Back

AP Art and Design Portfolio Policies

For details about the portfolio requirements, see Sustained Investigation Overview and Selected Works Overview.

When you submit your portfolio components as final through the AP Digital Portfolio, you must agree to the following Artistic Integrity Agreement:

Artistic Integrity Agreement

It is unethical, constitutes plagiarism, and may even violate copyright law for students to copy another work or image (even in another medium) and represent it as their own. The work they submit as final through the AP Digital Portfolio must be an entirely original creation, made by them, and reflecting their own unique vision. When submitting their portfolio, they must attest: “I hereby affirm that all works in this portfolio were done by me and that these images accurately represent my actual work.”

Preexisting Works

Any submission that makes use of preexisting photographs, images, or works of any kind must both:

Give full credit to any preexisting work.
Extend beyond mere duplication and demonstrate the student’s observable transformation of materials, processes, and ideas through practice, experimentation, and revision. The final piece must offer a demonstrable, fresh perspective and interpretation of the preexisting work in new or unexpected ways.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Editing Tools

The AP Art and Design artificial intelligence policy has been updated for the 2026-27 school year. Read the new AI policy.

Multiple Portfolio Submission

The same artwork may not be submitted for more than one AP Art and Design Portfolio Exam. Redesigning or repurposing artwork submitted to another AP Art and Design Portfolio Exam is not considered new work. Each portfolio must be an entirely new inquiry consisting of new work not previously submitted for any other portfolio exam in this year or any prior year.

Consequences of Plagiarism

If College Board determines in its sole discretion that a student has violated any part of this artistic integrity agreement, such as by failing to properly attribute preexisting works, using generative AI tools, or attempting to pass off another’s work as their own, College Board may cancel their score.

Citation Examples—and When to Use Them

When your artwork is inspired by or references another source, such as a photo, artwork, or still image, you must include a short citation to give credit. In 100 characters or fewer, include the type of use (e.g., reference, inspiration), creator’s name (if known), title or description, year (if known), and primary source link (if known).

Formal citation styles like APA or MLA are not required. Just be clear and concise, and provide the most complete source information available. Refer to the Artistic Integrity Agreement above for more information on ethical use of sources.

The examples in the table below illustrate common citation scenarios.

Example Citations for Common Scenarios
Source Type	Citation Example
Personal Sources
Using your own photograph as reference material	Original reference photograph by student, 2026
Using a photograph, video still, or other image created by another person under your direction or concept	Photo taken by [name] under my concept, direction, and staging, 2026
Reference Images and Found Sources
Recreating or basing a drawing or design off a product photo or object	Reference photo: The Rug Company; carpet design by Barber Osgerby
Using an image found through a search engine or social media platform	Reference image: Instagram @[name], [date]
Using a single image from a free-use site (useful for graphic design or direct references)	Free use: Photo by unnamed photographer from https://pixabay.com/photos/bird-warbler-nature-ornithology-8469368/, [date if available]
Using multiple images from a royalty-free site (e.g., Pixabay, Pexels)	Free-use digital assets: multiple images from Pixabay, photographers unknown, https://pixabay.com
Using a still image from a movie or TV show (useful for character study or storytelling)	Still: Warner Bros., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005, https://www.imdb.com/list/ls000493663/
Artistic Influence and Inspiration
Using an artist’s work as creative inspiration or mood board for your own idea	Inspiration: Van Gogh Collection, 1890, https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection
Creating a new work based on or influenced by a famous artwork (e.g., remix, parody, update)	Derived from Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Girl-with-a-Pearl-Earring-by-Vermeer
Using an image from a museum, archive, or public domain collection	Source image: Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection, [artist], [title], [year], https://www.metmuseum.org
Collage and Mixed Sources
Using a mix of texts and pictures from different magazines for collage or mixed media	Text and images from multiple magazines including Time and Popular Mechanics, photos, designers vary
Creating a digital collage using found preexisting images (cite exact sources)	Digital collage sources: Instagram @[name], iStock image [title or description], [date]
Teacher-Directed Projects
Completing a project based on a teacher-provided prompt, assignment, or structured investigation	Teacher-directed project: Assignment prompt provided by [teacher name], [course name], 2026
Tutorials and Learning Resources
Practicing or learning a new technique through an online tutorial such as TikTok or YouTube	Drawing tutorial: https://www.tiktok.com/[insert artist’s handle]/video/7422607323455114529, 2024
Artificial Intelligence
Using AI to explore possible directions for an inquiry or concept	AI ideation: ChatGPT (OpenAI), used to generate questions and concept ideas, 2026, https://chatgpt.com
Using an AI image generator to explore compositions, themes, or visual directions during research or ideation	AI-generated reference image: Midjourney, prompt by student, 2026, used for ideation only
Using AI-generated imagery as reference material in Sustained Investigation process documentation	AI-generated reference image: DALL·E (OpenAI), prompt by student, 2026, used as reference for idea development
Including AI-generated imagery in process documentation as evidence of experimentation	AI-generated experiment: Midjourney, prompt by student, 2026, included as process documentation only
Using AI-generated imagery as inspiration but creating an original final work	Inspiration: AI-generated image created with DALL·E (OpenAI), prompt by student, 2026

Overlap Among Portfolio Types

There is possible overlap among the three portfolio types. For instance, a student whose work focuses on 3-D art and design could submit, in their AP 3-D Art and Design Portfolio Exam, drawings and/or 2-D compositions associated with their 3-D work. These could include concept drawings of a sculpture or the floor plan of an architectural structure, for example.

Remember: No work may be duplicated or repurposed between portfolios or from artwork submitted in previous years.

In planning for and developing your body of portfolio work, you should select a particular focus of 2-D art and design, 3-D art and design, or drawing. As you work, you may make pieces that diverge in format from your selected portfolio type.

For the Sustained Investigation section, portfolio exams are more likely to be successful in terms of the assessment rubric if divergent forms (e.g., 2-D art and design submitted for an AP Drawing Portfolio Exam) are clearly related to the investigation of stated questions.

For the Selected Works section, portfolio exams are more likely to be successful if divergent forms demonstrate synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas using skills related to the designated portfolio type.

Digital Portfolio AP Exam Terms and Conditions

When you submit your portfolio components as final in the AP Digital Portfolio, you’ll be required to acknowledge the Digital Portfolio AP Exam Terms and Conditions. 

Resources

Article