AP® Art History covers art from a variety of different cultures throughout history. This course will open your eyes to how art is created, has a deeper meaning, and reflects society. AP® Art History will cover 250 different pieces of art. This course will enable you to experience, learn, write about, and respond to a variety of art. At the end of this course, you will be able to demonstrate your comprehension and skills you learned during the exam. How long is the AP® Art History Exam? What can you expect the exam to entail? This article will break down all aspects of the AP® Art History Exam. We will review how to manage your time in each section to ensure you receive a 5.

How Long is the AP® Art History Exam?

The AP® Art History Exam is three hours. The exam has a multiple-choice section and a free-response section. These two sections are put together to determine your score. Students have one hour to complete the multiple-choice section and two hours to complete the free-response section. All the questions will be based on your learning objectives for the course. A single question can cover multiple learning objectives and address various works of art from different cultures. This helps you apply analytic skills obtained throughout AP® Art History. Throughout the exam, a proctor will announce time designations. However, you can go through the sections of the test at your own pace. Take a practice exam under the same time conditions to help your prepare. This will give you an idea on how to pace yourself. In addition, taking a practice exam will allow you to relax and perform better at exam time.

How Long is Section I of the AP® Art History Exam?

Section I is made up of multiple-choice questions. You will have one hour to complete this section. There are 80 questions total. The questions are made up of 35 discrete questions and 45 sets of questions. An incorrect answer does not deduct points from your score, so do not skip any questions. Also, remember to give yourself a few minutes to check your answers. Below are two sample multiple-choice questions from CollegeBoard:

1. Although the cave paintings in the Great Hall of the Bulls at Lascaux were originally interpreted as depictions of hunting scenes, they have more recently been interpreted as paintings intended to

(A) warn people about dangerous animals threatening villages

(B) portray scenes of animal domestication

(C) document a series of animal-based rituals

(D) tell a mythic narrative of human origins

Correct Answer: C

2. Which of the following statements is true of both the Standard of Ur from the Royal Tombs at Ur and the Palette of King Narmer?

(A) They portray dynastic succession.

(B) They celebrate military victory.

(C) They designate the king as a sun god.

(D) They depict an enemy’s military banner.

Correct Answer: B

How to Manage Your Time in Section I of the AP® Art History Exam

You should aim to spend an hour on Section I of the exam. You will want to move promptly through this section so you can effectively respond to all questions and leave time to complete Section II. Time your practice exam to help pace yourself to complete the multiple-choice section. According to CollegeBoard, multiple-choice questions will determine your ability to identify works, artists, and cultures from the required course content of 250 works of art. Due to the variety of artwork covered, a great tip is to create flashcards while you study. This will improve your memory of all the artwork. In addition, you will need to use analysis skills to show you grasped historical concepts. You will have the opportunity to use the art skills you learned to make decisions about unfamiliar art. Remember that it is not just about memorization, but being able to apply art analytical skills to breakdown different art. The multiple-choice questions will serve as a way to show your comprehension of the art and the relationships of their form, function, content, and context.

How Long is Section II of the AP® Art History Exam?

Section II is free response part of the exam. This section consists of short and long essay questions. Section II is comprised of 6 questions. There will be two 30-minute essay questions and four 15-minute essay questions. This section will call for you to apply the art historical skills you have obtained. All of the questions in this section will include images of works of art or a list of works from the required course content. As stated by CollegeBoard, “For questions that require students to identify a work of art, students should try to include all of the following identifiers: the title of designation, name of the artist and/or culture of origin, date of creation, and materials”. If you give two correct identifiers, you will earn credit for the identification. If additional identifiers are incorrect or inaccurate, you will not be penalized. All of the questions in this section must be written in essay form. Similarly to the multiple-choice section, make sure you give yourself a few minutes to go over your responses! Below are two sample essay questions from CollegeBoard:

Long Essay Questions Sample

1. Many works of art are intended to convey an interpretation of a culture’s history.

Select and completely identify one work of art that conveys an interpretation of a culture’s history.

Identify the intended audience of the work.

Describe the historical content that the work is intended to convey.

Then, using specific visual and contextual evidence, analyze how the work conveys that historical content.

To answer this question, you may select a work from the list below or any other relevant work of art. When identifying the work you select, you should try to include all of the following identifiers: title or designation, the name of the artist and/or culture of origin, date of creation, and materials. You will earn credit for the identification if you provide at least two accurate identifiers, but you will not be penalized if any additional identifiers you provide are inaccurate. If you select a work from the list below, you must include at least two accurate identifiers beyond those that are given.

• Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun, Pompeii
• The Burghers of Calais
• Lukasa (memory board)

Short Essay Questions Sample

2. Attribute this painting to the artist who painted it.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Completely identify the painting by the same artist in the required course content.

Then, using specific visual evidence, justify your attribution by comparing the two works.

How do both works demonstrate the artist’s ongoing experimentation with form through landscape?

When identifying the work you select, you should try to include all of the following identifiers: title or designation, the name of the artist and/or culture of origin, date of creation, and materials. You will earn credit for the identification if you provide at least two accurate identifiers, but you will not be penalized if any additional identifiers you provide are inaccurate.

How to Manage Your Time in Section II of the AP® Art History Exam

Time management is key in Section II of the AP® Art History Exam. You will have two hours to complete all six essay questions. Questions 1 and 2 are long essay questions. It is recommended that students spend 30 minutes on each question. Questions 3 through 6 are short essay questions. It is recommended that students spend 15 minutes on each question. CollegeBoard assures students that a test proctor will announce when each time interval has elapsed to help you manage your time.

The two 30-minute essay questions allow you to discuss and respond to the art and topic in more depth. In this section, you can apply your perspective and analytical skills that you have learned throughout your course study. The long essay questions were created to give you the chance to discuss a different part of the artwork, analyze the relationship of works of art, and show your deeper understanding. For Questions 1 and 2 (the long essay questions) you can use additional works of art to add depth to your answer. The extra artwork can be from the work covered in the course or from outside research. Questions 3 through 6 (the short essay questions) will give you the opportunity to inspect and describe art historical concepts and relationships.

How can You Practice Time Management for AP® Art History?

As stated earlier, the AP® Art History exam will be three hours long with a mix of multiple-choice and essay questions. It is imperative to manage your time so that you are able to complete all sections of the exam and have a chance to review your work. One of the best tips to help you stay relaxed and obtain that 5 is to take a practice test with the same time conditions. In addition, making sure you take the time to study and go over all of the work you learned with help you succeed and do well with the exam. Albert has a variety of study materials and information to help assist you! On the website, you can find articles and sample questions for both multiple-choice and essay questions. Make sure to take your time, study, relax, and go into your AP® Art History Exam with confidence!

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