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What Is AP Seminar? Should You Take It?

Advanced Placement (AP)

If your school offers AP Seminar, you might be wondering what it's all about. This AP class is great for students who want to challenge themselves and learn more about the independent research process before starting college.

In this guide, I'll give you an overview of what AP Seminar entails, a sample course outline, advice on whether you should take the course, and some tips on how to do well in it.

What Is AP Seminar?

AP Seminar is one of the course requirements for the AP Capstone Diploma and the AP Research and Seminar Certificate, both of which were introduced by the College Board in fall 2014.

If you take and pass AP Seminar, AP Research, and four other AP courses and exams, you will earn the AP Capstone Diploma. If you take and pass just AP Seminar and AP Research, you'll earn an AP Research and Seminar Certificate. Both of these actions are impressive accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to successfully manage college-level academic challenges.

AP Seminar offers students an introduction to conducting independent analysis of complex ideas across various disciplines. It involves reading and understanding advanced source material in the form of texts and other media.

You are expected to synthesize information from different sources, and formulate research questions based on these source materials. You'll elaborate on these ideas through essays, oral presentations, and team projects. The goal of AP Seminar is to provide students with the tools to evaluate information accurately and make compelling, evidence-based arguments.

Your seminar curriculum might be connected to another AP course you take, meaning you'd explore themes that relate to that course when constructing research projects for AP Seminar. For example, your school might offer a class titled "AP Seminar: American Studies" that is for students who are concurrently enrolled in AP US History.

AP Seminar can also function as a stand-alone class. For example, it could be called something like "AP Seminar: Networks" and offer a focus on the impacts of societal networks from various perspectives.

What Will You Do in AP Seminar?

The AP Seminar curriculum is framed around what the College Board calls five "Big Ideas." These ideas are all pretty buzzword-y (their first letters spell Q.U.E.S.T.—need I say more?), but they cover the main educational goals of the class.

Below are the five Big Ideas of AP Seminar and what they mean:

Big Idea 1: Question and Explore

This idea is about encouraging students to embrace intellectual curiosity and develop their own points of view. Learning to consider issues from different perspectives is also an important part of this.

You'll be introduced to the complexity of societal problems and learn how to view them in a larger context. This is where you start to build a strong foundation for the process of coming up with meaningful research questions.

Big Idea 2: Understand and Analyze

This Big Idea is about learning to read critically and reach the heart of an author's argument. You'll practice avoiding oversimplification and generalization when describing the points made by others. You'll also learn how successful arguments are formulated as well as the importance of counterarguments, context, and the ability of an argument to influence behavior.

Big Idea 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

With this idea, you'll learn that a person's perspective is heavily informed by his or her background and worldview. You'll also consider your own biases and how these might impact your reading and interpretation of an argument.

Big Idea 4: Synthesize Ideas

This is about creating an effective argument from your ideas. You'll learn how to formulate a clear line of reasoning and how to avoid overgeneralizations. In addition, you'll be taught how to collect evidence while steering clear of plagiarism.

Big Idea 5: Team, Transform, and Transmit

This one is about teaching students how to do their best work in a team environment (as you might've guessed from its cringeworthy name). The main focuses here are self-reflection, revision, and developing both good communication and effective presentation skills.

Class discussions also play a large role in AP Seminar in the form of debates, group discussions, and reflection on open-ended questions associated with the course material.

How These Big Ideas Are Put Into Practice

These five Big Ideas manifest in AP Seminar in a series of tasks and lessons, which involve the following:

• Exploring one or more different themes by making connections across subjects and looking at them from various perspectives
• Learning to fully appreciate and understand issues by viewing them in different contexts and across different types of sources (writing, performances, broadcasts, etc.)
• Learning to avoid plagiarism (very important for college!) while using the ideas of others for support in your own work
• Working collaboratively on a team project to evaluate a real-world issue and present the findings in a written report and presentation
• Working independently to come up with a research question and to formulate an argument that culminates in a written report and presentation

AP Seminar will teach you many core skills that are important for college-level research, and it'll give you the tools you need for the AP Research course (which most students take the following year).

In the next section, I'll give you an example of how a real AP Seminar course might be structured.

