AP Research Past Exam Questions

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Download free-response questions from past exams along with scoring guidelines, sample responses from exam takers, and scoring distributions.

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2021: Through-Course Assessment
Performance Task Overview Scoring Samples and Commentary Score Distributions

Academic Paper

Scoring Guidelines - Academic Paper

Scoring Guidelines - Presentation

Chief Reader Report

Scoring Statistics

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Sample H

Sample I

Sample J

 Scoring Distribution
2020: Through-Course Assessment
Performance Task Overview Scoring Samples and Commentary

Academic Paper

Scoring Guidelines – Academic Paper

Chief Reader Report

Scoring Distributions

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Sample H

Sample I

Sample J
2019: Through-Course Assessment
Performance Task Overview Scoring Samples and Commentary Score Distributions

Academic Paper

Presentation

Scoring Guidelines - Academic Paper

Scoring Guidelines - Presentation

Chief Reader Report

Scoring Statistics

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Sample H

Sample I

Sample J

 Scoring Distribution
2018: Through-Course and End-of-Course Assessments
Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Score Distributions

Academic Paper

Presentation

Scoring Guidelines - Academic Paper

Scoring Guidelines - Presentation

Chief Reader Report

Scoring Statistics

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Sample D

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Sample H

Sample I

Sample J

Scoring Distributions
2017: Through-Course and End-of-Course Assessments
Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Score Distributions

Academic Paper

Presentation

Scoring Guidelines - Academic Paper

Scoring Guidelines - Presentation

Chief Reader Report

Scoring Statistics

Note: The Scoring Guidelines in this table were used for scoring the 2017 assessment. The revised Academic Paper rubric for the 2017-18 school year is available below in the Assessment Resources section.

High scoring samples

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C

Sample D

Medium scoring samples

Sample E

Sample F

Sample G

Sample H

Low scoring samples

Sample I

Sample J

Sample K

Sample L

Scoring Distributions
2016: Through-Course and End-of-Course Assessments
Questions Scoring Samples and Commentary Score Distributions

Academic Paper

Presentation

Scoring Guidelines

Scoring Guidelines

Student Performance Q&A

Scoring Statistics

High scoring samples

Sample C (topic: History/Humanities)

Sample G (topic: Social Science)

Sample I (topic: Arts/Humanities)

Sample K (topic: STEM)

Medium scoring samples

Sample E (topic: History/Humanities)

Sample B (topic: Arts/Humanities)

Sample A (topic: Social Science)

Sample H (topic: STEM)

Low scoring samples

Sample J (topic: History/Humanities)

Sample F (topic: Arts/Humanities)

Sample D (topic: STEM/Social Science)

Score Distributions