AP Art History Unit 6 practice questions
Try 10 multiple-choice questions from Unit 6 here. Pick an answer to see why it's right or wrong, then take the timed test above for a full AP-style set.
Question 1
The Great Mosque of Djenné features a monumental adobe structure with protruding wooden beams and a design oriented toward Mecca. Art historians cite these architectural features as evidence that the mosque's form was primarily intended to communicate which cultural priority?
Islamic devotional practice and the integration of religious belief into urban civic space
The economic wealth of Djenné merchants through display of imported materials
Resistance to external cultural influences through rejection of foreign architectural styles
The practical necessity of adobe construction in the Sahel's arid climate
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Answer: (A)
The mosque's monumental scale, Mecca orientation, and prominent placement in the city center directly reflect how Islamic belief systems shaped architectural decisions. The protruding beams and adobe construction demonstrate how religious practice required specific spatial and material choices, connecting form to the cultural practice of communal prayer and Islamic authority in the settlement.
Question 2
The sculpture shown, carved from wood and featuring an elongated cylindrical form with geometric surface patterns, represents which of the following African artistic traditions?
Ndop portrait figure from the Cameroon Grassfields
Ikenga shrine figure from Igbo culture
Power figure (Nkisi n'kondi) from Kongo culture
Veranda post from Yoruba palace architecture
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Answer: (A)
Ndop figures are characterized by their wooden construction, cylindrical form, and intricate geometric surface carving that documents royal lineage and status. The wood-carving technique and formal abstraction are diagnostic of this tradition.
Question 3
The architectural structure shown, constructed with mud brick and featuring a distinctive pyramidal tower with protruding wooden beams, can be identified as which of the following?
Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali
Kilwa Kisiwani mosque in Tanzania
Great Zimbabwe stone enclosure
Meroë temple complex in Sudan
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Answer: (A)
The Great Mosque of Djenné is uniquely identifiable by its mud-brick construction technique and the characteristic wooden beam projections (torons) that serve both structural and aesthetic functions. This material and structural system is diagnostic of Sudanic Islamic architecture.
Question 4
The textile shown, featuring complex geometric patterns created through weaving techniques with multiple colored threads, represents which African artistic tradition?
Kente cloth from Akan culture, created through strip weaving
Indigo-dyed cloth from Yoruba batik traditions
Kuba raffia cloth from Congo, created through embroidery
Mudcloth (bogolan) from Mali, created through natural dyeing
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Answer: (A)
Kente cloth is identified by its distinctive narrow-strip weaving technique that creates complex geometric patterns through thread manipulation. The labor-intensive weaving process and symbolic color combinations are characteristic of Akan royal textile production.
Question 5
The mask shown, featuring a concave face with exaggerated features and fiber attachments, was used in which cultural performance tradition?
Pwo mask from Chokwe culture, worn in female initiation ceremonies
Aka elephant mask from Bamileke culture, worn in royal processions
Sande mask from Mende culture, worn in women's society rituals
Gelede mask from Yoruba culture, worn to honor female ancestors
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Answer: (A)
Pwo masks are characterized by their concave wooden face, scarification patterns, and fiber attachments representing hair. The mask's formal properties—refined features and elegant proportions—reflect its use in celebrating female beauty and status during initiation rituals.
Question 6
The sculpture shown, constructed from wood with iron nails and blades driven into its surface along with organic materials, represents which African artistic tradition?
Nkisi n'kondi power figure from Kongo culture
Ikenga shrine figure from Igbo culture
Ndop portrait figure from Cameroon Grassfields
Veranda post from Yoruba palace architecture
Show answer
Answer: (A)
Nkisi figures are identified by their accumulative material process: a wooden core with embedded nails, blades, and organic substances. This technique embodies the Kongo belief that spiritual power accumulates through material addition and ritual activation.
Question 7
The golden object shown, featuring a stool form with symbolic geometric patterns and created through hammering and casting techniques, can be identified as which of the following?
Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool) from Akan culture
Benin brass plaque depicting royal regalia
Yoruba beaded crown (ade) with metal framework
Kongo power figure with gold leaf application
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Answer: (A)
The Sika dwa kofi is identified by its stool form, gold material, and symbolic geometric patterns representing Akan royal authority. The combination of casting and hammering techniques created this object's distinctive surface and structural properties.
Question 8
The mask shown, featuring an elaborate superstructure with carved elements rising above an anthropomorphic face, was used in which performance tradition?
Gelede mask from Yoruba culture, honoring female ancestors and power
Pwo mask from Chokwe culture, worn in female initiation ceremonies
Aka elephant mask from Bamileke culture, worn in royal processions
Sande mask from Mende culture, worn in women's society rituals
Show answer
Answer: (A)
Gelede masks are identified by their distinctive superstructure design with elaborate carved elements above the face, often depicting animals, objects, or narrative scenes. This architectural complexity reflects the mask's function in celebrating female spiritual power and ancestral reverence.
Question 9
The sculpture shown, featuring a refined anthropomorphic form with smooth surfaces and idealized proportions, represents which African artistic tradition?
Sande mask from Mende culture, representing idealized feminine beauty
Pwo mask from Chokwe culture, worn in female initiation ceremonies
Aka elephant mask from Bamileke culture, worn in royal processions
Gelede mask from Yoruba culture, honoring female ancestors
Show answer
Answer: (A)
Sande masks are identified by their refined anthropomorphic form, smooth polished surfaces, and idealized proportions representing feminine beauty. The convex face with elaborate coiffure reflects the mask's function in celebrating female initiation and societal ideals.
Question 10
The monumental stone structure shown, featuring dry-stacked construction without mortar and concentric circular walls, can be identified as which of the following?
Great Zimbabwe stone enclosure, built through dry-stacking technique
Meroë temple complex in Sudan, constructed with stone and Egyptian influence
Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, constructed with mud brick
Kilwa Kisiwani mosque in Tanzania, constructed with coral stone and mortar
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Answer: (A)
Great Zimbabwe is identified by its distinctive dry-stacked stone construction without mortar and concentric circular wall design. This building technique reflects adaptation to local stone materials and demonstrates sophisticated architectural planning and engineering knowledge.
What's on the AP Art History Unit 6 practice test
The standard version takes about 55 minutes and follows the timing and directions of the AP exam, sized to one unit:
- 20 Multiple Choice Questions (15 minutes)
- 1 FRQ – FRQ 1 – Comparison (Long Essay) (20 minutes)
- 1 FRQ – FRQ 3 – Visual Analysis (Short Essay) (20 minutes)
Questions are drawn from 1565 multiple-choice questions and 85 FRQs written for Unit 6, African Art, 1100–1980 CE.
Practice AP Art History Unit 6 FRQs
Answer the unit's free-response questions one at a time and get a score on every part.
- FRQ 1 – Comparison (Long Essay) (14 questions)
- FRQ 2 – Visual/Contextual Analysis (Long Essay) (20 questions)
- FRQ 3 – Visual Analysis (Short Essay) (13 questions)
- FRQ 4 – Contextual Analysis (Short Essay) (14 questions)
- FRQ 5 – Attribution (Short Essay) (12 questions)
- FRQ 6 – Continuity and Change (Short Essay) (12 questions)
Review Unit 6 before you start
- 6.1 Cultural Contexts of African Art
- 6.2 Purpose and Audience in African Art
- 6.3 Theories and Interpretations of African Art
- 6.4 Unit 6 Required Works
Other AP Art History unit tests
- Unit 1: Global Prehistoric Art, 30,000–500 BCE
- Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean Art, 3500 BCE–300 CE
- Unit 3: Early European and Colonial American Art, 200–1750 CE
- Unit 4: Later European and American Art, 1750–1980 CE
- Unit 5: Indigenous American Art, 1000 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 7: West and Central Asian Art, 500 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 8: South, East, and Southeast Asian Art, 300 BCE–1980 CE
- Unit 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 ce
- Unit 10: Global Contemporary Art, 1980 CE to Present