🖼 2023 AP Art History Study Plan
Welcome to this plethora of resources that cover everything you need to know to get a 5 on AP Art History! This toolkit is constantly being updated with more resources! AP Art History is a college-level course where you will learn how to analyze art, its historical and cultural context, and the materials, processes, and techniques that go into making it.
🚨 All you need to know about the 2023 AP Art History Exam!
The AP Art History Exam
A breakdown of the exam content by percentage.
| Unit | Exam Weighting (MCQ) |
|---|---|
| Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 BCE | 4% |
| Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 BCE–300 CE | 15% |
| Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 CE | 21% |
| Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 CE | 21% |
| Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 BCE–1980 CE | 6% |
| Unit 6: Africa, 1100–1980 CE | 6% |
| Unit 7: West and Central Asia, 500 BCE–1980 CE | 4% |
| Unit 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 BCE–1980 CE | 8% |
| Unit 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 CE | 4% |
| Unit 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present | 11% |
Art Historical Thinking Skills
While taking this course, you'll develop critical thinking skills in the following areas:
| Skill | Description | Exam Weighting (MCQ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Visual Analysis | Analyze visual elements of works of art. | 15%–19% |
| 2. Contextual Analysis | Analyze contextual elements of a work of art, and connect contextual and visual elements of a work of art. | 28%–32% |
| 3. Comparison of Works of Art | Compare two or more works of art. | 11%–13% |
| 4. Artistic Traditions | Analyze the relationships between a work of art and a related artistic tradition, style, and/or practice. | 20%–25% |
| 5. Visual Analysis of Unknown Works | Analyze visual elements of a work of art beyond the image set. | 6%–8% |
| 6. Attribution of Unknown Works | Attribute works of art. | 6%–8% |
| 7. Art Historical Interpretations | Analyze art historical interpretations. | 6%–8% |
| 8. Argumentation | Develop and support art historical arguments. | Not assessed in the multiple-choice section |
Study Guides for Every Unit
🗿 Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 3000–500 BCE
- Unit 1 Overview: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 BCE
- Theories and Interpretations of Prehistoric Art
- Materials, Processes, and Techniques in Prehistoric Art
- Unit 1 Required Works
🏛 Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 BCE–300 CE
- Unit 2 Overview: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500-300 BCE
- Interactions Across Cultures in Ancient Mediterranean Art
- Etruria (900–270 BCE) 🇮🇹
- Theories and Interpretations of Ancient Mediterranean Art
- Unit 2 Required Works
⛪️ Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 CE
- Unit 3 Overview: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 CE
- Cultural Contexts of Early European and Colonial American Art
- Interactions Within and Across Cultures in Early European and Colonial American Art
- Materials, Processes, and Techniques in Early European and Colonial American Art
- Purpose and Audience in Early European and Colonial American Art
- Theories and Interpretations of Early European and Colonial American Art
- Unit 3 Required Works
⚔️ Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 CE
- Unit 4 Overview: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 CE
- Interactions Within and Across Cultures in Later European and American Art
- Purpose and Audience in Later European and American Art
- Materials, Processes, and Techniques in Later European and American Art
- Theories and Interpretations of Later European American Art
- Unit 4 Required Works
🌽 Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 BCE –1980 CE
- Unit 5 Overview: Indigenous Americas, 1000 BCE–1980 CE
- Interactions Within and Across Cultures in Indigenous American Art
- Materials, Processes, and Techniques in Indigenous American Art
- Purpose and Audience in Indigenous American Art
- Theories and Interpretations of Indigenous American Art
- Unit 5 Required Works
⚱️ Unit 6: Africa, 1100–1980 CE
- Unit 6 Overview: Africa, 1100–1980 BCE
- Cultural Contexts of African Art
- Purpose and Audience in African Art
- Theories and Interpretations of African Art
- Unit 6 Required Works
🕌 Unit 7: West and Central Asia, 500 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 7 Overview: West and Central Asia, 500 BCE–1980 CE
- Materials, Processes, and Techniques in West & Central Asia
- West Asia
- Central Asia
- Summary of Works to Know 🖼
🛕 Unit 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 8 Overview: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 BCE–1980 CE
- Materials, Processes, and Techniques in South, East, and Southeast Asian Art
- India and Southeast Asia
- China and the Koreas 🇨🇳 🇰🇵 🇰🇷
- Interactions Within and Across Cultures in South, East, and Southeast Asian Art
- Japan 🇯🇵
🐚 Unit 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 CE
🏢 Unit 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present
Quicklinks
- 🏆 How to Get a 5 in AP Art History: To get a 5 on the AP Art History exam, there are a few key skills to perfect and a set of 250 artworks you need to know!
- 🏠 AP Art History Self-Study and Homeschool: As a homeschool or a self-studying student, it is important to have a plan of action. Regardless of your AP Art History medium (home school or self-studying), these AP Art History tips and tricks will set you on the path towards exam success!
- 🤔 Is AP Art History Hard? Is APAH Worth Taking?: If exploring the origins of these artworks sounds interesting, then AP Art History is the class for you!
- 📖 Best AP Art History Textbooks and Prep Books: To give yourself the best chance of securing your score within that small percentage, you need to have the best resources at hand! Keep reading to find a list of the best AP Art History textbooks, prep books, and a few additional resources that will get you well on your way to a 5!
Check out all of our AP Art History resources to earn that 5!
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