Sending, Withholding, and Canceling AP Scores: A Parent’s Friendly Guide to the Mechanics

Why this matters: a short, honest chat for parents

Watching your child wait for AP scores can feel like sitting at a train station: excitement, a little dread, and a hundred tiny decisions about which train to take. As a parent, you want to protect their options, maximize opportunities for credit or placement, and avoid mistakes that can’t be undone. The mechanics of sending, withholding, and canceling AP scores are simple in theory but layered in practice — and that’s exactly why a calm, clear plan helps.

Overview: The three actions and what they mean

When your child receives AP scores, there are three main actions you might consider:

• Send scores: Request an official AP score report to be delivered to a college, university, or scholarship program.
• Withhold scores: Prevent a particular score from appearing on future reports sent to a specific recipient, while keeping the score in College Board’s records.
• Cancel scores: Permanently remove a score — it’s deleted and cannot be restored.

Each choice has consequences. Sending is reversible only by additional score-sends or selective withholds; withholding is temporary and reversible; canceling is permanent. Knowing the rules, fees, and deadlines will protect your student from surprises.

Timing and deadlines: the calendar you need

Deadlines are the heart of the process. Two dates are especially important:

• Free score send deadline: Each year students get one free score send to a college or scholarship program — there’s a specific June deadline annually to designate that free recipient. Use it wisely.
• Withhold/cancel deadline to stop the free send: If you want a score excluded from the free score report recipient, the AP Program must receive a withhold or cancel request by a mid-June cutoff in the year the exam was taken. If you miss that date, the designated recipient will likely receive the full score report.

Practically: plan around that mid-June window. If your child is a rising senior or a high school junior applying early, treat these dates as immovable. When in doubt, request a withhold early — it’s reversible and buys time.

Quick timeline table

Sending scores: how it works and smart strategies

When you send scores, the college receives an official AP score report that includes the student’s entire AP testing history unless specific scores have been withheld or canceled. That means a decision to send one score often sends the whole story.

Free score send — use it strategically

Students typically get one free score send each year. If your child is testing junior year and already knows which colleges they’ll apply to, it often makes sense to use the free send for a top-choice that accepts AP for credit or placement. If uncertain, many families hold off until they know more. But beware: waiting past the deadline can cost money and create rushed decisions.

Paid additional sends

After the free option or for extra recipients, score reports are available for a fee. Factor in the costs if your child is applying to many schools. Also remember processing timelines — some orders process quicker than others, but plan for a few business days plus mailing or electronic processing time.

Practical tips for parents

• Keep the College Board login information secure and share it only with your child unless they request your involvement.
• Check each college’s policy: some accept AP credit for placements or waivers, some don’t. Sending to colleges where AP credit is unlikely may be unnecessary.
• Use the free report for the year that best aligns with admissions or scholarship deadlines.
• Confirm receipt with the college if their campus systems require extra processing time.

Withholding scores: a safety valve worth understanding

Withholding is a targeted, reversible choice. If your child is worried about a specific subject score, withholding that score from a particular college prevents the recipient from seeing it on future reports — without deleting it from the student’s record.

When to withhold instead of cancel

• If your student took an AP exam and feels a low score may hurt their case with a specific college, withholding is a good option.
• Withholding is also useful if you want to keep the option of releasing the score later (for instance, after test rescoring, or if the student later decides they want to use that score for placement).

Because withholding is reversible, it’s often the safer route than canceling outright. The process typically requires a form and a modest per-score per-recipient fee; it must be received by the AP Services team by the mid-June deadline to block the free score send recipient.

Canceling scores: when it’s appropriate and why it’s permanent

Canceling permanently deletes an exam’s score from College Board records. Once canceled, the score can’t be recovered. There’s no fee for cancellation, but exam fees are not refunded. Because of its permanence, cancellation is best reserved for rare situations — for example, if an exam administration was compromised in an unusual way or if the student and family clearly prefer the score never be reported.

Key conversations before canceling

• Talk with your child honestly about why they want to cancel. Emotions run high after a difficult exam — waiting to decide until scores are released and discussed calmly is often wise.
• Consider academic consequences. If the score could later be useful for placement, a withheld score preserves that option; cancellation does not.
• Check deadlines if you want to stop the free score send recipient from receiving a score — the cancelation request must often arrive by a specific mid-June date.

Step-by-step: how to submit requests (what to expect)

College Board provides specific forms and submission paths for each request. The common elements you’ll encounter include:

• Authorization and signature — the student must normally sign forms to request withholding or cancellation.
• Clear identification of which exam(s) and which recipient(s) the request concerns.
• Payment information for withholding requests, if applicable.
• Mail or fax instructions for some forms; online options for sending score reports.

Processing times vary. Withhold requests usually take a couple of weeks to appear on the student’s online report. Cancellation can be immediate in the system but remember archived scores (older exams stored before certain platform changes) may behave differently and sometimes require special handling.

