AP exams in Singapore: subjects, dates and scores
All 42 AP subjects for May 2027 in one place: when each exam is, what format it takes, how many students got a 5 in 2026, how universities use AP, and how to sit the exams in Singapore if your school does not offer them. Every fact comes from College Board, university or test-centre pages.
Updated regularlyLast updated 19 October 2026
This guide is updated whenever new official data comes out. Bookmark it and check back.
Four things to know
Every AP exam is digital from 2027
26 exams are fully digital in the Bluebook app and 12 are hybrid: multiple choice on screen, free-response answers handwritten on paper. The hybrid ones include the calculus, physics, chemistry, biology and economics exams. Three art portfolios and AP Research have no sit-down exam.
The share of 5s ranges from 7% to 48%
In 2026, 48% of AP Chinese and 46% of Calculus BC students got a 5, against 7% in 3-D Art and Design and 10% in Seminar and Computer Science Principles. Each exam draws a different group of students, so this is not a ranking of difficulty.
IB students rarely need AP
UK and Singapore universities judge IB students on the IB Diploma. The exceptions: NUS Medicine and Dentistry for applicants with predicted grades, and US universities such as Stanford that ask you to report every AP you have taken.
No AP at your school? You can still sit it
USEIC and Prometric Singapore both take students from any school. USEIC has not posted its May 2027 details yet; Prometric offers 27 exams, with its second registration period running from 18 November 2026 to 5 March 2027 at USD 293 per exam.
Every AP exam in May 2027
Exams are in date order. Choose a subject area to shorten the list. Start times are Singapore time (UTC+8); late-testing exams are in the week of 17 May.
| Subject | Exam date (2027) | Starts (SGT) | Format | 5 in 2026 | 3+ in 2026 | Prometric SG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Research | Due 30 Apr | – | Portfolio only | 17% | 90% | Not offered |
| AP Human Geography | Mon 3 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 19% | 66% | Offered |
| AP Physics C: Mechanics | Mon 3 May | 9:00 a.m. | Hybrid | 20% | 72% | Offered |
| AP Biology | Mon 3 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 15% | 71% | Offered |
| AP Italian Language and Culture | Mon 3 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 19% | 69% | Not offered |
| AP Business with Personal FinanceFirst exam | Tue 4 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | First exam | First exam | Offered |
| AP United States Government and Politics | Tue 4 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 23% | 76% | Offered |
| AP European History | Tue 4 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 16% | 74% | Offered |
| AP Microeconomics | Tue 4 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 19% | 68% | Offered |
| AP CybersecurityFirst exam | Wed 5 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | First exam | First exam | Offered |
| AP English Literature and Composition | Wed 5 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 16% | 73% | Offered |
| AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based | Wed 5 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 19% | 68% | Offered |
| AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | Wed 5 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 24% | 75% | Offered |
| AP French Language and Culture | Thu 6 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 15% | 71% | Not offered |
| AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based | Thu 6 May | 9:00 a.m. | Hybrid | 20% | 72% | Offered |
| AP World History: Modern | Thu 6 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 14% | 66% | Offered |
| AP African American Studies | Thu 6 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 20% | 77% | Not offered |
| AP Chemistry | Thu 6 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 15% | 75% | Offered |
| AP German Language and Culture | Fri 7 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 24% | 68% | Not offered |
| AP United States History | Fri 7 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 14% | 74% | Offered |
| AP Macroeconomics | Fri 7 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 19% | 66% | Offered |
| AP 2-D Art and Design | Due 7 May | – | Portfolio only | 12% | 85% | Not offered |
| AP 3-D Art and Design | Due 7 May | – | Portfolio only | 7% | 75% | Not offered |
| AP Drawing | Due 7 May | – | Portfolio only | 16% | 83% | Not offered |
| AP Calculus AB | Mon 10 May | 9:00 a.m. | Hybrid | 20% | 65% | Offered |
| AP Calculus BC | Mon 10 May | 9:00 a.m. | Hybrid | 46% | 82% | Offered |
| AP Music Theory | Mon 10 May | 1:00 p.m. | Hybrid | 18% | 59% | Not offered |
| AP Seminar | Mon 10 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 10% | 88% | Not offered |
| AP Japanese Language and Culture | Tue 11 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 47% | 72% | Not offered |
| AP Precalculus | Tue 11 May | 9:00 a.m. | Hybrid | 29% | 82% | Offered |
| AP Statistics | Tue 11 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 17% | 62% | Offered |
| AP English Language and Composition | Wed 12 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 15% | 75% | Offered |
| AP Art History | Wed 12 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 15% | 67% | Offered |
| AP Computer Science A | Wed 12 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 25% | 66% | Offered |
| AP Spanish Language and Culture | Thu 13 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 21% | 83% | Not offered |
| AP Chinese Language and Culture | Thu 13 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 48% | 85% | Not offered |
| AP Environmental Science | Thu 13 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 13% | 69% | Offered |
| AP Comparative Government and Politics | Fri 14 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 15% | 70% | Offered |
| AP Computer Science Principles | Fri 14 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 10% | 63% | Offered |
| AP Spanish Literature and Culture | Fri 14 May | 9:00 a.m. | Fully digital | 20% | 71% | Not offered |
| AP Latin | Fri 14 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 20% | 73% | Not offered |
| AP Psychology | Fri 14 May | 1:00 p.m. | Fully digital | 15% | 74% | Offered |
Hybrid: multiple choice on screen, free-response answers handwritten on paper. 2026 percentages are the whole numbers College Board has published so far; 3+ is College Board's own figure. World language results include students who speak the language at home. Portfolios are due at 11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time (11:59 a.m. the next day in Singapore). AP Networking, a pilot for selected schools only, is not listed.
