How to Register for AP Exams

For students attending school in BSD registration for AP Exams takes 3 steps:

1. Sign in to your College Board account at myapcollegeboard.org.
2. Submit the Join Code provided by your AP teacher or AP Coordinator in your College Board account. 
3. Login to your payment account in Touchbase, choose your student and shop Items at Student’s school, then select the Advanced Placement category.  Select the exam(s) and make payment. The fee per exam for early registration is $109.  After November 10th the cost of the exam is $149 until March 12th, when registration for exams closes.

 

College Board Account: Students must be able to login to their College Board account. The College Board account lasts for the entire time a student is in high school and is associated with SAT, PSAT and AP exam scores.  This College Board support page provides help creating a College Board account.  If students don't remember their login/password, they should not create a second account.  Students can call the College Board student help line at 866-315-6068 if they are not successful with “forgot password” help.

 

Students enrolled in AP classes in BSD:

1. In September, AP Teachers provide a “Join Code” to students in their AP class.  Students must submit that Join Code in their College Board account giving students access to learning resources in AP Classroom.  This does not result in an exam order until payment has been made.
2. Students discuss plans for taking AP exams with family members. Use the College Board AP Credit Search to find out if a college accepts AP scores for college credit or advanced placement. Keep in mind this year’s AP Exam Schedule, May 4-15, 2026, to assure that you can manage taking the exams on the days offered.  If two exams are given at the same time, the AP Coordinator will reschedule one of the exams for the late testing schedule, May 18-22. 
3. Families use Touchbase Shop and Pay to select and pay for AP exams. The early registration fee is $109/exam.  Be mindful that some exams have very similar names (AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition), so select with care.  Fee waiver eligible students will see a price of $0 for all AP exams. The student's exam order is not complete until they add the exam to their cart, complete the transaction, and obtain a receipt.
4. Payment for exams at the early of $109 is due by November 10, 2025.  AP Coordinators will reconcile the payments with the online AP Exam Order.  IMPORTANT: Any exam that is not paid for will be changed to “No exam ordered” in the student’s College Board account and will not be included in the order placed to the College Board on November 14. 
5. Late registration of AP exams resumes on November 19 at a cost of $149 per exam, including a $40 late fee levied by the College Board.  Touchbase Shop and Pay will close for AP exams on March 12.  The College Board closes online AP exam registration on March 13.

BSD Students who self-study for exams:

Students may self-study and take an AP exam without taking an AP course.  BSD will administer AP exams requested by students if the course is offered at any high school.  Exams not administered at the student’s school will be provided at another location in the district. The school AP Coordinator will inform students and families of the location of the exam.

1. Use Touchbase Shop and Pay to select exam(s), pay, and save a receipt.
2. Print and show or email receipt to the school AP Coordinator.  The AP Coordinator will provide an “Exam Only” Join Code(s) or provide further direction.
3. Student submits Join Code(s) in their College Board account. This gives students access to learning resources in AP Classroom and places the exam on the AP Exam online order.

 

Refunds:  BSD does not provide refunds for AP exams cancelled after November 14 unless there are extenuating circumstances such severe illness, student is unable to complete the class, family tragedy, etc.

If your student lives within the Bellevue School District (BSD) boundaries and attends a private school or is homeschooled, BSD offers AP exam registration and administration support.

Please follow the step-by-step registration: 

Step 1:  Create a BSD Guest Account in BSD's Touchbase payment system. You will need the username for Step 2 of the registration process and allows us to set up your student's AP Exam fees. If you have previously created a Guest Account you may reuse the same username.

Step 2: Complete the AP Exam Request Form 2025/2026 AP Exam Registration for Private School and Home School Students

Step 3: Submit Proof of Residency. Students must reside within BSD boundaries. If the student’s primary residence is not within BSD boundaries, we are unable to proceed with registration. Address verification is required annually even if your student has tested at BSD in the past.  If you are uncertain if your student's primary address is within the BSD boundary, enter your address in the following tool for confirmation. Bellevue School District's School Locator.

Verify residency as follows:

• Email aptesting@bsd405.org with the subject line formatted as follows: student last name, student first name - address verification
• Attach copies of two recent consecutive months of Puget Sound Energy bills to the email.

Step 4: Make Payment. Following the completion of the form and residency verification approval, test fees will be added to your Touchbase account. You will receive an email once the fees have been added.  Each AP Exam has a cost of $109 plus a $40 Handling Fee per test.  

• Please make payment promptly and email a copy of your receipt to aptesting@bsd405.org

Step 5: Receive and Submit Join Codes. BSD will email you Join Codes for each exam. Your student must enter these codes in their College Board Account. BSD cannot manually add a test – the Join Code submission by the student is required. 

Important: BSD cannot manually add exams. Students must enter Join Codes themselves. If this does not take place, tests will not be ordered and your student will not be able to sit for their exam(s).

Step 6: Confirmation. BSD will confirm via email that your student's exam(s) have been successfully ordered.

Step 7: Test Day Details. Closer to testing days, BSD will email students and parent/guardian with exam location, arrival time, check-in procedure, and what to bring. 

Scholarships

Bellevue School District will support families who are experiencing financial hardship by reducing fees for AP Exams with the aim that no student is denied access to AP exams due to financial difficulties.  

Please complete this Scholarship Request Form and submit by October 31, 2025 to allow time for processing.  Once processed, families will be contacted by email with the results of the request.  If awarded, a reduced fee will be placed on the student's Touchbase account.  The student exam order will not be finalized until the transaction is completed in Touchbase and a receipt is obtained. Payment is due November 10, 2025.  The cost of each AP exam is $109. The general scholarship assistance offered reduces the fee to $65 for the first exam and $35 for each additional exam.  Full support, to $0.00 payment is offered, if warranted. 

Fee Waivers 

Those who qualify for Fee waivers will not be charged for any AP exams. Families still need to go into Touchbase and select the AP exam(s), put the exam(s) in their cart and complete the checkout process with a $0 balance due.  If checkout is not completed, the AP Exam will not be ordered. Print a receipt to keep, it assures the process has been completed.