And that's it! Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for getting through the entire AP Art History course. Happy studying and good luck 🎉!


Summary of the Works

Unit 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present

Welcome to the final unit of AP Art History (

cue the round of celebratory applause 👏 

)! Unit 10 is a great way to finish off this course because its works are unlike any that we've seen previously with respect to theme, 

 (things used to make a work 🎨), and technique. Unfortunately, though, 

 art (art made in the second half of the 20th or the 21st century) gets a bad rap from many viewers. Here are some common stereotypes and phrases said about art from this period in history:

These common stereotypes ⬆️ are anything but true! Just because contemporary art may look different than the works that we've studied in earlier units, doesn't mean that it's a less valid movement. Be sure to keep this in mind 🧠 as we head into the unit's contextualization and works.

Contextualization (AKA The Historical Background) 🌎 

In the late 20th century, technology began to drastically improve as new machines were being created and manufacturing techniques were perfected 🏭. This has caused the production of different media to rapidly increase ⬆️ and their manufacturing costs to decrease ⬇️, making art more accessible to people around the world, regardless of wealth or status. (Before this time, many artists, especially in Europe, came from well-to-do families 🤑 and were educated at private art schools.)

As technology becomes more advanced over time, artists are also beginning to abandon traditional media like oil paint and stucco for new, innovative materials (ex. 

) and everyday ones (ex. cut paper, glass, and burlap). Artists have also begun using technology to their advantage when creating. For example, some of the artists that made the works below incorporated video 📹 and audio 🔊 into their 

 (exhibits in a gallery) so the viewer can have more sensory experience, rather than just look. This is a deviation from works in previous units, 

 (adapted for contemporary life; ex. urbanization 🌆, industrialization 🏗️, high literacy rate 📚) and 

(spreading of cultures worldwide), people are beginning to interact more. This increased communication has allowed artists of different backgrounds to inspire one another and create unique works of art.

Growing Inclusivity in Art 👩🏻‍🎨🧕🏽 👨🏿‍🎨 

The field of art has become more inclusive of artists of different nationalities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds over time. Many of the works in this unit 🖼️ (such as 

) were made by artists of color and/or explore international issues like increasing obesity rates (

). More still needs to be done to make the field entirely accepting of all artists, however, the progress made recently in the field should still be acknowledged.

MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts

And that's it! Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for getting through the entire AP Art History course. Hopefully, the past 10 unit guides will help as you study for any exams you have throughout the year and ace the final one in May. Happy studying and good luck 🎉!

Global Contemporary, 1980 CE to Present

AP Art History is a challenging course to learn in a physical classroom with a live teacher, let alone at home or on your own time. As a homeschool or a self-studying student, it is important to have a plan of action.  Regardless of your AP Art History 

 (home school or self-studying), these AP Art History tips and tricks will set you on the path towards exam success! 

When you create a self-study plan, always start with the 

College Board Course and Exam Description

 (CED). The CED details all of the content that will be on the exam, describes the art historical thinking skills, and explains the key concepts/big ideas in the course. The CED provides "At a Glance" sections where you will see each unit and key concept along with the historical thinking skills applied in that specific key concept. 

As you read deeper into the CED, you will find summaries of the main ideas/most important content for each unit and corresponding key concepts. These summaries have the bulk of the information you will need to study. The AP Art History CED also includes all of the 250 required works.

How to Register for the Test and Where to Take It 

To register for an AP test if you are self-studying, get in touch with your school's AP Coordinator. If your school does not have an AP Coordinator, you can contact AP Services to register and find a nearby school where you can take the exam.

AP services will connect you with AP Coordinators from schools near you who are willing to accept outside students for testing. You will need to get in touch with one of them to make testing arrangements. 

Obtaining access to a textbook is crucial when studying APAH independently or through homeschooling. A textual resource with lots of information and images acts as a foundation for the rest of your APAH learning. Having a textbook is helpful because you can always refer to it at any time throughout the course for an in-depth analysis and explanation of the content. 

Books that teach the information by genre or time period may be particularly helpful for AP Art History. Textbooks also contain a glossary of important terms that are crucial on the exam, especially on the Free-Response Questions. Use the glossary to create a list of key terms and their definitions (you can also add images) as you work your way through the course.

 for links to free, affordable, and the overall best AP Art History Textbooks and additional APAH resources. 

Barron's is a great resource for APAH! Image Courtesy of 

Barron's AP Art History, one of our top picks for AP Art History Resources! This book contains 2 full-length practice tests and a clear, thorough review of major artists and movements, extra multiple choice practice questions, and chapters that expand beyond the European tradition.

#2: Become an Expert on the Required Images 🖼

The 250 required artworks in AP Art History are essentially the basis for the exam as they show up in both multiple-choice and free-response questions. You are asked to compare and contrast with works outside the image set, and you are also required to attribute an art piece to a particular artist. 