Common parent questions and clear answers

Q: Can a withheld score be released later?

A: Yes. Withholds are reversible — you can send a signed request to release a previously withheld score to a recipient. This makes withholding a smart, lower-risk choice than cancellation when you’re unsure.

Q: If we cancel a score, can we ever use it for college credit later?

A: No. Cancellation permanently deletes the score and it cannot be reinstated. If there’s any chance the score could be helpful later, withhold instead.

Q: Will colleges know we withheld a score?

A: Generally, the receiving institution will not see the withheld score on reports they receive. However, they will receive the remainder of the student’s score report. If you have concerns about transparency or how a particular college handles withheld scores, check with that college’s admissions or registrar office.

Q: What if my child has multiple College Board accounts?

A: Multiple accounts can cause missing scores or confusion. If you suspect scores are missing, contact AP Services to resolve account matching. Keep account credentials and personal info accurate and secure to avoid mismatches.

How parents can support without taking over

Your role is influence and guidance, not control. Encourage your child to own their account and decisions, but be available for strategy sessions. Helpful steps include:

• Coaching them through deadlines and paperwork so they’re empowered.
• Helping create a timeline for score sends aligned with college application deadlines.
• Discussing the pros and cons of sending or withholding scores for particular schools.

It’s usually best if the student completes forms and communications themselves, with you as a backup for logistics and emotional support.

Real-world scenarios and suggested moves

Examples make rules easier to apply. Here are three common situations and suggested responses:

Scenario 1: Early decision and a borderline score

Situation: Your child plans to apply Early Decision to a college that considers AP scores for placement. They received a score that’s lower than hoped.

Suggested move: Withhold the specific score from that college while releasing other higher scores. Withholding protects the student’s options and can be reversed if necessary. Use the free score send wisely in earlier years for colleges that will benefit most from strong scores.

Scenario 2: Junior year tests and uncertain college list

Situation: Your child took several exams as a junior but hasn’t finalized their college list.

Suggested move: Consider using the free score send for a college you think is likely to accept AP credits or to a school that offers scholarship or placement benefits. If uncertain, don’t rush — you can withhold specific scores later if needed.

Scenario 3: A bad testing day and panic to delete

Situation: After a rough exam, your child wants the score gone forever.

Suggested move: Pause. Cancellation is permanent. Withholding is a safer immediate step while you discuss and plan. If after thoughtful discussion you still feel cancellation is the right move, follow the official cancellation process understanding the consequence.

Practical checklist to keep by your calendar

• Verify the College Board account and password with your student.
• Mark the annual June deadlines for free score sends and for withhold/cancel processing.
• Decide on one free score recipient intentionally; plan for paid sends if you have many colleges.
• Keep copies of any forms and confirmations (scan or photograph paper submissions).
• Contact AP Services promptly if you see missing scores or account issues.

How tutoring and test coaching can help the decision process

A strong support system reduces anxiety around scores. Personalized tutoring helps in two ways: first, it can raise performance on future tests; second, it provides an objective perspective when decisions about withholding or canceling arise. For families considering assistance, services that offer 1-on-1 guidance, tailored study plans, expert tutors, and AI-driven insights can make preparation more efficient and less stressful. These supports help students feel more confident about sending scores rather than fearing them.

Final thoughts: balancing options and emotions

AP scores are a tool — not a verdict on your child’s potential. The mechanics of sending, withholding, and canceling are straightforward once you know key dates and consequences. Use withholding as a safety valve when you need time. Reserve cancellation for rare, well-considered circumstances. Above all, help your child make choices that align with their long-term academic plan, not knee-jerk reactions.

Quick resources for the family action plan

Keep this mini-plan handy:

• Step 1: Confirm College Board account ownership and password with your student.
• Step 2: Identify the college(s) where AP credit/placement matters most; check their AP policies.
• Step 3: Decide on your free score send recipient before the June deadline.
• Step 4: If a score is worrisome, file a withhold to buy time rather than canceling immediately.
• Step 5: Keep copies of all forms and confirmations for records.

Wrapping up — a calm, practical partnership

As a parent, your steady guidance and practical planning can turn what feels like a high-stakes, stressful process into a manageable sequence of choices. Know the deadlines, weigh the permanence of cancellation, prefer reversible steps when possible, and support your child to make informed decisions. With clear information, a little planning, and the right supports — including targeted tutoring or personalized prep if helpful — your family can navigate AP score decisions with confidence and clarity.

If you’d like help creating a study plan, preparing for a retake, or deciding whether to send or withhold specific scores, consider blending personalized tutoring and expert guidance into your strategy. The right coach can turn uncertainty into a step-by-step plan your student owns.

Take a breath, make the plan, and remember: AP scores are one chapter in a much bigger story. You and your child have plenty of excellent options ahead.