AP Art History
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Learn all about the course and exam. Already enrolled? Join your class in My AP.
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Explore the history of art across the globe from prehistory to the present. You’ll analyze works of art through observation, discussion, reading, and research.
Evaluating works of art from different eras and cultures
Seeing connections to artistic traditions, styles, or practices in a work of art
Developing a theory about the meaning of a work of art and explaining and supporting your interpretation
A two-semester college introductory art history course
None
Fri, May 5, 2023,
12 PM Local
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Art History Exam.
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
You’ll learn about the origins of human art across the globe during the stone ages.
Topics may include:
approximately 4% of multiple-choice score
You’ll study a broad range of artistic works from the civilizations of the ancient Near East and Egypt, as well as the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman cultures.
Topics may include:
approximately 15% of multiple-choice score
You’ll explore the evolution of art from the early middle ages through the mid-18th century in Europe and the Americas.
Topics may include:
approximately 21% of multiple-choice score
You’ll study the effect of rapid societal change on art from the modern period in Europe and the Americas.
Topics may include:
approximately 21% of multiple-choice score
You’ll understand the roots and evolution of indigenous American art from the ancient civilizations of Central and South America to Native North American societies.
Topics may include:
approximately 6% of multiple-choice score
You’ll explore the diversity of African art and the role it played in the many and varied societies on the continent.
Topics may include:
approximately 6% of multiple-choice score
You’ll learn about the techniques, materials, and evolution of art throughout West and Central Asia.
Topics may include:
approximately 4% of multiple-choice score
You’ll study the tradition of Asian art from prehistoric times to modern works.
Topics may include:
approximately 8% of multiple-choice score
You’ll study the wide-ranging types of art from the vast network of islands in the Pacific Ocean stretching from Australia to Hawaii.
Topics may include:
approximately 4% of multiple-choice score
You’ll study the many forms of modern art from across the globe.
Topics may include:
approximately 11% of multiple-choice score
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AP Art History Course and Exam Description
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.
AP Art History can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors