Illness & Emergencies: When to Reschedule Your AP Exam (and How to Do It Without Panic)

When Sickness or Emergency Looms: Why This Matters

There’s an awful moment many AP students dread: you wake up the morning of an exam feeling awful, or an unexpected event—family emergency, accident, school closure—throws everything off schedule. For students who poured hours into review, the instinct is to push through. For others, the sensible choice is to reschedule. The question is never purely academic: health, fairness, and long-term goals all matter. This post gives you practical, up-to-date guidance on how to decide, how to act, and how to come back stronger—without losing your sanity.

First Principles: What to Consider Before You Decide

Start with three quick checks: health, logistics, and impact. Ask yourself:

• Health: Can I reasonably sit for 2–3 hours and focus? Do I have a fever, contagious illness, or symptoms that will worsen if I test?
• Logistics: Is there a safe way to get to the testing site? Has the school closed or been evacuated? Is my proctor available?
• Impact: Will missing this exact test date hurt my college plans or scholarship deadlines, or can I take a late-testing date or alternate arrangement?

Answer each honestly. Pushing through a fever or contagious cough can harm others and likely harms your score as well. On the other hand, if it’s mild nerves, a nervous stomach, or a short-term migraine that responds to treatment, a few calming strategies may be better than rescheduling.

A quick decision guide (mentally run through this)

• Severe symptoms (fever, vomiting, fainting, heavy breathing): Reschedule and seek care.
• Contagious conditions (COVID, flu, strep): Reschedule to protect others and your performance.
• Minor symptoms that respond to rest/meds: Consider testing—use calming routines and communicate with your coordinator.
• Non-medical emergencies (family tragedy, accident, major home issue): Contact your AP coordinator—these can qualify for late testing.

Know the Rules: What the College Board Allows

The College Board recognizes that real life happens. There are provisions for late testing and makeup exams when circumstances are beyond a student’s control, including serious illness and family emergencies. Schools typically coordinate these changes through the AP Registration and Ordering system, and many late-testing reasons don’t carry extra fees when they’re beyond school or student control.

Important: your school’s AP coordinator is your primary contact. They’re authorized to request late testing, report emergencies, and arrange alternate dates. If you’re considering rescheduling, reach out to them immediately—don’t wait until the last minute.

Commonly approved reasons for late testing or makeup exams

• Serious illness or injury.
• Family tragedy or emergency.
• School closing due to weather or local emergency.
• Other documented emergencies (court appearance, safety concerns).

Timing matters. Schools should report the reason in AP Registration and Ordering; in many cases, there’s no fee when the reason is beyond the student’s control. Keep any documentation (doctor’s notes, hospital paperwork, school closure notices) in case the coordinator or College Board requests it later.

Immediate To-Do List If You’re Sick or Facing an Emergency

Calm, clear steps help reduce panic and keep options open. Here’s a short checklist you can follow in the crucial first hour.

• Tell someone immediately: your parent/guardian and your school’s AP coordinator or your AP teacher.
• Seek medical attention if needed. If you visit urgent care or the ER, request documentation—a dated note or discharge paperwork is valuable.
• Document everything: screenshots of closure alerts, photos of damage, or records of communication about the emergency.
• Ask your AP coordinator about late testing procedures and alternate exam dates. They’ll guide the formal steps.
• If you’re feeling marginal (mild symptoms), follow safety precautions—masking, hand hygiene—and assess whether testing is reasonable. Don’t gamble with contagious symptoms.

What your AP coordinator will likely ask

• Which exam and scheduled date/time are affected.
• Reason for the delay and any documentation available.
• Contact information and whether you can attend a late-testing date.

How Rescheduling Works Practically

When a test is shifted, there are usually two paths: school-led late testing (another date at your school) or a makeup arranged by the coordinator with College Board-approved procedures. Digital AP exams introduce slightly different logistics than traditional paper exams, so your coordinator will confirm format and timing.

Communication: What to Say and Who to Tell

Clear, calm communication helps things move faster. Prioritize telling these people in this order:

• Your parent or guardian (if you’re a minor).
• Your AP coordinator—this is the official channel for reschedules.
• Your AP teacher (they can often advocate for you and advise next steps).
• If you’re applying to colleges and a test date change affects deadlines, tell your counselor.

When you talk to your coordinator, be concise: give the exam name, the scheduled date/time, the problem, and whether you can provide documentation. If you can, follow up with an email so there’s a written record.

Example message to your AP coordinator

Hi [Coordinator Name], I was scheduled for the AP [Subject] exam on [Date] at [Time]. I’m unwell / dealing with a family emergency and won’t be able to attend. I can provide documentation. Please let me know the steps to request late testing or a makeup exam. Thank you, [Your Name], [Student ID].

Documentation: What Helps (and What’s Often Required)

The stronger your documentation, the smoother the process. Examples include:

• Doctor’s note, urgent care slip, or hospital discharge papers with dates.
• School closure notices, police reports, or official emergency notifications.
• A note from a school counselor, nurse, or administrator (when appropriate).
• Emails or screenshots showing sudden conflicts or required appearances (court, jury duty).

Keep originals and scan or photograph them. Give copies to your coordinator and keep one for yourself. Even if the coordinator initially accepts your reason verbally, having a paper trail helps later if records are requested by the College Board.