Source: College Board 2027 exam dates, start times and exam modes; 2026 score distributions; Prometric Singapore exam schedule
Share of students who got a 5
The 40 exams with 2026 results, highest share of 5s first. The two new courses have no results yet.
A high share of 5s does not make an exam easier. It depends on who takes it: language exams, for example, include many students who speak the language at home.
What changes in May 2027
All exams on Bluebook
World languages, Spanish Literature and Statistics become fully digital, and Music Theory becomes hybrid. Hybrid exams still have handwritten free-response answers.
Start times by time zone
Morning and afternoon become Session 1 and Session 2, with start times set by time zone. In Singapore (UTC+8) they start at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Two new courses
AP Business with Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity have their first exams, both fully digital.
New question counts and timing
Calculus AB and BC, Precalculus and the four physics exams change their number of questions and section times. The course content is the same.
History essays
US, European and World History now have three required short-answer questions and one long essay.
Questions released later
Free-response questions are no longer posted two days after each exam; they all come out together in early June.
Source: College Board exam modes, important updates for 2026–27, history exam updates, AP Career Kickstart and free-response release pages
Where to sit AP exams
At a school that teaches AP, you register through the school. Otherwise, register with a Singapore test centre that takes students from any school: USEIC or Prometric.
At an AP school
Register through your school's AP coordinator before the school's deadline. Schools must order exams from College Board by 13 November 2026; later orders cost USD 40 more per exam.
Singapore schools with AP courses
- Singapore American School17 AP courses (2026–27 school profile)
- Stamford American International SchoolAP courses in languages, humanities, sciences and maths, alongside IB
- International Community SchoolOver 20 AP courses
- Canadian International SchoolAP courses in the Grade 11–12 pathway, more from 2027–28
- XCL World AcademyThree AP courses
USEIC
United States Education Information Center- May 2027 details not posted yet (October 2026)
- May 2026: 20 exams in maths, sciences, computer science, economics, history, psychology and English Language
- May 2026 fees: SGD 475 (period 1) or 525 (period 2) per exam; SGD 525 or 575 in the late-testing week; extra fees for late registration
- Own device with Bluebook; no accommodated testing
Prometric Singapore
Authorised AP test centre for May 2027- Open to eligible students from any school or country, including homeschooled students
- 27 exams; no world languages, Music Theory, African American Studies or Seminar
- Period 1: until 6 November 2026, USD 251 per exam (late-testing week USD 293)
- Period 2: 18 November 2026 – 5 March 2027, USD 293 per exam (late-testing week USD 335)
- Get the join code, enrol in My AP, then pay Prometric. No subject changes or rescheduling; USD 155 back if you cancel by 5 March
- Bring your own device with Bluebook and a passport, NRIC or MOE card; the venue is announced in April 2027
Rules that catch students out
- You cannot take Calculus AB and BC in the same year.
- AP Computer Science Principles is only for students taking the course, because part of the score is a project.
- Two exams at the same time? Take one of them in the late-testing week.
- Register each exam at one centre only. If two centres order the same exam, only the first counts.
- Students and parents cannot order AP exams from College Board directly: a school or test centre does it.
Source: Prometric Singapore AP page (May 2027), USEIC test registration (latest posted: May 2026), College Board registration and ordering pages, school documents
From registration to scores
- 6 Nov 2026Prometric period 1 closes (11:30 a.m.)
