---
title: "AP Drawing Portfolio — Definition, Sections & Scoring"
description: "The AP Drawing Portfolio is the year-long submission for AP Drawing, made of a Sustained Investigation and Selected Works that show mark-making and drawing skill."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-art-design/key-terms/ap-drawing-portfolio"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Art & Design"
---

# AP Drawing Portfolio — Definition, Sections & Scoring

## Definition

The AP Drawing Portfolio is the body of work you submit instead of a written exam in AP Drawing, made up of a Sustained Investigation (15 images plus written responses) and Selected Works (5 physical pieces), all centered on drawing skills like mark-making, line, surface, and composition.

## What It Is

AP Drawing is one of the three AP Art and Design courses, and the portfolio IS the exam. There's no test day with multiple choice questions. Instead, you spend the year building a body of work and submit it digitally in early May, where trained AP readers score it on the 1-5 [scale](/ap-art-design/key-terms/scale "fv-autolink").

The portfolio has two parts. The **[Sustained Investigation](/ap-art-design/unit-2/questioning-art/study-guide/UkUZ976P9yuoIsUBfK7A "fv-autolink")** is 15 images of work plus process documentation, guided by an [inquiry](/ap-art-design/unit-1 "fv-autolink") question you develop and revise all year, and it carries the majority of your score. The **Selected Works** section (sometimes called the Quality section, its older name) is 5 finished pieces that show your strongest, most resolved work. What makes this the *Drawing* portfolio specifically is the emphasis. Every piece needs to foreground drawing skills, meaning mark-making, line quality, light and shadow, surface manipulation, and the illusion of depth. Painting, printmaking, and mixed media all count, as long as drawing thinking drives the work.

## Why It Matters

Everything in the AP Drawing course funnels into this one deliverable, so understanding the portfolio's structure is basically understanding how you'll be graded. The course is built around three skill categories: inquiry (asking a real artistic question), practice/[experimentation](/ap-art-design/key-terms/experimentation "fv-autolink")/revision (showing your process, not just polished endings), and communication through [materials](/ap-art-design/unit-1/inquiry-guided-investigation/study-guide/ifI4y9mVfFo8wRlPoVSU "fv-autolink"), processes, and ideas. Readers score your Sustained Investigation against those skills directly, using both your images and your written responses. The Selected Works section then rewards refined, synthesized skill in finished pieces. If you treat the portfolio as 'a folder of my best art,' you'll miss points. It's an argument about your growth and your thinking, told through drawing.

## Connections

### Sustained Investigation (the larger scored section)

This is the heart of the Drawing Portfolio, 15 images plus written responses built around an inquiry question. Think of it as a visual research paper. Readers want to see your question evolve and your work respond to experimentation and [revision](/ap-art-design/key-terms/revision "fv-autolink").

### Quality Section / Selected Works (5 finished pieces)

The older CED language called this the Quality section, and you'll still see that name around. These 5 works can come from your Sustained Investigation or stand alone, and for Drawing they're submitted as physical works, so craftsmanship and [presentation](/ap-art-design/unit-3/artistic-processes/study-guide/kJH4BHXryT2HiHWnVOtD "fv-autolink") matter.

### AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio (the sibling portfolio)

Same structure, same deadlines, same scoring skills, different lens. The 2-D portfolio judges work through design principles like balance, contrast, and [unity](/ap-art-design/unit-2 "fv-autolink"), while Drawing judges through mark-making and drawing technique. The same painting could go in either, depending on what it emphasizes.

### Drawing skills (the evaluation lens)

Line, value, mark-making, surface, and spatial illusion are the criteria that separate a Drawing submission from a 2-D one. If a reader can't see deliberate drawing decisions in a piece, it weakens the portfolio no matter how strong the concept is.

## On the AP Exam

There is no sit-down exam for AP Drawing. The portfolio replaces it entirely. Your Sustained Investigation (15 images plus written responses about your inquiry and how your work developed through practice, experimentation, and revision) makes up the majority of your score, and your 5 Selected Works make up the rest. Readers score each section against published rubrics tied to the course skills, then those scores combine into your final 1-5. Practically, that means you're tested on three things: can you pose and pursue a genuine artistic question, can you show visible evidence of process and revision (not just 15 finished pieces), and do your materials and techniques clearly demonstrate drawing skill. The written components count, so vague statements like 'I explored emotion' score worse than specific ones that name the inquiry and the revisions you made.

## AP Drawing Portfolio vs AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio

Both portfolios have identical structure (Sustained Investigation plus Selected Works) and identical deadlines, so the confusion is real. The difference is what readers evaluate. Drawing portfolios are judged on drawing skills, meaning mark-making, line, light and shadow, and surface. 2-D portfolios are judged on design principles, meaning composition choices like balance, emphasis, contrast, and unity. A charcoal still life with expressive mark-making belongs in Drawing; a graphic poster series built on layout and color relationships belongs in 2-D. You can only submit one portfolio type per year, so pick the lens that matches how your work actually thinks.

## Key Takeaways

- The AP Drawing Portfolio replaces a written exam entirely, and you submit it in early May to be scored by AP readers on the standard 1-5 scale.
- It has two sections, a Sustained Investigation of 15 images with written responses and a Selected Works section of 5 finished physical pieces.
- The Sustained Investigation is worth the majority of your score and must show inquiry, experimentation, and revision, not just polished final products.
- Drawing skills like mark-making, line, value, and surface are the evaluation lens, which is what separates this portfolio from the 2-D Art and Design portfolio.
- Painting, printmaking, and mixed media are all allowed in the Drawing portfolio as long as drawing decisions clearly drive the work.
- Your written responses are scored, so naming your specific inquiry question and concrete revisions matters as much as the images themselves.

## FAQs

### What is the AP Drawing Portfolio?

It's the submission that serves as your entire AP Drawing exam, made of a Sustained Investigation (15 images plus written responses about your inquiry and process) and Selected Works (5 finished physical pieces). Readers score it on the 1-5 AP scale.

### Is there a written exam for AP Drawing?

No. The portfolio is the exam. The only writing is the short responses inside your Sustained Investigation, where you explain your inquiry question and how experimentation and revision shaped your work, and those responses do factor into your score.

### How is the AP Drawing Portfolio different from the AP 2-D Art and Design Portfolio?

The structure is identical, but the scoring lens isn't. Drawing portfolios are evaluated on drawing skills like mark-making, line, and value, while 2-D portfolios are evaluated on design principles like balance, contrast, and unity. You choose one portfolio type per year based on which lens fits your work.

### Can I include paintings in the AP Drawing Portfolio?

Yes. Painting, printmaking, and mixed media all qualify, as long as drawing skills (mark-making, line quality, light and shadow, surface) are clearly central to the work. A painting built on visible drawing decisions fits Drawing; one built mainly on layout and color relationships fits 2-D better.

### How many pieces do I need for the AP Drawing Portfolio?

You submit 15 images for the Sustained Investigation (which can include process shots and details, not necessarily 15 separate finished works) plus 5 finished pieces for Selected Works. The Sustained Investigation carries the larger share of your score.

## Related Study Guides

- [AP Art and Design Exam Guide](/ap-art-design/study-tools/2024-ap-art-design-exam-guide/study-guide/3ywnRov9V8XrdDRisDpq)

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