long essay in 100 minutes.
May 3 to 7 and May 10 to 14, 2027, with late testing May 17 to 21. Morning exams start at 8 a.m. and afternoon exams at noon local time at most US schools.
Yes. All AP exams are digital in the Bluebook app. Twelve exams are hybrid, mostly math and science plus economics and Music Theory, with free responses handwritten, and the rest are fully digital.
$99 per exam in the US, US territories and Canada, and $129 at schools elsewhere, with a $37 reduction for students with financial need. Late orders add $40 per exam.
Sources: College Board AP exam dates, College Board AP exam modes, College Board AP exam fees, College Board AP calendar and deadlines, AP Calculus AB and BC clarifications, AP Precalculus clarifications, AP Physics 1 clarifications, AP Statistics future revisions, AP history exam updates, AP Chemistry exam page, AP English Language exam page, AP United States History exam page, AP late testing, College Board 2027 AP Exam Schedule, AP Physics 2 clarifications, AP Physics C: Mechanics clarifications, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism clarifications, Yale acceleration credit, University of Michigan AP credit
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