The AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| portfolio | 作品集 | zuò pǐn jí |
| sustained investigation | 持续探究 | chí xù tàn jiū |
| selected works | 精选作品 | jīng xuǎn zuò pǐn |
A portfolio, not a test
- The AP exam is a portfolio 作品集 — not a written test.
- It has two sections, both submitted digitally.
- It is built across the whole course, with no timed section.
The AP 2-D Art and Design exam is...
The AP exam is a portfolio, built over the course.
Two sections
- The Sustained Investigation 持续探究 section: 15 images plus written evidence.
- The Selected Works 精选作品 section: 5 works showing 2-D skills, with written information.
- Works may be physical or digital, but all are submitted as digital images.
Which portfolio section?
Sort each fact by the portfolio section it belongs to.
All works, physical or digital, are submitted as digital images.
Everything is submitted as digital images, no exam hall.
The Selected Works section contains ____ works.
Selected Works = 5 works; the Sustained Investigation = 15 images.
Select all true statements about the portfolio.
Two sections, built over the year, submitted as images; it is not a timed exam.
Match each section to its size.
SI = 15; Selected Works = 5; portfolio = two sections.
Built over the year
- There is no single timed exam — the portfolio grows across the course.
- Both sections are scored against the College Board scoring guidelines.
- Planning your work with the sections in mind pays off.
Do not leave the portfolio to the end. There is no timed exam — the whole point is a body of work built over the year. Starting late means no room for the experimentation and revision that a strong sustained investigation requires. Plan for both sections from the start.
Across the year, a student builds 15 images for her Sustained Investigation around one question, and separately chooses 5 works for Selected Works that best show her 2-D skills. All are photographed as digital images and uploaded — no exam hall, no timer.
The AP 2-D exam is a portfolio built over the year, in two sections: the Sustained Investigation (15 images + writing) and Selected Works (5 works showing 2-D skills + writing). All are submitted as digital images and scored against the guidelines.