Irvine AP Exam Sales Closed: February Adds a $40 Fee

College Board set November 13, 2026 as the fall ordering deadline for 2027 AP Exams, and the fall payment windows at several public high schools in the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) closed in late October. For Irvine students who missed the fall window, the next opportunity is the late purchase window that opens February 15, 2027, when exams for full-year courses cost an additional $40 each.

Fall AP Exam Registration in Irvine: What Happened

AP Exams are run by College Board, and students cannot pay on the College Board website; exams must be ordered through the school’s AP coordinator, the staff member responsible for the school’s exam order. The College Board fee page sets out three rules:

The late order fee has two exceptions: courses that start after November 13, and students who transfer into the school. College Board also notes that schools may charge more than $99 to cover proctoring and administration costs, so the actual price at each school is higher than that figure.

Irvine schools set their internal deadlines earlier than November 13. The fall window at Irvine High School and Woodbridge High School ran October 13 to 27, the window at Portola High School ran October 12 to 26, and the University High School AP Exam page states that fall sales have ended.

What the AP Late Purchase Window Means for Irvine Families

The AP late purchase window means three things for Irvine families: an additional late fee, fewer available subjects, and a short refund period. The February arrangements published by four high schools are listed below (no 2027 AP ordering page was found on the Northwood High School website; families should ask the school’s AP coordinator directly):

The $115 in the table is the school price before the late fee at all four schools, $16 more than College Board’s $99. The University High School page explains that the additional amount pays for proctors, exam equipment, and supplies, and the remainder goes to AP teacher training and classroom technology.

Which Irvine Students Pay No Late Fee for AP Exams in February

AP courses that begin in the second semester carry no $40 late fee when purchased in February. Woodbridge High School states that AP Macroeconomics and AP United States Government and Politics, which start in January, remain $115 in the February window; University High School likewise charges $115 for courses offered only in the spring semester.

Students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals pay a reduced price. The fall reduced price at Portola High School and Woodbridge High School is $55 per exam, and the February reduced price at Portola High School and University High School is $95 ($55 plus the $40 late fee). To receive the reduction, a family first applies through IUSD Nutrition Services, obtains the eligibility letter, and presents it at purchase.

AP Exam Refund and Cancellation Rules at Irvine High Schools

AP refunds at Irvine high schools all deduct the $40 that College Board charges, and each school sets a different deadline:

• University High School: Refunds may be requested through February 21, less $40; no refunds after that date.
• Portola High School: Refunds are handled only during the February purchase window, less $40 and any online payment fees; conflicts caused by a student’s own scheduling are not refunded.
• Woodbridge High School: Cancellation and refund requests are due by March 12, 2027, less $40.

Students who ordered in the fall and now wish to drop a subject therefore need to submit the request before the school deadline in February or March; after that, the exam fee cannot be recovered.

Limits on Irvine Students Taking AP Exams at Another School

An AP subject not offered at a student’s own school can be taken at another high school in the district, but seats and eligibility are limited:

• Beginning with the 2027 administration, Portola High School no longer accepts non-IUSD students in the fall window and keeps only very limited seats for specific exams in the spring window; 9th grade students may not take AP Exams there.
• Woodbridge High School accepts district students in grades 10 through 12 subject to space; 9th grade students may register only if they are concurrently enrolled in the corresponding IUSD AP course, with an exception for language exams when seats are available.
• Irvine High School charges non-IUSD students $165 per exam, plus the $40 late fee for late purchases.
• Students with two exams on the same day must purchase both at the same school. University High School notes that there is no time to change sites between a morning and an afternoon exam.

The AP subjects offered at each school are listed on the AP pages for University High School, Irvine High School, Portola High School, Woodbridge High School, and Northwood High School; how to find a test site when the school does not offer the course is covered in AP Exam Not Offered at Your School: Finding a Site.

2027 AP Exam Dates and Late Testing

The 2027 AP Exams are given over two weeks: May 3 to 7 and May 10 to 14. The dates for several subjects with high enrollment among Irvine students are as follows:

University High School and Portola High School set the make-up week for May 17 to 21 and accept only four situations: a conflict with another exam, a conflict with a school event, a family emergency, or illness on exam day with a doctor’s note. University High School states that when two exams fall at the same time, the school moves one of them by December, and the student does not choose which one is moved.

EDUBUS Recommendations for Irvine Students Buying AP Exams in February

EDUBUS recommends that Irvine families complete three checks before winter break ends, each based on the school rules above.

First, compare ordered subjects against the College Board account. Every school requires students to join the course in My AP with the join code from the teacher before the order takes effect. The University High School late window requires the join code to be entered by noon on February 11; otherwise the exam must be purchased in person at school.

Second, self-study students should secure a test site early. University High School offers no self-study exams in the February window, and Portola High School has very few seats for outside students, so self-study students have fewer sites than in the fall. Self-study students who have not yet ordered should contact the AP coordinator at Irvine High School or Woodbridge High School before February 1 to confirm whether seats are available.

Third, decide what to keep before the refund deadline. The additional $40 is not the deciding factor; preparation time is. Whether a score earns college credit is covered in How UC Awards Credit for AP Scores: Rules by Campus; subjects that need structured coursework are listed under the EDUBUS AP Course Overview, and overall course and exam planning is covered in the Irvine High School Guide.

The fall ordering deadline itself is explained in the September article Nov. 13 AP Deadline: Three Decisions for Irvine Families.

Sources

• College Board AP Students: 2027 AP Exam Fees (accessed November 10, 2026)
• College Board AP Students: 2027 AP Exam Dates (accessed November 10, 2026)
• College Board AP Students: How to Join Your AP Class Section (accessed November 10, 2026)
• University High School: 2027 UNI AP Exam Information (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Irvine High School: AP Exam Registration for Irvine High Students (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Irvine High School: AP Exam Registration for Non-IUSD Student (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Portola High School: Advanced Placement Exam 2027 Information (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Woodbridge High School: AP Testing (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Woodbridge High School: Advanced Placement Exams 2026-27 for Currently Enrolled Woodbridge Students (accessed November 10, 2026)
• Woodbridge High School: AP Exam Purchasing for IUSD Students (Non-Woodbridge) (accessed November 10, 2026)