September–October
(This September-October timeline is for full-year and first-semester courses. For second-semester courses, you’ll complete these steps when your course begins.)
- At the start of the school year, sign in to My AP to join your AP Art and Design class section using the join code your teacher gives you.
- Look at sample portfolios from real students—find them under “Portfolio Preparation” on your course’s portfolio page:
- Get familiar with the AP Art and Design Selected Works and Sustained Investigations Rubrics (.pdf/199KB).
- As you create your works throughout the year, document your thinking, learning, and creative processes.
- Start capturing digital images of your artworks—students usually take photos or use a scanner. Make sure your images meet the requirements and recommendations for digital images.
November–February
- Review the AP Art and Design Digital Submission Guide for Students.
- Starting in mid-November, go to the AP Digital Portfolio and sign in using your College Board login information.
- Begin uploading images in the AP Digital Portfolio. You can always delete, add, or rearrange images later.
- Important: Only select Submit as Final in the AP Digital Portfolio when you’re ready to submit your work as final. If you submit a portfolio component (Sustained Investigation Images, Written Evidence, Selected Works) as final, the only way to make revisions is if your teacher returns your portfolio component to you through the AP Digital Portfolio.
March–May
- Continue working on your 3 portfolio components (Sustained Investigation Images, Written Evidence, Selected Works) in the AP Digital Portfolio.
- Submit your portfolio components as final by your teacher’s deadline. May 5, 8 p.m. ET, is the deadline for students to submit their portfolio components as final to the AP Program through the AP Digital Portfolio. However, teachers (or AP coordinators for students not working with a teacher) will set their own deadline before May 5, so they have time to review portfolio component submissions.
- By May 5, 8 p.m. ET, ensure all 3 of your portfolio components (Sustained Investigation Images, Written Evidence, Selected Works) are submitted as final in the AP Digital Portfolio. Only portfolio components submitted as final by this deadline will be scored.
- Important: Shortly before the deadline, go back to the AP Digital Portfolio and check that your 3 portfolio components are marked as complete. This is indicated by a black checkmark on your Class Summary Overview page. In rare instances of technical errors, your teacher may return a portfolio component to you in the AP Digital Portfolio with recommendations for changes you can make. If this happens, you’ll need to resubmit the portfolio component as final by the May 5 deadline for it to be sent for scoring
- New for 2022-23: Starting this year, all portfolios (2-D, 3-D, and Drawing) are submitted digitally only. AP 2-D and AP Drawing students no longer mail their physical work to the AP Program.