AP DRAWINGThe Portfolio

Portfolio Overview

In May, students submit their Drawing portfolios. For more in-depth information on course content and skills, download the AP Art and Design Course and Exam Description (CED). 

Encourage your students to visit the AP Drawing student page  for portfolio information and portfolio samples.

Portfolio Format

The AP Art and Design portfolios each consist of two sections: Sustained Investigation and Selected Works.

Sustained Investigation—Section 1

15 digital images; some may be details or process images | 60% of portfolio score
Students will submit images and writing to document their inquiry-guided investigation through practice, experimentation, and revision:

• 15 digital images that include works of art and design and process documentation.
• Typed responses to prompts, providing information about the questions that guided their investigation and how they practiced, experimented, and revised, guided by their questions.

Selected Works—Section 2

5 works | 40% of portfolio score
In the 2020-21 school year, there will be no physical portfolios. Students will submit digital images of their work and commentary online to demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas:

• 5 works with commentary identifying the materials, processes, and ideas used.
• Works may come from the Sustained Investigation section, but they do not have to.

Scoring Information

The portfolio sample packets below are aligned with the current  course and portfolio exam. The sample student art and writing collected here represent a range of media and processes, as well as a range of scores. Each sample is accompanied by detailed scoring commentary walking you through the scoring process and explaining how the rubrics were applied.

AP Drawing Portfolio Samples and Scoring Information 

Portfolio Samples and Scoring Commentaries from the 2020 AP Exam Administration

The samples in the table below were selected from portfolios that students submitted for the 2020 exam. Each sample includes scoring commentary that explains the scoring process and how the rubrics were applied.

Please note: The number of images in each portfolio section was reduced for the 2020 exam administration.

Additional Portfolio Samples and Scoring Commentaries

The samples in the table below were scored with the 2020 rubrics. The scoring commentaries explain how the 2020 rubric was applied to students’ artwork.

Important: These documents may refer to the "2020 exam" or the "2020 rubric" since they were released before the coronavirus crisis caused a temporary shift to a shortened portfolio format for May 2020. The first full portfolio exam administered with these rubrics will be in May 2021.