AP Seminar Sample Course Outline

AP Seminar is a class that often weaves through many different subject areas. Since the goal is to gain a better grasp of the complexity of opinions on societal issues and to use your newfound understanding to do more effective, self-driven research, it covers a lot of ground.

In this example (which I'm basing off a real syllabus I found online), the AP Seminar course was divided into three units for the first semester:

Unit 1: Questioning Modernity

This unit's focus is on introducing the main concepts behind AP Seminar. This includes learning about the process of inquiry, understanding complex arguments, and becoming familiar with rules for avoiding plagiarism. This particular unit is graded based on participation, a 250-word reflection paper, and a group presentation.

In keeping with the theme of contemporary culture, source materials include the famous T. S. Eliot poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," a book by Steven Best titled The Post-Modern Turn , and an article from Forbes titled "Is Facebook Making Us Anti-Social?"

Unit 2: Perception—Arguing Money

This unit is a continuation of the learning experience in the first one but with a focus on advanced topics related to wealth and poverty. This unit also emphasizes viewing issues from different perspectives.

It is assessed based on participation, a 400-word reflection paper, and another group presentation. Source materials for the unit include Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations , The Communist Manifesto , and Andrew Carnegie's essay "The Gospel of Wealth."

Unit 3: Mastering Education

This final unit in AP Seminar brings together concepts learned in the previous units to discuss topics in education. It is graded based on participation, a 500-word argumentative paper, a 500-word reflection paper, and another group presentation. Source materials for this unit include the film Waiting for "Superman" and several scholarly articles on The Common Core.

In the second semester of the class, students will use the skills they learned in the first three units to take on larger challenges in the form of two research projects and the final exam. Each of these assignments makes up a portion of the final AP score.

Team Project and Presentation (25% of AP Score)

The first assignment is a team project and presentation, worth 25% of the final AP score. Students collaborate in teams of three to six to identify a problem or question they want to research. Each student does research individually and presents his or her findings to the group.

The group then works together to compile a written report and an approximately 10-minute class presentation, followed by a defense of their argument based on questions posed by the teacher.

Each student will also write a reflection on the project as a whole, detailing their collaborative process and approach to both research and problem-solving. The entire project takes place over the course of about two months.

Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation (35% of AP Score)

The second assignment, worth 35% of the AP score, is an individual project. For this part of the course, the College Board releases source materials on a certain topic or theme that students are expected to use in their research. The final paper must use at least one of these sources.

Students are expected to produce a 2,000-word written argument, a six- to eight-minute oral presentation, and a defense of their argument based on two questions posed by the teacher. Students will have around two months to complete this project.

Final Exam (40% of AP Score)

The final exam for AP Seminar consists of three short-answer and two essay questions. The short-answer questions ask students to analyze an argument from a single source. For one essay question, students must compare arguments from different authors, whereas for the other, they must formulate their own evidence-based argument.

Seven sources are given to students for use on the final exam questions.

You can see from this outline that AP Seminar stretches across a variety of topics, and there's quite a bit of freedom to choose what you want to research in the second half.

Overall, AP Seminar is focused on teaching you how to think critically, which is a big departure from many high school courses that just serve to convey specific information. AP Seminar is clearly a more abstract course—but also potentially a more valuable one.

Should You Take AP Seminar?

If you hope to earn an AP Research and Seminar Certificate or an AP Capstone Diploma, you need to take AP Seminar. The AP Capstone program culminates in a 5,000-word research paper that is completed in the AP Research class—an impressive accomplishment for a high school student!

Even if you don't go on to earn the AP Capstone Diploma, you will learn highly valuable critical—thinking and research skills in AP Seminar. Students who take it might place out of introductory college courses or earn college credits .

AP Seminar can also help you avoid academic shock when you get to college. Many high school students have never done in-depth research and therefore don't know how to begin when they're tasked with their first big project in college. If you take this AP class, you'll be ahead of the curve in understanding proper research methods and in learning to avoid both unreliable information and plagiarism.

Lastly, AP Seminar can be a fun experience because it gives you the opportunity to debate important issues with your classmates and work on a project that interests you. There is a level of independence in the seminar-style class that is absent in most other high school classes, which might appeal to students who prefer to explore ideas on their own terms.

