Important Updates
2021 Exam Information
Updated April 8 Students can now download the digital testing application and take digital practice to prepare them for the testing experience. See below for more information on digital practice and taking the digital exam.
The AP Seminar end-of-course exams will be offered on paper in early May and as a digital exam in late May and early June. Student presentations will still be delivered live in real time (and not prerecorded) as usual, though they can be delivered in a remote, hybrid, or in-person setting.
All versions of the end-of-course exam will cover the full scope of course content, giving students the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement. Both the paper and digital versions of the end-of-course exam will consist of the typical free-response section.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Seminar only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Learn more about 2021 testing.
2020-21 AP Seminar Presentations Guidance
The Team Multimedia Presentation and Defense (TMP) and Individual Multimedia Presentation and Oral Defense (IMP) must be delivered live in real time, and not prerecorded. Equity and access for students is a primary goal; therefore, student presentations can be delivered in a remote, hybrid, or in-person setting. Learn more.
AP Classroom and AP Daily
Teachers and students can access short, searchable AP Daily videos in AP Classroom. These videos will cover every proficiency outlined in the CED, which you’ll see on your AP Classroom homepage. Videos can be assigned as homework to encourage students to watch on their own, so you can use class time to focus discussions where students need more help, whether teaching online, in person, or both. Sign in to AP Classroom to access the AP Seminar question bank and AP Daily videos.
A new pair of review sessions for AP Seminar will premiere the week of April 26—and will be hosted by AP teachers from across the country. Recordings of each session will be available on YouTube and AP Classroom for students to watch on demand if they can't join live.
Note: The following information and resources are for AP Seminar teachers at participating AP Capstone™ schools. In order to offer AP Seminar, schools must apply through the AP Program to participate in AP Capstone. In addition, teachers attend mandatory training. For more information, visit the AP Capstone Diploma program page.
Assessment Overview
The AP Seminar assessment consists of three parts: two performance tasks and the end-of-course AP Exam. All parts measure student achievement of the course learning objectives.
Encourage your students to visit the AP Seminar student page for assessment information.
Digital Practice and Testing Information
Updated April 8
Digital Practice Now Available
Starting April 8, students can try out the test-day experience by answering example questions in the digital testing application. See the Digital Practice page for general information about practice options.
AP Seminar students will have two options to answer example questions in the digital testing application. Both provide approximately the same time limit per question as the full exam.
- Digital Practice is full-length (Part A and Part B, 2 hours).
- The App Demo consists only of Part A, and lasts 30 minutes.
We highly recommend all students take the Digital Practice, and strongly advise that if they can’t take the Digital Practice, they at least take the App Demo. Both can be taken multiple times, and can be accessed directly in the digital testing application. Students can access their answers and scoring guidelines for the Digital Practice. Note: Taking the App Demo after completing Digital Practice may override student answers from Digital Practice. Teachers can also access digital practice from the teacher dashboard, available beginning April 22.
Taking the Digital Exam
Students should be aware of some aspects of testing digitally that they’ll encounter—in the Digital Practice and on exam day:
- The digital testing application includes an annotation tool, which allows students to mark text and make notes on the provided sources. Students can use the digital annotation tool to highlight key elements within texts, organize their thoughts, and create brief notes. While the annotations that students construct will not be scored, annotating is an opportunity for students to analyze texts to help them as they write their responses.
- The directions for Part A of the exam are the same on the paper and pencil and digital exams. However, the provided source on the digital exam may include footnotes, which students should consider as part of their analysis.
- The rubric for Part B of the digital exam has been adjusted slightly with points distributed differently across rows. The directions for Part B are the same as on the paper and pencil exam, but students must follow the instruction to incorporate at least 2 of the provided sources to access higher scores on the rubric. View the Part B rubric for the digital exam.
- On Part B, students will view the Sources directly in the exam app. They will click on the tabs on the left side of the screen, lettered A through D, to view one source at a time. They may need to scroll down to view the tabs and the complete sources.
- As a reminder, students will type all responses directly in the digital exam application. Scratch paper is permitted for notes or planning, but students cannot handwrite or otherwise upload responses.
- Students may go back and forth among questions 1, 2, and 3 while answering Part A, but once they move onto Part B, they cannot go back to Part A. They must complete Part A first.
- Exam directions will not be read by a proctor–they’ll appear entirely in the application. Students will see them at the beginning of each section, and can access them at any time during the exam. Please note that the exam timer starts when the directions appear. While students should read the directions, they should be aware that the timer will be running while they do so. Teachers and students can view the full text of the exam and section directions in advance of the exam.
More information about taking digital exams is available in the Digital Testing Guide.
Digital Exam Readiness Dashboard
Beginning April 22, AP teachers and AP coordinators will have access to a new digital exam readiness dashboard. Teachers and coordinators will access the dashboard from their personalized AP login page (after signing in through AP Central or through myap.collegeboard.org). The dashboard can be used to monitor students’ progress in taking the steps necessary before and on exam day to enable them to take a digital exam. See details in the “Preparing for Digital AP Exams” section of the AP Digital Testing Guide.
Assessment Dates
-
- THU, MAY 20, 2021, 11:59 PM EDT
Deadline to Submit AP Seminar Performance Tasks
-
- TUES, MAY 11, 2021, 8 AM LOCAL
AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam—Administration 1
-
- WED, MAY 26, 2021, 4 PM EDT
AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam—Administration 2
-
- MON, JUN 7, 2021, 4 PM EDT
AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam—Administration 3
Assessment Format
Note on 2021 exams: There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Seminar only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
| Performance Task 1: Team Project and Presentation—20% of AP Seminar Score | ||
|---|---|---|
| Component | Scoring Method | Weight |
|
Individual research report (1,200 words) |
College Board scored |
50% of 20% |
|
Team multimedia presentation and defense (8–10 minutes, plus defense questions) |
Teacher scored (group score) |
50% of 20% |
| Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation—35% of AP Seminar Score | ||
| Component | Scoring Method | Weight |
|
Individual written argument (2,000 words) |
College Board scored |
70% of 35% |
|
Individual multimedia presentation (6–8 minutes) |
Teacher scored |
20% of 35% |
|
Oral defense (2 questions from the teacher) |
Teacher scored |
10% of 35% |
| End-of-Course Exam (2 Hours)—45% of AP Seminar Score | ||
| Component | Scoring Method | Weight |
|
Understanding and analyzing an argument (3 short-answer questions); suggested time: 30 minutes |
College Board scored |
30% of 45% |
|
Evidence-Based argument essay (1 long essay); suggested time: 90 minutes Please Note: On the digital exam, the rubric for Part B will be slightly different from the paper and pencil exam, as follows:
View the rubric for Part B on the digital exam. |
College Board scored |
70% of 45% |
2020-21 Guidance for Hosting Student Presentations
We know your school may be teaching remotely, in person, or in a hybrid setting this year—but AP Seminar students will give presentations as usual. See the rules and guidelines for hosting your students’ presentations no matter the instructional environment.
Assessment Questions and Scoring Information
For performance task stimulus materials and sample student responses from the 2020 assessment, along with scoring information, check out the table below.
| Questions |
|---|