Advanced Placement (AP) Art and Design, [1] formerly known as AP Studio Art, is a series of courses offered by the College Board as part of its Advanced Placement program. AP Art and Design is divided into three categories: 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, and Drawing.
Unlike traditional AP exams that utilize a multiple-choice section, free response section, and occasionally an audio section, the AP Art & Design Exam is a portfolio that contains two categories: selected works and sustained investigation. The selected works are 5 pieces that are selected by the student for their quality alone. The sustained investigation is a series of 15 slides put together by the student that contain a strong theme around the artwork created. The sustained investigation contains an additional written portion where the student must explain the both their theme for the portfolio and provide evidence for practice, experimentation, and revision throughout. Selected works are graded completely separately from the sustained investigation. Depending on the AP Art & Design exam the student is taking, the components for each of the categories and what is required for a high score will vary. Regardless of the exam, all AP Art & Design portfolios have to be turned in by a set date and time.
AP 2-D Art and Design deals with two-dimensional applications such as graphic design, photography, weaving, and collage. Contrary to AP Studio Art Drawing, focus is applied on the design itself instead of the composition of the artwork.
Score | 2007 [3] | 2008 [4] | 2009 [5] | 2010 [6] | 2011 [7] | 2012 [8] | 2013 [9] | 2014 [10] | 2015 [11] | 2016 [12] | 2017 [13] | 2018 [14] | 2019 [15] | 2020 [16] | 2021 [17] | 2022 [18] | 2023 [19] | 2024 [20] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 11.1% | 12.6% | 12.4% | 11.3% | 12.1% | 14.3% | 13.4% | 13.9% | 17.2% | 14.4% | 19.3% | 17.9% | 21.0% | 12.1% | 10.2% | 10.8% | 11.5% | 11.2% |
4 | 21.3% | 21.9% | 23.5% | 26.4% | 25.6% | 28.5% | 31.3% | 29.5% | 28.7% | 33.0% | 31.2% | 30.9% | 31.5% | 36.1% | 34.7% | 35.5% | 31.5% | 28.8% |
3 | 34.8% | 33.5% | 32.6% | 32.7% | 34.6% | 32.1% | 34.4% | 35.1% | 32.3% | 35.0% | 34.6% | 35.8% | 34.0% | 41.3% | 42.3% | 40.3% | 40.7% | 42.8% |
2 | 27.4% | 26.4% | 27.1% | 25.4% | 23.6% | 21.2% | 17.7% | 18.3% | 17.4% | 15.5% | 13.1% | 12.2% | 10.8% | 9.8% | 12.5% | 12.8% | 14.4% | 14.0% |
1 | 5.3% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 3.2% | 2.8% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 2.0% | 3.2% |
% of Scores 3 or higher | 67.3% | 68.0% | 68.5% | 70.4% | 72.3% | 74.8% | 79.1% | 78.5% | 78.2% | 82.4% | 85.1% | 84.6% | 86.4% | 89.5% | 87.1% | 86.6% | 83.6% | 82.8% |
Mean | 3.06 | 3.10% | 3.12 | 3.15 | 3.18 | 3.28 | 3.34 | 3.33 | 3.37 | 3.42 | 3.53 | 3.48 | 3.57 | 3.49 | 3.42 | 3.43 | 3.36 | 3.31 |
Standard Deviation | 1.07 | 1.10 | 1.08 | 1.06 | 1.05 | 1.07 | 1.02 | 1.03 | 1.09 | 0.99 | 1.00 | 1.02 | 1.02 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.87 | 0.93 | 0.95 |
Number of Students | 13,410 | 15,478 | 17,387 | 20,699 | 21,765 | 23,591 | 24,928 | 26,811 | 27,999 | 30,925 | 32,732 | 36,249 | 37,749 | 36,901 | 34,509 | 37,045 | 43,854 | 47,902 |
AP 3-D Art and Design is a three-dimensional (3-D) art course that holds many similarities to the 2-D course. The course deals with 3-D artistic applications such as metalworking, sculpture, computer models, and ceramics. Like AP Studio Art 2D, the focus is on the design of the artwork itself as opposed to its composition.
In the 2012 administration, 3,840 students took the exam with a mean score of 3.00.
