APFIVE AP Art History Exam Info
Download PDFThe AP Art History Exam will test your understanding of the art historical concepts covered in the course units, as well as your ability to analyze and compare works of art and place them in historical context.
This is a fully digital exam. You’ll complete multiple-choice and free-response questions in the Bluebook testing app, with all responses automatically submitted at the end of the exam.
AP Art History Exam
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Art History Exam.
Exam Components
Section 1: Multiple Choice
There are two types of multiple-choice questions on the exam:
- Sets of 2-3 questions, with each set based on color images of works of art.
- Individual questions, some of which are based on color images of works of art.
The multiple-choice section includes images of works of art both in and beyond the image set.
You’ll be asked to:
- Analyze visual and contextual elements of works of art and link them to a larger artistic tradition
- Compare 2 or more works
- Attribute works of art beyond the image set
- Analyze art historical interpretations
Section 2: Free Response
There are six free-response questions on the exam:
- Question 1: Long Essay–Comparison will ask you to compare a required work of art and another of your choosing and explain the significance of the similarities and differences between those works, citing evidence to support their claim.
- Question 2: Long Essay–Visual/Contextual Analysis will ask you to select and identify a work of art and make assertions about it based on evidence.
- Question 3: Short Essay–Visual Analysis will ask you to describe a work of art beyond the image set and connect it to an artistic tradition, style, or practice.
- Question 4: Short Essay–Contextual Analysis will ask you to describe contextual influences of a work of art in the image set and explain how context can influence artistic decisions or affect the meaning of a work of art.
- Question 5: Short Essay–Attribution will ask you to attribute a work of art beyond the image set to a particular artist, culture, or style, and justify your assertions with evidence.
- Question 6: Short Essay–Continuity and Change will ask you to analyze the relationship between a provided work of art and a related artistic tradition, style, or practice.
- Questions 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6 will include images of works of art.
Skills You'll Learn
Evaluating works of art from different eras and cultures
Seeing connections to artistic traditions, styles, or practices in a work of art
Developing a theory about the meaning of a work of art and explaining and supporting your interpretation
Units
Unit 1 – Global Prehistoric Art, 30,000–500 BCE
You’ll learn about the origins of human art across the globe during the stone ages.
Topics may include:
- Human migration and a survey of prehistoric art techniques
- Theories and methods of early art making
- Collaboration with other disciplines, archaeology, and an introduction to historical interpretation
On The Exam
approximately 4% of multiple-choice score
Unit 2 – Ancient Mediterranean Art, 3500–300 BCE
You’ll study a broad range of artistic works from the civilizations of the ancient Near East and Egypt, as well as the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman cultures.
Topics may include:
- The cultural context of ancient empires
- The role of religion and royalty in early art
- Exchange of ideas and the influence of outside cultures
- The literary legacy and ongoing influence on artistic traditions
On The Exam
approximately 15% of multiple-choice score
Unit 3 – Early European and Colonial American Art, 200–1750 CE
You’ll explore the evolution of art from the early middle ages through the mid-18th century in Europe and the Americas.
Topics may include:
- Influences on Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Art
- The Age of Exploration and colonialism
- Naturalism and developments in visual form
- Patronage and continued religious influence
On The Exam
approximately 21% of multiple-choice score
Unit 4 – Later European and American Art, 1750–1980 CE
You’ll study the effect of rapid societal change on art from the modern period in Europe and the Americas.
Topics may include:
- The effect of developments like industrialization and urbanization
- Impacts of modern scientific and philosophical thinking
- Modern styles and revival movements
- The rise of corporate patronage, art galleries, and museums
- New technologies, media, and art forms
- Globalization and expressions of cultural exchange
On The Exam
approximately 21% of multiple-choice score
Unit 5 – Indigenous American Art, 1000 BCE–1980 CE
You’ll understand the roots and evolution of indigenous American art from the ancient civilizations of Central and South America to Native North American societies.
Topics may include:
- Ancient American architecture and artifacts
- Functional and ceremonial roles of art
- The interaction between natural environment, materials, and depictions
- The influence of colonialism
On The Exam
approximately 6% of multiple-choice score
Unit 6 – African Art, 1100–1980 CE
You’ll explore the diversity of African art and the role it played in the many and varied societies on the continent.
Topics may include:
- The variety of media, materials, and techniques
- The purpose of art from daily use to performance
- Evolving global interpretations and influence of African art
On The Exam
approximately 6% of multiple-choice score
Unit 7 – West and Central Asian Art, 500 BCE–1980 CE
You’ll learn about the techniques, materials, and evolution of art throughout West and Central Asia.
Topics may include:
- The role of religious beliefs in art styles
- The effect of trade and global influences
- The style and production of decorative objects
- Varying uses of figural imagery
On The Exam
approximately 4% of multiple-choice score
Unit 8 – South, East, and Southeast Asian Art, 300 BCE–1980 CE
You’ll study the tradition of Asian art from prehistoric times to modern works.
Topics may include:
- Advances in technology and the effect on media and techniques
- Unique art forms and imagery associated with Asian religions
- The role of court life and social stratification
- The effect of trade and cultural interchanges
On The Exam
approximately 8% of multiple-choice score
Unit 9 – The Pacific, 700–1980 ce
You’ll study the wide-ranging types of art from the vast network of islands in the Pacific Ocean stretching from Australia to Hawaii.
Topics may include:
- Forms of and materials used in Pacific art
- Ritual and cultural significance of artifacts
- History of Pacific island civilization, trade, and migration patterns
- The role of the ocean, and familial, religious, and historical depictions
On The Exam
approximately 4% of multiple-choice score
Unit 10 – Global Contemporary Art, 1980 CE to Present
You’ll study the many forms of modern art from across the globe.
Topics may include:
- Transcendence of traditional forms of art and technology
- Diverse venues and audiences for art
- Subverting expectations and the “mash-up” as an act of creation
- Global influences on art
- New types of artists and new theories of criticism
On The Exam
approximately 11% of multiple-choice score