- 13 Nov 2026Schools' deadline to order exams from College Board
- 18 Nov 2026Prometric period 2 opens
- 5 Mar 2027Prometric period 2 and cancellations close (11:30 a.m.)
- 12 Mar 2027Schools' spring ordering deadline
- Apr 2027Prometric announces the venue
- 30 Apr 2027AP Research due (11:59 p.m. US Eastern)
- 3–14 May 2027Exams
- 7 May 2027Art and Design portfolios due (11:59 p.m. US Eastern)
- 17–21 May 2027Late testing
- Early Jun 2027Free-response questions released
- Jul 2027Scores out
Times are Singapore time unless marked. A US Eastern deadline of 11:59 p.m. is 11:59 a.m. the next day in Singapore.
When does an IB student need AP?
Usually not for admission
UK and Singapore universities assess IB students on the IB Diploma; the AP rules further down are for applicants with a US high school diploma. Columbia, for example, says AP scores are not required.
NUS Medicine and Dentistry with predicted grades
Applicants using predicted IB grades must send by 17 February 2027 the UCAT, or SAT/ACT with Writing and AP exams, for Medicine, and SAT/ACT with Writing and AP exams for Dentistry. NUS Medicine says no extra test is needed when you apply with actual IB results. NUS does not say which APs.
US applications: AP scores get reported
Stanford requires you to self-report every AP score you have, even for exams you self-studied. MIT asks you to self-report AP and IB scores, Princeton recommends it, and Yale lets you choose which to report.
Showing a subject your school does not teach
MIT notes that some students self-study for AP exams when advanced classes are not available. Caltech's page for fall 2026 entrants accepts a 5 in AP Calculus, Chemistry or Physics, or a 6 or 7 in IB Maths HL or IB Chemistry or Physics, when a required course is missing.
Credit at US universities
Most US colleges give credit or placement for qualifying AP scores, and each sets its own policy. The AP Calculus guide lists examples for MIT, Stanford, Columbia and others.
Source: NUS (IB Diploma admission requirements; NUS Medicine prerequisites), Stanford, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Columbia and Caltech admissions pages, College Board
What universities ask for
These are the rules for applicants with a US high school diploma and AP scores. They do not apply to IB Diploma applicants.
| University | What is required | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | At least five APs at 5 in subjects related to the course, plus SAT 1500 (Maths 750+) or ACT 33 for most science courses and Economics; SAT 1460 or ACT 32 for other courses. A US high school diploma alone is not enough. | 2027 entry |
| Oxford | Set by course. Mathematics: four APs at 5 including Calculus BC, or three including BC plus ACT 33 or SAT 1480. Medicine: four APs at 5 taken in the same academic year, or three plus ACT 32 or SAT 1470. | Department pages |
| Imperial | Five APs at 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, or three at 5, 5, 4 plus a school-leaving qualification and SAT 1460 or ACT 31. Some departments ask for more for 2027 entry. | Central page (no year); Electrical and Electronic Engineering asks for all 5s in 2027 |
| LSE | For A*AA and AAA programmes: five APs at 5 taken over at most three years and a high school GPA of 3.7, or GPA 3.7 plus ACT 32 or SAT 1450. Calculus BC at 5 where maths is required. | Only one of Calculus AB or BC counts |
| UCL | Three to five APs by offer level (AAA = 5, 5, 5, 5), or two APs plus SAT or ACT and the high school diploma (AAA = 5, 5 + SAT 1440 or ACT 32). | Calculus AB and BC count as one AP; AP Capstone not accepted |
| King's College London | Five APs (AAA = 5, 5, 5, 4, 4; A*A*A = all 5s), or three AP, Honors or dual-enrolment classes plus ACT or SAT (AAA = three APs at 5 + ACT 28 or SAT 1380). | AP classes without the exam do not count; AP Research and Seminar not accepted |
| Edinburgh | Three tests in different subjects: three APs at 4+, or SAT 1290+ or ACT 27 plus two APs at 4+. Medicine: at least three APs at 5. | Country page published November 2024 |
| NUS | Five APs at 3+, or SAT (Reading and Writing 600, Maths 650) or ACT with Writing (29) plus at least three APs. Calculus BC is compulsory for every programme except Law. | Document dated December 2025 (2026–27 admissions) |
| NTU | Scores of 4 and 5 in three or more APs, with a good high school GPA. Calculus BC is compulsory for engineering, Applied Computing in Finance and most sciences. | 2026 intake page |
| SMU | SAT (1350, Reading and Writing 650+) or ACT (29) with the high school diploma. The page does not mention AP. | 2026–27 intake page; Law asks for higher reading and writing scores |
| HKU | Minimum: three APs at 3+, plus SAT 1380 or two more APs at 3+ (Latin, English Language, Seminar and Research excluded). | Minimum only; competitive scores are higher |
| HKUST | SAT 1190 or ACT 24 plus two APs at 3+, or five APs at 4+. | 2027 admissions; the ACT must be from one sitting and include Science |
| Melbourne | Not test-optional: high school GPA plus SAT, ACT or an AP aggregate (best three or four APs at 3+). APs at 3+ can also meet subject prerequisites. | Example: Science GPA 3.2 + SAT 1210, ACT 25 or AP aggregate 13 |
| UNSW | SAT or ACT plus high school completion. APs at 4–5 can lower the SAT needed; AP-based entry uses three or four APs at 3+. | 2027 entry table |
Universities change these rules every year. Check the course page before you apply.