If you're an independent, driven student who is hoping to attend a competitive college , AP Seminar might be a great course for you.

How to Do Well in AP Seminar: 3 Essential Tips

What you'll need to do to succeed in AP Seminar depends partly on the format and subject area of the class since it has a lot of flexibility in its structure, teaching methods, and topics. Here are some general tips for success:

#1: Be Open-Minded

AP Seminar mainly deals with analyzing differing perspectives, so try to approach each reading with a willingness to listen and think critically about the author's opinion, even if it doesn't align with your own. This will enable you to adopt a wider view of issues and appreciate their complexity. These skills are critical if you hope to be successful in your research projects.

#2: Participate in Class

Class discussions are very important in AP Seminar. Even if you're not usually big on participation, you should make an effort to contribute to every discussion. Being able to actively engage with your peers will enhance your understanding of the material and allow you to carry out productive conversations with others in your class who might see things differently.

#3: Keep Up With Assignments

This is important in any class, but it's especially critical in AP Seminar. Since you'll be reading and absorbing a lot of material, it's important not to fall behind the rest of the class. Participation relies on a thoughtful reading of the course material, and it's hard to do that if you're trying to play catch up with assignments that were due earlier.

Because you'll be doing research projects both independently and with a team, always stay on top of deadlines to avoid getting overwhelmed or letting down your teammates!

Conclusion: The Benefits of Taking AP Seminar

Critical thinking and the ability to logically evaluate arguments are key skills that'll help you in all aspects of your life. AP Seminar can be a very practical course if you're up for the challenge.

You'll have three major assessments:

• A team research project
• An independent research project
• A final exam

Throughout the course, you'll be asked to read a variety of source materials and participate in class discussions. You'll learn about proper research methods, argumentative techniques, and the importance of looking at issues from all sides.

Students who take AP Seminar can then go on to take AP Research, which offers students even more independence in choosing research topics.

AP Seminar is essentially an opportunity for advanced students to get some experience with the types of assignments and expectations that are common in college classes. Take this class and you'll be way ahead in the game!

What's Next?

Still planning out your schedule? Use this guide to help you decide which AP classes to take.

If AP courses seem kind of intimidating, check out this article to learn just how hard they really are —and to decide whether you are up for the challenge.

To learn more about creating a class schedule that'll give you the best chance of attending a top college, read this article on what a rigorous course schedule looks like.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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About the Assessment

The AP Seminar assessment has three parts: two performance tasks—which you’ll complete over the course of the year and submit online for scoring through the AP Digital Portfolio—and the end-of-course AP Exam. All measure your proficiency in the course skills, and all contribute to your final AP score on a scale of 1–5.

Updates to AP Seminar Performance Task

Given the implications of ChatGPT and other similar generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the AP Seminar performance task components, we’ve updated the guidance  regarding the use of these tools. These guidelines require your teacher to attest to the authenticity of your work in order for you to receive a score on the associated performance task. Review the AP Seminar Course and Exam Description for the full policy and details.

Assessment Dates

Wed, Apr 30, 2025

11:59 PM ET

AP Seminar Performance Tasks Due Date

Submit your AP Seminar performance tasks as final in the AP Digital Portfolio by this date.

Mon, May 12, 2025

12 PM Local

AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam 

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Seminar End-of-Course Exam.

Assessment Components

Team project and presentation.

20% of Score

Work in teams of 3–5 to identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate an academic or real-world problem, question, or issue. Your team will design and/or consider options, alternatives, or solutions and develop a multimedia presentation to communicate your conclusion or recommendations. The team project and presentation will be evaluated based on the following components:

• Individual research report (1,200 words): scored by College Board
• Team multimedia presentation and defense (8–10 minutes): scored by your teacher

Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation

35% of Score

College Board will provide stimulus material (texts) representing a range of perspectives focused on a single theme or topic. You will use these texts to identify a research question of your own; research, analyze, evaluate, and select evidence to develop a written argument of your own that you will present; and then you will defend your conclusion. The individual research-based essay and presentation will be evaluated based on the following components:

• Individual written argument (2,000 words): scored by College Board
• Individual multimedia presentation (6–8 minutes): scored by your teacher
• Oral defense (2 questions from the teacher): scored by your teacher

End-of-Course Exam

4 questions 45% of Score

During the AP Exam administration window, you will take a two-hour exam. The exam consists of four questions (three short-answer questions and one essay question). The exam will be scored by College Board–trained readers, similar to other AP Exams.

