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AP Exam Accommodations Overview

Review the available accommodations for AP Exams and find important SSD policy information.

2026-27 AP Accommodations Guide

The 2026-27 AP Accommodations Guide will be released in December. Step-by-step instructions for managing accommodations are available at SSD Online for Coordinators.

Visit SSD Online for Coordinators

Testing Accommodations Available for AP Exams 

Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for accommodations on AP Exams, such as: 

  • Braille paper testing
  • Refreshable braille
  • Large print for paper accommodated exams
  • Extended time
  • Breaks
  • Large-print answer sheet for paper accommodated exams
  • Computer to type essay or free response for hybrid digital exams
  • Human reader to dictate questions
  • Writer/scribe to record responses
  • Printed copy of verbal instructions
  • Embedded text-to-speech
  • Screen reader (non-embedded)
  • Other assistive technology

Find details for each type of AP Exam accommodation.

Accommodations with No Exam System Requirements

Accommodations that don’t involve assistive technology or a change to exam timing or breaks, don’t require a special format of the digital AP Exam. Examples of these types of accommodations include permission for small-group testing, food/drink/medication, and permission to test blood sugar. These accommodations can be used by students with approvals from the College Board Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.

Student Approval for Accommodations from SSD

To take an AP Exam with accommodations, a student must be approved by the College Board SSD office. Providing accommodations to students without College Board approval will result in cancellation of these students’ scores.

Learn about requesting accommodations for AP Exams. 

SSD Accommodations Policy for AP Through-Course Assessments

For some AP courses, in addition to an end-of-course exam, a student’s overall AP score is determined by additional assessments, which are referred to as “through-course assessments” or “performance-based tasks.” Examples of these AP courses include AP Seminar, AP Research, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP world language and culture courses. The accommodations that a student requires for a through-course assessment, such as an oral presentation, may differ from what is needed for a written exam. More information is in the AP Accommodations Guide.