--- title: "AP Art History Unit 6 Practice Test" description: "A timed AP Art History Unit 6 (African Art, 1100–1980 CE) practice test in the AP format, drawn from 1,565 multiple-choice questions and 85 FRQs written for the unit. The standard version takes about 55 minutes." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-art-history/unit-test/6" type: "unit-test" subject: "AP Art History" unit: "Unit 6" --- # AP Art History Unit 6 Practice Test ## Overview A timed AP Art History Unit 6 (African Art, 1100–1980 CE) practice test in the AP format, drawn from 1,565 multiple-choice questions and 85 FRQs written for the unit. The standard version takes about 55 minutes. ## Test Format - 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) ## Unit FRQs by Type - [FRQ 1 – Comparison (Long Essay)](/ap-art-history/frqs/comparison?unit=6): 14 questions - [FRQ 2 – Visual/Contextual Analysis (Long Essay)](/ap-art-history/frqs/visual-contextual-analysis?unit=6): 20 questions - [FRQ 3 – Visual Analysis (Short Essay)](/ap-art-history/frqs/visual-analysis?unit=6): 13 questions - [FRQ 4 – Contextual Analysis (Short Essay)](/ap-art-history/frqs/contextual-analysis?unit=6): 14 questions - [FRQ 5 – Attribution (Short Essay)](/ap-art-history/frqs/attribution?unit=6): 12 questions - [FRQ 6 – Continuity and Change (Short Essay)](/ap-art-history/frqs/continuity-and-change?unit=6): 12 questions ## Practice Questions ### 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? - (A) Islamic devotional practice and the integration of religious belief into urban civic space - (B) The economic wealth of Djenné merchants through display of imported materials - (C) Resistance to external cultural influences through rejection of foreign architectural styles - (D) The practical necessity of adobe construction in the Sahel's arid climate **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? - (A) Ndop portrait figure from the Cameroon Grassfields - (B) Ikenga shrine figure from Igbo culture - (C) Power figure (Nkisi n'kondi) from Kongo culture - (D) Veranda post from Yoruba palace architecture **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? - (A) Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali - (B) Kilwa Kisiwani mosque in Tanzania - (C) Great Zimbabwe stone enclosure - (D) Meroë temple complex in Sudan **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? - (A) Kente cloth from Akan culture, created through strip weaving - (B) Indigo-dyed cloth from Yoruba batik traditions - (C) Kuba raffia cloth from Congo, created through embroidery - (D) Mudcloth (bogolan) from Mali, created through natural dyeing **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? - (A) Pwo mask from Chokwe culture, worn in female initiation ceremonies - (B) Aka elephant mask from Bamileke culture, worn in royal processions - (C) Sande mask from Mende culture, worn in women's society rituals - (D) Gelede mask from Yoruba culture, worn to honor female ancestors **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? - (A) Nkisi n'kondi power figure from Kongo culture - (B) Ikenga shrine figure from Igbo culture - (C) Ndop portrait figure from Cameroon Grassfields - (D) Veranda post from Yoruba palace architecture **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? - (A) Sika dwa kofi (Golden Stool) from Akan culture - (B) Benin brass plaque depicting royal regalia - (C) Yoruba beaded crown (ade) with metal framework - (D) Kongo power figure with gold leaf application **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? - (A) Gelede mask from Yoruba culture, honoring female ancestors and power - (B) Pwo mask from Chokwe culture, worn in female initiation ceremonies - (C) Aka elephant mask from Bamileke culture, worn in royal processions - (D) Sande mask from Mende culture, worn in women's society rituals **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? - (A) Sande mask from Mende culture, representing idealized feminine beauty - (B) Pwo mask from Chokwe culture, worn in female initiation ceremonies - (C) Aka elephant mask from Bamileke culture, worn in royal processions - (D) Gelede mask from Yoruba culture, honoring female ancestors **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? - (A) Great Zimbabwe stone enclosure, built through dry-stacking technique - (B) Meroë temple complex in Sudan, constructed with stone and Egyptian influence - (C) Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, constructed with mud brick - (D) Kilwa Kisiwani mosque in Tanzania, constructed with coral stone and mortar **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. ## Review the Unit - [6.1 Cultural Contexts of African Art](/ap-art-history/unit-6/cultural-contexts-african-art/study-guide/Lr4Zp9tK7yemW1k0tj7F) - [6.2 Purpose and Audience in African Art](/ap-art-history/unit-6/purpose-audience-african-art/study-guide/4K1ydYmfamTXtNK17RoM) - [6.3 Theories and Interpretations of African Art](/ap-art-history/unit-6/theories-interpretations-african-art/study-guide/BbwDGvGMHAW7NBMzd4aS) - [6.4 Unit 6 Required Works](/ap-art-history/unit-6/unit-6-required-works/study-guide/W7PQv34uzmVXMje0hdbM) ## Other Unit Tests - [Unit 1: Global Prehistoric Art, 30,000–500 BCE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/1) - [Unit 2: Ancient Mediterranean Art, 3500 BCE–300 CE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/2) - [Unit 3: Early European and Colonial American Art, 200–1750 CE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/3) - [Unit 4: Later European and American Art, 1750–1980 CE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/4) - [Unit 5: Indigenous American Art, 1000 BCE–1980 CE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/5) - [Unit 7: West and Central Asian Art, 500 BCE–1980 CE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/7) - [Unit 8: South, East, and Southeast Asian Art, 300 BCE–1980 CE](/ap-art-history/unit-test/8) - [Unit 9: The Pacific, 700–1980 ce](/ap-art-history/unit-test/9) - [Unit 10: Global Contemporary Art, 1980 CE to Present](/ap-art-history/unit-test/10) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)