• 3 short-answer questions: These questions will be based on a single source. You’ll be asked to explain and analyze an argument.
• 1 essay question: This question will be based on 4 different sources, which give different perspectives on 1 theme. You’ll be asked to synthesize information and create an evidence-based argument.

How We Score Your Work

Teacher-Scored Components

The two AP Seminar in-class presentations and defenses are scored by your AP Seminar teacher. Your scores on these components contribute to your final AP score.

Here’s how we make sure that scoring by AP Seminar teachers is standardized:

• AP Seminar teachers use a scoring rubric designed by the AP Program.
• AP Seminar teachers also take part in mandatory training from the AP Program in how to score these components.

College Board–Scored Components

The individual research-based essay, the individual written argument, and the end-of-course exam given in May are scored by College Board. These scores also contribute to your final AP score. All these components are scored by trained, experienced educators called AP readers.

Assessment Essentials

Assessment preparation, ap daily videos.

Once you join your AP class section online, you’ll be able to access AP Daily videos in AP Classroom. AP Daily videos in AP Classroom. AP Daily videos cover every proficiency and skill outlined in the AP Seminar Course and Exam Description. Sign in to access them.

Online Performance Task Coaching

On-demand videos to walk you through performance task directions. These logistics-specific videos will be released throughout the school year on the AP YouTube channel. For in-depth videos to support your learning in AP Seminar, head to AP Daily in AP Classroom.

Free-Response Questions and Scoring Information

Go to the Assessment Questions and Scoring Information section of the AP Seminar assessment page on AP Central to review the latest released free-response questions and scoring information.

Past Exam Questions and Tasks

Go to AP Central to review directions and stimulus materials for the performance tasks, free-response questions from the end-of course exam, and sample student responses and scoring information from previous years.

AP Seminar Course and Exam Description

This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the assessment and AP Program in general.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for accommodations for the through-course assessment and the end-of-course exam. If you’re using assistive technology and need help accessing the PDFs in this section in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected] . For information about taking AP Exams, or other College Board assessments, with accommodations, visit the Services for Students with Disabilities website.

Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Tools and Other Services

Learn more about the AP Program’s policy on generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT).

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The Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum is administered by the College Board and serves as a standardized set of year-long high school classes that are roughly equivalent to one semester of college-level coursework. Although most students enroll in an actual course to prepare for their AP exams, many others will self-study for the exams without enrolling in the actual AP class.

AP classes are generally stand-alone subjects that easily translate to traditional college courses. Typically, they culminate in a standardized exam on which students are graded using a 5-point scale, which colleges and universities will use to determine credit or advanced standing. Starting in fall of 2014, though, this traditional AP course and exam format has begun to adapt in efforts by the College Board to reflect less stringent rote curriculum and a heavier emphasis on critical thinking skills.

The AP Capstone program is at the center of these changes, and its culmination course is AP Research. If you are interested in learning more about the AP Research Course and Assessment, and how they can prepare you for college-level work, read on for CollegeVine’s Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment.

About the Course and Assessment

The AP Research course is the second of two classes required for the AP Capstone™ Diploma . In order to enroll in this course you need to have completed the AP Seminar course during a previous year. Through that course, you will have learned to collect and analyze information with accuracy and precision, developed arguments based on facts, and effectively communicated your conclusions. During the AP Research course, you apply these skills on a larger platform. In the AP Research course, you can expect to learn and apply research methods and practices to address a real-world topic of your choosing, with the end result being the production and defense of a scholarly academic paper. Students who receive a score of 3 or higher on both the AP Seminar and AP Research courses earn an AP Seminar and Research Certificate™. Students who receive a score of 3 or higher on both courses and on four additional AP exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma™.    

