If you fail an AP exam (score less than 3), the main consequence is that you will not receive college credit for that subject
. However, failing an AP exam does not affect your high school class grade, as AP exam scores are typically released after semester grades are finalized
. Colleges generally do not require AP exam scores for admissions, so failing an AP exam will not negatively impact your college application if you choose not to report the score
. You can opt to withhold or cancel your AP scores to prevent colleges from seeing a low score
. Failing an AP exam means you may need to take the equivalent college course in university, potentially affecting your course load and time to graduate
. It also means you won't qualify for AP Scholar awards that require passing scores
. Despite this, many students who fail AP exams still get admitted to selective colleges, as grades and other factors carry more weight in admissions
. You can retake an AP exam in a future year if you want to improve your score and possibly earn college credit or strengthen your application
. Retaking requires commitment to studying again, and AP exams are only offered once per year in the spring
. In summary:
- No college credit if you fail the AP exam.
- No impact on high school class grade.
- Colleges usually do not see or require AP scores unless you send them.
- You can withhold or cancel scores to hide low results.
- May need to take college courses later.
- Can retake the exam in a future year.
- Failing does not ruin college chances.
This makes failing an AP exam a setback but not a major barrier to college success
