The AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| portfolio/pɔːtˈfəʊlɪəʊ/ | A selected collection of work showing a person's development, skills or achievements. |
| sustained investigation/səˈsteɪnd ɪnˌvestɪˈɡeɪʃn/ | A continuing exploration of an artistic question through research, experimentation, making and revision. |
| selected works/sɪˈlektɪd wɜːks/ | A chosen set of pieces that demonstrates an artist's skills and ideas. |
A portfolio, not a test
- The AP exam is a portfolio 作品集 — not a written test.
- It has two sections, both submitted digitally.
- It is built across the whole course, with no timed section.
The AP 2-D Art and Design exam is...
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
The AP exam is a portfolio, built over the course.
Two sections
- The Sustained Investigation 持续探究 section: 15 images plus written evidence.
- The Selected Works 精选作品 section: 5 works showing 2-D skills, with written information.
- Works may be physical or digital, but all are submitted as digital images.
The two-part AP 2-D Art and Design portfolio
Which portfolio section?
Sort each fact by the portfolio section it belongs to.
Physical works must be sent to the exam board for marking.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
False. All works, physical or digital, are submitted as digital images; nothing is posted to the exam board.
The Selected Works section contains ____ works.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Selected Works = 5 works; the Sustained Investigation = 15 images.
Select all true statements about the portfolio.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Two sections, built over the year, submitted as images; it is not a timed exam.
Match each section to its size.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
SI = 15; Selected Works = 5; portfolio = two sections.
Built over the year
- There is no single timed exam — the portfolio grows across the course.
- Both sections are scored against the College Board scoring guidelines.
- Planning your work with the sections in mind pays off.
Do not leave the portfolio to the end. There is no timed exam — the whole point is a body of work built over the year. Starting late means no room for the experimentation and revision that a strong sustained investigation requires. Plan for both sections from the start.
Across the year, a student builds 15 images for her Sustained Investigation around one question, and separately chooses 5 works for Selected Works that best show her 2-D skills. All are photographed as digital images and uploaded — no exam hall, no timer.
The AP 2-D exam is a portfolio built over the year, in two sections: the Sustained Investigation (15 images + writing) and Selected Works (5 works showing 2-D skills + writing). All are submitted as digital images and scored against the guidelines.
Write from 15 images and 5 works
- A student expects a 2 hour exam in a hall.
- The submission is a portfolio built during the year.
A student prepares for a 2 hour hall exam and has only 1 finished image. What must an AP 2-D submission actually contain?
The work is built over the year and then submitted as images.
What does the student need to submit?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
The portfolio has two sections, 15 images and 5 works, not a timed paper.