Source: each university's admissions and department pages, checked October 2026
Which APs each major asks for
AP subjects that university pages name for applicants with a US high school diploma. Calculus BC comes up again and again for maths-heavy courses.
Engineering
- CambridgeCalculus BC strongly preferred for courses asking for A Level Maths and Further Maths; both Physics C exams preferred where A Level Physics is asked
- Imperial (EEE, 2027)All 5s: five APs including Calculus BC and both Physics C exams, or three or four including BC and one Physics C plus SAT 1480 or ACT 33; Physics 1 and 2 not accepted
- UCLCalculus AB or BC; where physics is needed, Physics 2 or either Physics C
- NUS · NTUCalculus BC compulsory; NTU also asks for Physics C where physics is a requirement
- EdinburghCalculus at 4 plus a science, physics preferred
Computer science
- OxfordFour APs at 5 including Calculus BC and two other maths or science subjects; CS A and CS Principles count as two
- UCLCalculus BC
- King's College LondonCalculus BC for courses with a maths requirement
- NUS · NTUCalculus BC compulsory
Mathematics
Economics and business
- LSECalculus BC at 5 for programmes with a maths requirement, such as Economics
- UCLEconomics: Calculus AB or BC (from 2026 entry); PPE: Calculus BC
- Imperial (Economics, Finance and Data Science)5, 5, 5 including Calculus BC
- EdinburghEconomics: Calculus at 4+; Business: Calculus at 3+ or Precalculus at 4+
Physics, chemistry and biology
- CambridgeBoth Physics C exams preferred for courses asking for A Level Physics
- UCL (Physics)Both Physics C: Mechanics and Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- Oxford (Biochemistry)Four APs at 5 including chemistry and two other relevant subjects
- EdinburghPhysics: Calculus at 4 plus Physics; Chemistry: Chemistry plus Calculus at 4
Medicine
- OxfordA 5 in Chemistry and a 5 in Biology, Physics or Calculus; take Calculus BC if you can
- EdinburghAt least three APs at 5
- NUSCalculus BC compulsory; chemistry and biology or physics at Year 12 level
- NTU (LKCMedicine)Chemistry and biology or physics at senior high level, plus UCAT; results out after 1 April are not accepted
Law
- NUSCalculus AB accepted instead of BC
- EdinburghAP English Language or English Literature at 4+
- LSE · CambridgeNo set AP subjects; the general AP rule applies
Only what each page states. Where a page says it prefers a subject, that is not a strict requirement.
Where each fact comes from
Show all sources
- College Board: 2027 AP exam dates
- College Board: 2027 start times by time zone
- College Board: late-testing dates
- College Board: how AP exams are administered by course
- College Board: important updates for 2026–27
- College Board: AP history exam updates
- College Board: AP Career Kickstart (new courses)
- College Board: free-response question release
- College Board: 2026 AP score distributions
- College Board: exam fees
- College Board: AP International quick reference guide 2026–27
- College Board: getting credit and placement
- College Board: register for AP exams
- Prometric Singapore: College Board AP
- USEIC: test registration
- NUS: IB Diploma admission requirements (Medicine and Dentistry)
- NUS Medicine: prerequisites
- Stanford: testing
- MIT: tests and scores
- MIT: advanced coursework
- Yale: standardized testing
- Princeton: standardized testing
- Columbia: testing
- Caltech: academic requirements
Checked on 19 October 2026. College Board publishes fuller 2026 figures later; dates and fees change every year.
Not sure whether AP is worth it for you?
In the IB Pathway Diagnostic (90 minutes, S$500), we look at your subjects and target universities and work out whether extra AP exams would help, and which ones.
This is an independent summary by Math with Alex. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board, any university or any test centre. AP and Advanced Placement are trademarks of the College Board. Dates, fees and requirements change every year, so check the official pages before you register or apply.
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