The AP Research course will guide you through the design, planning, and implementation of a year-long, research-based investigation to address a research question of interest to you. While working with an expert advisor, chosen by you with the help of your teacher, you will explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of your choosing and cultivate the skills and discipline necessary to conduct independent research and produce and defend a scholarly academic paper. Through explicit instruction in research methodology, ethical research practices, and documentation processes, you will develop a portfolio of scholarly work to frame your research paper and subsequent presentation of it.

Although the core content and skills remain standardized for every AP Research course, the implementation of this instruction may vary. Some AP Research courses may have a specific disciplinary focus wherein the course content is rooted in a specific subject, such as AP Research STEM Inquiries or AP Research Performing and Visual Arts. Similarly, other AP Research courses are offered in conjunction with a separate and specific AP class, such as AP Research and AP Biology wherein students are concurrently enrolled in both AP courses and content is presented in a cross-curricular approach. Alternatively, AP Research may be presented in the form of an internship wherein students who are already working with a discipline-specific expert adviser conduct independent studies and research of the student’s choosing while taking the AP Research class. Finally, some AP Research courses are delivered independently as a research methods class. In this style of class, students develop inquiry methods for the purpose of determining which method best fits their chosen topic of inquiry/research question, and each student then uses a selected method to complete his or her investigation.    

Only schools that currently offer the AP Capstone Diploma may offer the AP Research course. Because it is a part of a larger comprehensive, skills-based program, students may not self-study for the AP Research course or final paper. At this time, home-schooled students, home-school organizations, and online providers are not eligible to participate in AP Capstone.

Your performance in the AP Research course is assessed through two performance tasks. The first is the Academic Paper, which accounts for 75% of your total AP score. In this paper, you will present the findings of your yearlong research in 4,000-5,000 words. Although the official submission deadline for this task is April 30, the College Board strongly recommends that this portion of your assessment be completed by April 15 in order to allow enough time for the second of your performance tasks.

The second performance task is your Presentation and Oral Defense, which accounts for the remaining 25% of your total AP score. Using your research topic, your will prepare a 15-20 minute presentation in an appropriate format with appropriate accompanying media. Your defense will include fielding three to four questions from a panel consisting of your AP Research teacher and two additional panel members chosen at the discretion of your teacher.    

In 2016, fewer than 3,000 students submitted an AP Research project, but enrollment is projected to grow rapidly, since 12,000 students took the AP Seminar assessment in 2016 and most will presumably go on to submit an AP Research project in 2017. Scores from the 2016 AP Research projects reveal a high pass rate (score of three or higher) but a difficult rate of mastery. While 67.1% of students taking the assessments scored a three or higher, only 11.6% received the highest score of a five, while nearly 40% received a three. Only 2% of students submitting research projects received the lowest score of one.    

A full course description that can help to guide your planning and understanding of the knowledge required for the AP Research course and assessments can be found in the College Board course description .

Read on for tips for successfully completing the AP Research course.

How Should I Prepare for the AP Research Course?

As you undertake the AP Research course and performance tasks, you will be expected to conduct research, write a scholarly paper, and defend your work in a formal presentation.   Having already completed the AP Seminar course, these skills should be familiar to you. You should use your scores on the AP Seminar performance task to help guide your preparations for the AP Research performance tasks.

Carefully review your scores from AP Seminar. Make sure you understand where points were lost and why. It may be helpful to schedule a meeting with your AP Seminar teacher to review your work. Alternatively, your AP Research teacher may be willing to go over your AP Seminar projects with you. You might also ask a classmate to review your projects together to get a better idea of where points were earned and where points were lost. Use this review as a jumping point for your AP Research studies. You should go into the course with a good idea of where your strengths lie, and where you need to focus on improving.

A sample timeline for the AP Research course is available on page 36 of the course description . One detail worth noting is that the recommended timeline actually begins not in September with the start of the new school year, but instead begins in May with the completion of the AP Seminar course during the previous school year. It is then that you should begin to consider research topics, problems, or ideas. By September of the following school year, it is recommended that you have already finalized a research question and proposal, completed an annotated bibliography, and prepared to begin a preliminary inquiry proposal for peer review.    

What Content Will I Be Held Accountable For During the AP Research Course?