Study Strategy If You Reschedule

Rescheduling can feel like a setback, but it’s also an opportunity to refine your approach. A smart plan balances rest and deliberate practice.

Sample 3-Week Plan After Rescheduling

• Week 1: Recovery and gentle review. Focus on high-level outlines, one practice section a day, review mistakes slowly.
• Week 2: Targeted practice. Drill your weakest question types, timed sections, and introduce full-length practice under exam conditions once or twice.
• Week 3: Polish and timing. Take one or two full tests, review common rubric areas (for free-response), and practice pacing.

Use active recall and spaced repetition rather than marathon re-reading. If you had a medical issue, don’t push to the point of relapse—your brain needs recovery time to consolidate new learning.

On Test Day After Rescheduling: Nerves, Routines, and Logistics

Treat this day like a second chance—not a do-over. Your nerves will be real, but routine helps. Pack in advance, plan your route, and arrive early. Bring required ID, allowed calculators or materials, and any approved accommodations paperwork.

Calming rituals to reduce test-day anxiety

• Five deep-breath cycles before entering the room.
• A quick 10–15 minute light review of formulas, rubric tips, or flashcards—not heavy cramming.
• Gentle stretching to release physical tension.
• Positive micro-goals: “I’ll focus on the next question, not the whole exam.”

If You’re Unsure: When to Test vs. When to Reschedule

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If you’re mildly unwell but not contagious, you know your baseline—some students perform fine under mild stress. If contagious or severely ill, reschedule. If the emergency is logistical (e.g., no proctor), your coordinator will act—don’t assume anything.

When in doubt, err on the side of safety and communication. Promptly telling your coordinator preserves your options and helps document the need for a makeup without penalty.

Real-World Examples: Students Who Rescheduled and Succeeded

Consider Maya, who had strep throat a week before her Chemistry exam. She and her parent contacted the coordinator, provided a dated doctor’s note, and took the makeup in June. The extra week let her solidify lab-based free-response answers and she scored well. Or Jordan, who tested with a low-grade fever and later regretted it: fatigue and brain fog cost him time on the multiple-choice section. He wished he’d postponed.

These cases show two things: documentation and early communication lead to smooth outcomes; and mental and physical readiness on test day truly matters for performance.

How Personalized Tutoring Can Help (Without Pressure)

Making the reschedule decision can feel lonely, and the makeup weeks can be confusing to structure. Personalized tutoring—short 1-on-1 sessions with clear objectives—can make a huge difference. Tutors help you focus on the exact skills you need, set a realistic practice schedule, and reassure you through the process.

Sparkl’s personalized tutoring offers tailored study plans, expert tutors who know AP rubrics inside-out, and AI-driven insights to track progress. That combination is especially useful when you’ve lost prep time to illness or emergencies: it fast-tracks recovery without overwhelming you.

What If You Cancel or Don’t Show?

If you simply don’t show and don’t communicate, the exam is generally treated as taken but absent—fees aren’t refunded. That’s why telling your coordinator and documenting the reason is so essential. If you’re unsure whether documentation is required, collect it anyway—better safe than sorry.

After the Exam: Reflect, Recover, and Recalibrate

Whether you tested or rescheduled, take time to reflect. If you were ill and tested anyway, be kind to yourself—convalescence matters. If you rescheduled and then tested, keep perspective: your score is one data point, not the whole story. If a makeup went poorly, talk to your counselor about next steps—retaking the course or other opportunities may exist.

Questions to ask yourself after the experience

• Did I choose the medically and logistically right option?
• What parts of my prep improved and what still needs work?
• How will I protect my health and readiness for future exams?

Final Practical Checklist

• If sick or in an emergency: notify parent/guardian and AP coordinator immediately.
• Obtain documentation (medical notes, official notices, photos, etc.).
• Ask your coordinator about late testing, makeup dates, and any required forms.
• Create a gentle, focused study plan for the makeup period—use targeted practice.
• Consider short-term personalized tutoring if you need structured catch-up—1-on-1 help can be a game changer.
• On the makeup test day: arrive early, stick to calming rituals, and focus on pacing.

Closing Thoughts

Life throws curveballs. College Board policies are built to balance fairness and integrity with real-world compassion—most students who face illness or emergencies can arrange makeup testing with proper documentation and school coordination. The key is prompt communication, good documentation, and a recovery-minded plan that treats your health first. Remember: your health, safety, and long-term learning matter more than a single test moment. When you’re ready, a focused, evidence-based prep plan—supported by personalized tutoring if helpful—will get you back on track.

If you’re navigating a reschedule right now, take one calm step: message your AP coordinator, gather documentation, and make a small study plan for recovery. You’ve already done the hardest thing—recognizing what’s best for you. Now build forward from there.

Quick Resources Checklist (for you to copy)

• Contact AP coordinator immediately (phone + email).
• Get medical or official documentation the same day if possible.
• Request late testing through school’s AP registration system.
• Build a 2–3 week targeted study plan after recovery.
• Consider short, specific tutoring sessions for highest-impact gains.

Take care of yourself—your health and future are worth more than a single test. When you come back, make the time you lost count with smart practice and clear goals.