Unique among the
Advanced Placement programs, AP Studio Art has neither a standard
course nor written
exam. Instead,
students submit two distinct
portfolios for consideration: a general portfolio and a
drawing portfolio. The program's development committee provides
guidelines for the submission of a portfolio, keeping the level of work at first-year
college level. The course designed by the
school should address three points: a sense of
quality in work,
concentration on a particular
visual interest, and the need for breadth of
experience.
The program is intended for motivated students with a serious interest in art who have already completed some previous training. AP Studio Art courses commonly include homework and projects outside the classroom, including visits to museums and galleries.
Both portfolios are scored on a scale of one through six in three sections - quality, concentration, and breadth. A quality rating of "six" is given when pieces show obvious evidence of thinking, demonstrate the artist's confidence, show purposeful composition, and meet other quality criteria. The concentration rating of "six" is for pieces that engage the viewer, carry out an evocative theme, take risks, and whose technical aspects are strong. In the general portfolio, breadth is broken into three subsections: color/design, sculpture/3-D design, and drawing. Each subsection earns a "six" rating
if the artist has shown exemplary work and demonstrated the ability to think outside the box while presenting a quality piece. The drawing portfolio does not break up the breadth rating, but for a "six" rating requires flexibility of thinking, use of a variety of materials, and evidence of experimentation and ambition, among other criteria.
Source: http://www.collegeboard.org/ap/students/studioart/index.html