Score | 2007 [3] | 2008 [21] | 2009 [5] | 2010 [22] | 2011 [23] | 2012 [8] | 2013 [24] | 2014 [25] | 2015 [26] | 2016 [12] | 2017 [13] | 2018 [14] | 2019 [15] | 2020 [16] | 2021 [17] | 2022 [18] | 2023 [19] | 2024 [20] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 9.6% | 9.8% | 9.1% | 10.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 12.3% | 13.2% | 12.0% | 11.4% | 10.0% | 7.2% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 7.1% | 6.2% |
4 | 14.0% | 14.7% | 15.6% | 16.8% | 18.1% | 20.4% | 19.4% | 19.6% | 23.6% | 25.7% | 22.0% | 23.5% | 22.4% | 31.9% | 28.6% | 28.6% | 25.2% | 24.3% |
3 | 40.3% | 37.4% | 37.2% | 35.3% | 33.4% | 34.6% | 37.6% | 36.8% | 36.0% | 35.8% | 37.6% | 34.0% | 37.5% | 36.5% | 36.3% | 38.5% | 39.9% | 41.4% |
2 | 28.7% | 29.7% | 31.1% | 30.9% | 31.6% | 28.5% | 26.3% | 27.7% | 24.7% | 22.3% | 25.2% | 26.6% | 25.7% | 20.9% | 24.9% | 23.8% | 23.5% | 23.4% |
1 | 7.5% | 8.3% | 7.0% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.1% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 2.6% | 4.4% | 4.7% |
% of Scores 3 or higher | 63.9% | 62.0% | 61.9% | 62.3% | 61.5% | 65.4% | 67.8% | 67.5% | 72.0% | 74.8% | 71.6% | 69.0% | 70.0% | 75.6% | 71.4% | 73.6% | 72.1% | 72.0% |
Mean | 2.90 | 2.88 | 2.89 | 2.93 | 2.93 | 3.00 | 3.03 | 3.04 | 3.17 | 3.24 | 3.15 | 3.11 | 3.08 | 3.18 | 3.09 | 3.12 | 3.07 | 3.04 |
Standard Deviation | 1.05 | 1.07 | 1.05 | 1.07 | 1.08 | 1.07 | 1.06 | 1.05 | 1.04 | 1.03 | 1.03 | 1.06 | 1.02 | 0.96 | 0.97 | 0.93 | 0.97 | 0.95 |
Number of Students | 2,320 | 2,468 | 2,761 | 3,182 | 3,406 | 3,840 | 4,167 | 4,256 | 4,590 | 5,051 | 5,571 | 5,777 | 6,040 | 5,281 | 4,573 | 5,377 | 7,505 | 9,180 |
AP Drawing deals with basic painting and drawing. Focus is applied on the composition of the different lines/colors/shape/etc... of the painting instead of the design itself. Originally called AP Studio Art, it was later changed to AP Studio Art Drawing.
In the 2016 administration, 18,407 students took the exam with 21 students earning a perfect score of 72/72.
Score | 2007 [3] | 2008 [4] | 2009 [5] | 2010 [27] | 2011 [23] | 2012 [8] | 2013 [24] | 2014 [25] | 2015 [28] | 2016 [12] | 2017 [13] | 2018 [14] | 2019 [15] | 2020 [16] | 2021 [17] | 2022 [18] | 2023 [19] | 2024 [20] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 12.4% | 13.5% | 13.6% | 14.4% | 12.7% | 13.9% | 15.3% | 16.0% | 15.6% | 17.0% | 21.9% | 22.4% | 20.8% | 15.5% | 14.2% | 14.7% | 15.7% | 15.1% |
4 | 18.2% | 17.5% | 18.1% | 19.3% | 17.5% | 20.9% | 20.4% | 20.9% | 22.2% | 27.2% | 27.7% | 31.7% | 33.3% | 40.3% | 37.7% | 38.3% | 32.9% | 31.1% |
3 | 37.2% | 36.4% | 37.5% | 38.9% | 41.5% | 38.6% | 42.7% | 40.6% | 40.4% | 38.8% | 35.8% | 35.5% | 37.0% | 33.2% | 34.3% | 35.5% | 36.1% | 37.6% |
2 | 26.2% | 26.9% | 26.4% | 23.1% | 23.2% | 22.3% | 18.9% | 19.0% | 18.5% | 14.6% | 12.9% | 9.0% | 7.8% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 10.2% | 13.1% | 13.5% |
1 | 6.0% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 5.1% | 4.3% | 2.7% | 3.5% | 3.3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 2.7% |
% of Scores 3 or higher | 67.8% | 67.5% | 69.2% | 72.6% | 71.7% | 73.4% | 78.5% | 77.5% | 78.1% | 82.9% | 85.5% | 89.5% | 91.1% | 89.1% | 86.2% | 88.3% | 84.8% | 83.8% |
Mean | 3.05 | 3.06 | 3.10 | 3.16 | 3.09 | 3.18 | 3.27 | 3.27 | 3.28 | 3.42 | 3.56 | 3.65 | 3.65 | 3.59 | 3.51 | 3.54 | 3.47 | 3.42 |
Standard Deviation | 1.09 | 1.10 | 1.07 | 1.07 | 1.05 | 1.06 | 1.02 | 1.05 | 1.04 | 1.01 | 1.02 | 0.97 | 0.93 | 0.90 | 0.93 | 0.91 | 0.98 | 0.99 |
Number of Students | 13,558 | 14,120 | 14,589 | 15,027 | 16,266 | 16,188 | 16,597 | 16,928 | 18,105 | 18,407 | 19,957 | 20,853 | 21,769 | 20,486 | 18,096 | 19,210 | 22,555 | 22,882 |