Advanced Placement Art for College

Course Skills

The AP Art and Design framework included in the course and exam description outlines distinct skills that students should practice throughout the year—skills that will help them develop inquiry around the thinking and making of art. Skills 2 and 3 are specifically assessed in both portfolio sections (Sustained Investigation and Selected Works).

Course Content

The AP Art and Design course framework is composed of course skills, big ideas, essential questions and enduring understandings, learning objectives, and essential knowledge. AP Art and Design skill categories delineate overarching understandings central to the study and practice of art and design. Each of the three skill categories consists of skills that encompass foundational to advanced learning over the span of the course. Students need to develop, practice, and apply these skills in a variety of contexts.

The framework for the AP Art and Design courses is made up of three big ideas. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.

• Big Idea 1: Investigate materials, processes, and ideas.

• Big Idea 2: Make art and design.

• Big Idea 3: Present art and design.

AP Art and Design Portfolio Due Date

May 8, 2026

The deadline for submitting the AP 2-D Art and Design portfolio for the 2025-2026 school year is May 8, 2026, at 8 PM ET. Students must submit their three portfolio components (Sustained Investigation Images, Written Evidence, and Selected Works) as final in the AP Digital Portfolio by this date, according to College Board. 

About the Portfolio

• All portfolio types (2-D, 3-D, and Drawing) are submitted digitally only.

• Students are prohibited from using any and all artificial intelligence tools in any AP assessment work. Read more about our policy.

You’ll submit a portfolio of artwork for evaluation at the end of the school year.

The three Art and Design portfolios (2-D, 3-D, and Drawing) each include two portfolio components: the Sustained Investigation and Selected Works. Each component requires you to show a fundamental competence and range of understanding in visual concerns and methods as described in the AP Art and Design scoring guidelines. Portfolio components are scored separately, and each contributes to the final portfolio score, which is on a 5-point scale.

Note: You may submit more than one Art and Design portfolio exam in a given year, but each must be a different type of portfolio. You may not duplicate works or images among the portfolios and portfolios may not be combined. For example, if you want to submit a portfolio for both Drawing and 2-D Art and Design, you will need to submit two separate portfolios with two completely different sets of artwork, two different inquiry statements, and your AP Coordinator must order two exams for you.

For the AP 2-D Art and Design portfolio:

• Your work should focus on the application of two-dimensional (2-D) elements and principles, including point, line, shape, plane, layer, form, space, texture, color, value, opacity, transparency, time, unity, variety, rhythm, movement, proportion, scale, balance, emphasis, contrast, repetition, figure/ground relationship, connection, juxtaposition, and hierarchy.

• Think about how materials, processes, and ideas can be used to make work in a two-dimensional space.

• There’s no preferred or unacceptable content or style.

• Here are some formats you can submit: graphic design, photography, collage, fabric design, weaving, fashion design, illustration, painting, and printmaking.

• Don’t submit video clips—they’re not allowed. You may submit still images from videos or film and composite images.