Important Updates
Preparing Students for the Exam
Starting August 1, students and teachers will have access to a new system called AP Classroom designed and tested in collaboration with AP teachers. It includes an AP question bank that you can use in your classroom throughout the year.
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 and practice.
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- Thu, Apr 30, 2020
Deadline to Submit AP Seminar Performance Tasks
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- Tue, May 12, 2020
AP Seminar Exam Day
Assessment Format
Note: The scoring methods outlined in the following tables have been updated to reflect the 2017-18 assessment.
| 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 |
College Board scored |
70% of 45% |
Assessment Questions and Scoring Information
For performance task stimulus materials and free-response questions (FRQs) from the 2019 assessment, along with scoring information, check out the table below.
Be sure to review the Chief Reader Report. In this invaluable resource, the chief reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback from members of the AP Reading leadership to explain how students performed on the through-course performance tasks, summarize typical student errors, and address specific concepts and content with which students have struggled the most that year.
New Exam Resources
Beginning in August 2019, you’ll have access to AP Classroom, which includes an online library of AP questions relevant to your course.
| Questions | Scoring | Samples and Commentary | Score Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Coming Soon |
Coming Soon |
Coming Soon |
| Questions | Scoring | Samples and Commentary | Score Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Coming Soon |
Coming Soon |
Coming Soon |