AP Exception Testing???

Hey, I heard about something called AP exception testing, which is like an alternative testing period. Can someone provide more info on what it is, who qualifies for it, and how it could affect my testing experience in 2024?

AP exception testing is indeed an alternative testing period provided by the College Board for students who face unavoidable conflicts or have extenuating circumstances on the regular AP exam dates. This option is designed to accommodate students who, due to unforeseen circumstances, are unable to take the AP exam during the primary testing window.

To qualify for AP exception testing, you must have a legitimate reason such as illness, emergency, or scheduling conflict. Examples of situations that might be eligible for exception testing include: an academic conflict like another AP exam scheduled at the same time, a religious observance, or a family emergency.

To request AP exception testing, you should talk to your school's AP coordinator as soon as possible. Your AP coordinator will then work with the College Board to confirm your eligibility, register you for the exception testing period, and collect any additional fees associated with the exception testing. Keep in mind that there's typically a higher fee for taking an exam during the exception testing period, so you should check the fee structure with your AP coordinator.

When it comes to your testing experience, the AP exception testing exams are similar to regular AP exams in terms of format and content, so your preparation should not be significantly affected. The main difference is the testing date and potentially the location, which might be different from the primary testing window in May. AP exception testing usually occurs in June, after the regular administration, but specific dates may vary from year to year and can be confirmed by your AP coordinator.

Despite the change in testing period, your AP exception testing score will still be reported on the same 1-5 scale, and colleges will generally treat these scores in the same manner as they would treat scores from the regular AP exams. It's essential to maintain your study routine and practice with available resources to ensure you're ready for the exam, regardless of whether you'll be taking it during the primary testing window or the exception testing period.

Regardless of when you end up taking your APs, if you're looking for study materials I'd suggest checking out CollegeVine's series of AP exam breakdowns, which you can access for free on their blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/category/standardized-tests/ap-test-guides/. These posts contain detailed overviews of many AP exams, including their structure and content covered, as well as sample questions and study tips.

Good luck with your APs!