Creating flashcards is an excellent way of memorizing these artworks. Make a flashcard for each image and summarize the artwork in your own words. Be sure to include the artist, time period/movement, medium, location, and significance of the image. If you would rather use a pre-existing deck of flashcards, see our Best Quizlets for AP Art History blog!

Sticking to one form of learning (i.e only using a textbook) is not the best way to develop a comprehensive understanding of AP Art History. A single resource will not provide you with the different perspectives you need to know to succeed on the exam. Additionally, some textbooks can be lengthy and have a wealth of extra information, which can get confusing at times. 

 and, of course, Fiveable offer bite-sized chunks of information that can help clarify information in textbooks. 

#4: Look for Live Instruction/Discussions 🗣

AP Art History is much more than learning artworks and their artists. Discussing the art on a deeper level, by delving into its larger historical significance with peers and/or a teacher will greatly help improve your understanding of the history in this course that goes beyond the artworks themselves. 

Additionally, talking about artworks with other people provides multiple unique perspectives that may help in argumentative essays. Consider reaching out to students you may know who are also taking/have taken the course, attending weekly AP Art History live streams at Fiveable, or chatting with students in the Fiveable community. 

Do not try to memorize all of the required works at the same time or learn every unit within the span of a few weeks. Take the course in small doses, perhaps just learning 25 images at a time along with one unit. Spend an adequate amount of time soaking up the information and paying attention to little things such as connections between time periods, the influences behind the artworks, and the artistic traditions in the images. A good way to budget your time is to make a study schedule using a calendar, spreadsheet, whiteboard, or productivity tool such as Notion. 

Practice tests are the best way to assess performance and discover any gaps in content knowledge. Taking practice tests frequently will help improve answering multiple-choice questions and writing essays faster, which cannot just be done by reading a textbook or by using flashcards. Try your best to use the practice questions released by the College Board, but since these are limited, you can find practice tests in other resources such as the Barron's AP Art History prep book. Be sure to read the reviews when using non-College Board resources. 

When defining key terms or making flashcards, always make sure what you write makes sense TO YOU. Use your own words as opposed to the fancy textbook definitions to understand the information. Overall, take the study approach that best suits your learning style! 

One of our new initiatives here at Fiveable for the 2020-2021 school year is Fiveable Courses!  You can sign up for the AP Art History Fiveable course to get access to a bunch of assistance throughout either the fall or spring semester.  This can be super helpful — whether you are self-studying or looking for extra support to supplement your in-class work.

It's $55, and it'll be worth it in the long run! 🙂 Sign up for Fiveable's 

Best of luck in your AP Art History course and happy studying! For more AP Art History resources such as live streams and study guides, visit 

 for more resources! Remember, you're not alone in this journey! You got this 🥳

AP Art History Self-Study and Homeschool

The sculptures, artifacts, and paintings that decorate exhibit halls and art museums are more than just oil on canvas, marble shaped into a person, or a bowl with images on it. They are incredibly intricate and complex artworks (yes, even the simple-looking ones) that each holds a rich and unique history behind them. If exploring the origins of these artworks sounds interesting, then AP Art History is the class for you! 

AP Art History is often thought of as an art class rather than as a history class, which presents a challenge to many students. Instead of painting, drawing, or sculpting, students investigate how artists use their works to impact their society. Students learn about the origins of works across different time periods and cultures.

In this course, students are responsible for memorizing a list of 250 works of art chosen by the College Board. These are often referred to as the "required works" or the "required image set." The 250 works represent many different influences, artists, time periods, mediums, and artistic traditions.

In addition to memorizing the required works, students will develop and use nine historical thinking skills: 

These skills will be applied to both multiple-choice and free-response questions. 

💭 A detailed breakdown of these historical thinking skills can be found on page 14 in the 

AP Art History Course and Exam Description.

Roughly about 25,000 students take the APAH exam per year, which is much smaller than the 500,000 taking exams such as AP Language and Composition, making the subject one of the smaller APs on the national scale. The table below shows the 2019 score distribution released by the College Board.

What Students and Teachers are Saying 🗣

"It's hard if you don't pace yourself. With that being said, you are exposed to so many intricate yet interesting concepts beyond just art. It teaches analytic and critical skills definitely making the class worth it."—Aly Moosa,  Student

"It is a challenging class. The problem for a lot of students who take the class, and even art teachers who teach it, is that it is much more a history class than an art class. If you took AP World, did well and liked it a bit, AP Art History might be for you. If you’re a student who likes to draw and takes art classes because they are easy and fun, this is not for you.."—Johnathon Keller, Teacher

"If you’re good with history, you should be good with AP Art History. AP Art History is more than just memorizing names, artists, and patrons. It’s about making the connection between historical events and their impact on art."—Patrick Rio, Student

If you have an interest in art, history, or both, then AP Art History is definitely worth your time. If analysis and comparison are some of your strengths, then this class should not cause you any problems. Although aspects of memorization and analyzing/attributing unknown works of art may be challenging, AP Art History has the potential to be a highly rewarding class that awakens students to the deeper meanings, creative processes, and impacts behind artwork from all over the world throughout history. 

