When Is the Last Day for AP Testing? 2025 End Dates Guide

Most students taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams want one number above all: the final date on the calendar. For the 2025 exam season, the last day of standard AP testing is Friday, May 16, 2025. That closes out the main two-week window that begins Monday, May 5. A separate late-testing period then runs from May 19 through May 23, 2025, for students who qualify for an approved makeup.

If you are asking “when is the last day for AP testing,” the short answer is May 16 for regular exams and May 23 for late testing. Everything below breaks down those dates so you can plan study schedules, travel, and any conflicts well in advance.

The 2025 AP Exam Window at a Glance

The College Board runs AP exams in a fixed two-week block each May. In 2025, that block starts Monday, May 5 and ends Friday, May 16. Exams are given in two daily sessions: a morning session and an afternoon session, though exact start times are set by your school.

The schedule matters because some subjects are only offered on one specific day. If you miss your assigned slot, you generally cannot simply show up on another day. You must go through the late-testing process, which requires approval.

Here is how the final week is structured. Exams in the second week fall on May 12–16, and the very last standard exam slots land on Friday, May 16, covering subjects scheduled for that day’s morning and afternoon sessions.

Why the Last Day Matters So Much

Two practical reasons stand out:

• No flexibility without approval. Standard testing ends firmly on May 16. After that, only students with a documented conflict or emergency can test late.
• Score timing is uniform. Whether you test in the main window or the late window, scores are released on the same summer timeline, so late testing does not push your results back.

The College Board publishes the full day-by-day calendar, including which subjects fall on which date, on its official site: College Board. Always confirm your specific subject’s date there, since the schedule rotates slightly from year to year.

Late Testing: The Real Final Cutoff

If you cannot take your exam during the main window, the late-testing period is your backup. In 2025, late testing runs Monday, May 19 through Friday, May 23. That makes May 23 the absolute last day any AP exam can be administered.

Late testing is not open to everyone. You typically qualify if:

• You had two exams scheduled at the same time.
• You were ill on your original test date.
• You had a school-approved conflict, such as a religious observance.
• An emergency or unexpected circumstance prevented you from testing.

Your AP coordinator handles the request. You cannot arrange late testing on your own, and there is usually an additional fee. Because the late window is only one week, students who need it should contact their coordinator as early as possible, ideally before the main window even begins.

A Quick Example

Say your school schedules your AP Biology exam for the morning of Monday, May 5, but you also have a required school event that conflicts. You notify your AP coordinator, who moves you to the late-testing window. Instead of testing on May 5, you sit the exam during May 19–23. Your score still arrives with everyone else’s in July. Miss that late window, and there is no third chance until the following year.

How to Confirm Your Exact Dates

Because the last day depends on your subjects and your school’s logistics, do these three things:

1. Check the official calendar. The College Board’s AP exam schedule lists every subject and its assigned date and session. Bookmark it and cross-reference your courses.
2. Talk to your AP coordinator. This is the person at your school who registers students, orders exams, and approves late testing. They have the definitive local schedule, including start times.
3. Mark both deadlines. Note May 16 as the end of standard testing and May 23 as the end of late testing. Add a reminder a few weeks earlier so you can resolve conflicts before they become problems.

A common mistake is assuming the “last day” is the same for every subject. It is not. Some students finish on May 9; others test as late as May 16. Your personal last day is the date of your final scheduled exam, which may come well before the overall window closes.

If You Have Multiple Exams

Students with several AP courses sometimes face back-to-back exams on the same day. The College Board schedules morning and afternoon sessions precisely to accommodate this, but if two of your exams overlap, that is a valid reason for late testing. Plan your study calendar around your heaviest days first, then work backward.

Key Takeaways

• The last day of standard AP testing in 2025 is Friday, May 16.
• The main exam window runs May 5–16, 2025, with morning and afternoon sessions each day.
• Late testing runs May 19–23, 2025, making May 23 the absolute final day any AP exam can be given.
• Late testing requires approval from your AP coordinator and usually an extra fee; you cannot arrange it yourself.
• Your personal last day depends on your subjects, so confirm exact dates on the College Board schedule and with your school’s AP coordinator.