Critical thinking and the analytical, comparison, and argumentative skills used in AP Art History translate into a plethora of future college majors and professions. Occupations such as scientists, lawyers, economists, and engineers use such skills in their day to day work.

About 1,239 colleges/universities accept AP Art History exam scores for college credit. Your AP scores fulfill general education requirements and/or place you in more advanced classes. The AP credit transfer policy differs for every school. 

Just like any other AP course, AP Art History does not have a light workload. It covers artwork from prehistory to the present, which is a lot. Consider your other classes on, and do not overexert yourself if you think you may have too much! If you find that you lack an interest in art and/or history, then APAH may not be worth it.

Art is a subjective topic. Trying to understand complexities is not an easy task for anyone. If possible, know if your APAH teacher will be a good fit for you in terms of learning and class structure. Having a teacher who you vibe with can make a huge difference in your APAH experience.

Are you prepared to dedicate yourself to memorizing 250 works of art? Are you confident you can handle the workload? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, APAH may not be worth it. 

Access to resources such as study guides and practice questions are a necessity to succeed in any AP class, especially in AP Art History. Answering stimulus-based questions and writing comparison, argumentative, and analytical essays may take some getting used to for some students. Luckily, with Fiveable, APAH students have access to hundreds of free resources such as practice prompts, sample multiple-choice questions, and study guides to help them perfect their exam skills. 

Additionally, Fiveable offers curated content such as [LINK TO QUIZLET POST] to help with memorizing and learning the required image set. 

Example Quizlet flashcard with important information about the Sarcophagus of the Spouses. Flashcards like this one are an excellent tool for AP Art History studying. Image Courtesy of 

"Not too difficult, not too easy. It depends on the teacher. There is so much to cover and learn. You learn about World religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Byzantine, Catholic); you learn about societies that had never received attention in the American education system (specifically referring to the Pacific islands); you learn about different ways of thinking. An amazing course highly recommended it."—ObitoSigma, Student via College Confidential

"Memorizing the pieces isn’t hard once you notice common themes around pieces (things like similarities between cultures or even the fact that memorizing one little thing about a piece can lead you to the rest of the identifiers). Overall, I highly recommend this course."—Anonymous, Student via Reddit

Now that you have learned about the skills required for APAH, the exam logistics, and experiences/suggestions from students and teachers, so Is AP Art History worth it for you? Our answer: absolutely! You got this 🎉

Is AP Art History Hard? Is APAH Worth Taking?

Here is a summary of the works that are reviewed in this unit!

Summary of Works to Know 🖼

AP Art History Exam

AP Art History Exam Prep 2020 | Reviews + Free Study Help | Fiveable

AP Art History

Free Reviews

Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 bce

Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 bce–300 ce 

Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 ce 

Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 ce

Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 bce–1980 ce 

UNIT 6: Africa, 1100–1980 ce 

AP Art History Exam Prep 2020-21

browse by unit

Free Reviews

Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 bce

Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 bce–300 ce

Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 ce

Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 ce

Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 bce–1980 ce

UNIT 6: Africa, 1100–1980 ce

UNIT 7: West and Central Asia, 500 bce–1980 ce

UNIT 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 bce–1980 ce

UNIT 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 ce

UNIT 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 ce to Present

Blogs

creators

Jordyn Haynes

Charly Castillo

Austin Monroe

Student Student

Grace Poynor

AP Art History Exam Prep 2020-21

browse by unit

Free Reviews﻿

Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 bce﻿

Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 bce–300 ce ﻿

Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 ce ﻿

Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 ce﻿

Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 bce–1980 ce ﻿

UNIT 6: Africa, 1100–1980 ce ﻿

UNIT 7: West and Central Asia, 500 bce–1980 ce ﻿

UNIT 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 bce–1980 ce ﻿

UNIT 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 ce ﻿

UNIT 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 ce to Present﻿

Blogs﻿

creators

Jordyn Haynes ﻿

Charly Castillo﻿

Austin Monroe﻿

Student Student﻿

Grace Poynor﻿

Free Reviews

Unit 1: Global Prehistory, 30,000–500 bce

Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean, 3500 bce–300 ce

Unit 3: Early Europe and Colonial Americas, 200–1750 ce

Unit 4: Later Europe and Americas, 1750–1980 ce

Unit 5: Indigenous Americas, 1000 bce–1980 ce

UNIT 6: Africa, 1100–1980 ce

UNIT 7: West and Central Asia, 500 bce–1980 ce

UNIT 8: South, East, and Southeast Asia, 300 bce–1980 ce

UNIT 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 ce

UNIT 10: Global Contemporary, 1980 ce to Present

Blogs

Jordyn Haynes

Charly Castillo

Austin Monroe

Student Student

Grace Poynor