To be successful in the AP Research class, you will begin with learning to investigate relevant topics, compose insightful problem statements, and develop compelling research questions, with consideration of scope, to extend your thinking.   Your teacher will expect you to demonstrate perseverance through setting goals, managing time, and working independently on a long-term project. Specifically, you will prepare for your research project by:

• Identifying, applying, and implementing appropriate methods for research and data collection
• Accessing information using effective strategies
• Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data
• Reading a bibliography for the purpose of understanding that it is a source for other research and for determining context, credibility, and scope
• Attributing knowledge and ideas accurately and ethically, using an appropriate citation style
• Evaluating strengths and weaknesses of others’ inquiries and studies

As in the AP Research course, you will continue to investigate real-world issues from multiple perspectives, gathering and analyzing information from various sources in order to develop credible and valid evidence- based arguments. You will accomplish this through instruction in the AP Research Big Ideas, also called the QUEST Framework. These include:

• Question and Explore: Questioning begins with an initial exploration of complex topics or issues. Perspectives and questions emerge that spark one’s curiosity, leading to an investigation that challenges and expands the boundaries of one’s current knowledge.
• Understand and Analyze Arguments: Understanding various perspectives requires contextualizing arguments and evaluating the authors’ claims and lines of reasoning.
• Evaluate Multiple Perspectives: Evaluating an issue involves considering and evaluating multiple perspectives, both individually and in comparison to one another.
• Synthesize Ideas: Synthesizing others’ ideas with one’s own may lead to new understandings and is the foundation of a well-reasoned argument that conveys one’s perspective.
• Team, Transform, and Transmit: Teaming allows one to combine personal strengths and talents with those of others to reach a common goal. Transformation and growth occur upon thoughtful reflection. Transmitting requires the adaptation of one’s message based on audience and context.

In addition, you will use four distinct reasoning processes as you approach your research. The reasoning processes are situating, choosing, defending , and connecting . When you situate ideas, you are aware of their context in your own perspective and the perspective of others, ensuring that biases do not lead to false assumptions. When you make choices about ideas and themes, you recognize that these choices will have both intended and unintentional consequences. As you defend your choices, you explain and justify them using a logical line of reasoning. Finally, when you connect ideas you see intersections within and/or across concepts, disciplines, and cultures.

For a glossary of research terms that you should become familiar with, see page 62 of the course description .

How Will I Know If I’m Doing Well in the AP Research Course?

Because your entire score for the AP Research course is determined by your research paper and presentation, which come at the very end of the course, it can be difficult to gauge your success until that point. Do yourself a favor and do not wait until your final scores come back to determine how successful you have been in the course.

As you undertake the AP Research course, there will be many opportunities for formative assessments throughout the semester. These assessments are used to give both you and your teacher an idea of the direction of instruction needed for you to master the skills required in the AP Research course. You should use these assessments to your advantage and capitalize on the feedback you receive through each. A list of possible activities used for these assessments can be found on page 41 of the course description .

Another way that you and your teacher will track your progress is through your Process and Reflection Portfolio (PREP). The PREP serves to document your development as you investigate your research questions, thereby providing evidence that you have demonstrated a sustained effort during the entire inquiry process. You will review your PREP periodically with your teacher, who will use it as a formative assessment to evaluate your progress.

Throughout the course, you will be assigned prompts and questions to respond to in your PREP. You will use this portfolio to document your research or artistic processes, communication with your expert adviser, and reflections on your thought processes. You should also write freely, journaling about your strengths and weaknesses with regard to implementing such processes and developing your arguments or aesthetic rationales. 

Your final PREP should include:

• Table of contents
• Completed and approved proposal form
• Specific pieces of work selected by the student to represent what he or she considers to be the best showcase for his or her work. (Examples might include: in-class (teacher-directed) free-writing about the inquiry process, resource list, annotated bibliography of any source important to the student’s work, photographs, charts, spreadsheets, and/or links to videos or other relevant visual research/project artifacts, draft versions of selected sections of the academic paper, or notes in preparation for presentation and oral defense.)
• Documentation of permission(s) received from primary sources, if required — for example, permission(s) from an IRB or other agreements with individuals, institutions, or organizations that provide primary and private data such as interviews, surveys, or investigations
• Documentation or log of the student’s interaction with expert adviser(s) and the role the expert adviser(s) played in the student’s learning and inquiry process (e.g., What areas of expertise did the expert adviser have that the student needed to draw from? Did the student get the help he or she needed — and if not, what did he or she do to ensure that the research process was successful? Which avenues of exploration did the expert adviser help the student to discover?)
• Questions asked to and feedback received from peer and adult reviewers both in the initial stages and at key points along the way
• Reflection on whether or not the feedback was accepted or rejected and why
• Attestation signed by the student which states, “I hereby affirm that the work contained in this Process and Reflection Portfolio is my own and that I have read and understand the AP Capstone TM Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information”

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to maintain strong communications with your teacher as you progress through the AP Research course. Not only is your teacher your best resource for learning new skills and knowledge, but also it is your teacher who will be responsible for grading your final performance tasks and as such, you should always have a strong understanding of how your work is being assessed and the ways in which you can improve it. Remember, your teacher wants you to succeed just as much as you do; work together as a team to optimize your chances.

How Should I Choose a Research Topic?

You will begin to consider research topics before the school year even starts. If your AP Research class is offered in conjunction with another course, such as those rooted in a specific subject or linked to another concurrent AP course, you will have some idea of the direction in which your research should head. Regardless of whether you know the precise subject matter of your topic, you should begin by asking yourself what you want to know, learn, or understand. The AP Research class provides a unique opportunity for you to guide your own learning in a direction that is genuinely interesting to you. You will find your work more engaging, exciting, and worthwhile if you choose a topic that you want to learn more about.

As you begin to consider research topics, you should:

• Develop a list of topics and high-level questions that spark your interest to engage in an individual research project
• Identify potential expert advisers to guide you in the planning and development of your research project (For tips on how to find a mentor, read CollegeVine’s “ How to Choose a Winning Science Fair Project Idea ”)
• Identify potential opportunities (if you are interested) to perform primary research with an expert adviser during the summer, via internships or summer research projects for high school students offered in the community and local higher education institutions
• Discuss research project planning skills and ideas with students who are currently taking or have already taken the AP Research course

You might also find inspiration from reading about past AP Research topics. One list of potential research questions can be found here and another can be found here . Keep in mind that these lists make great starting points and do a good job of getting you thinking about important subjects, but your research topic should ultimately be something that you develop independently as the result of careful introspection, discussions with your teacher and peers, and your own preliminary research.

Finally, keep in mind that if you pursue a research project that involves human subjects, your proposal will need to be reviewed and approved by an institutional review board (IRB) before experimentation begins. Talk with your teacher to decide if this is the right path for you before you get too involved in a project that may not be feasible.

Once you have decided on a research topic, complete an Inquiry Proposal Form. This will be distributed by your teacher and can also be found on page 55 of the course description .

How Do I Conduct My Research?

By the time you begin your AP Research course, you will have already learned many of the basics about research methods during your AP Seminar course. You should be comfortable collecting and analyzing information with accuracy and precision, developing arguments based on facts, and effectively communicating your point of view. These will be essential skills as you move forward in your AP Research project.

As you undertake your work, remember the skills you’ve already learned about research:

• Use strategies to aid your comprehension as you tackle difficult texts.
• Identify the author’s main idea and the methods that he or she uses to support it.
• Think about biases and whether other perspectives are acknowledged.
• Assess the strength of research, products, and arguments.
• Look for patterns and trends as you strive to make connections between multiple arguments.
• Think about what other issues, questions, or topics could be explored further.

You should be certain to keep track of all sources used in your research and cite them appropriately. The College Board has a strict policy against plagiarism. You can read more about its specifics on page 60 of the course description .

How Do I Write My Paper?

Before you begin writing your final paper, make sure to thoroughly read the Task Overview handout which will be distributed by your teacher. If you would like to see it beforehand, it can be found on page 56 of the course description . You should also review the outline of required paper sections on page 49 of the course description .

Your paper must contain the following sections:

› Introduction

› Method, Process, or Approach

› Results, Product, or Findings

› Discussion, Analysis, and/or Evaluation

› Conclusion and Future Directions

› Bibliography

Before you begin writing, organize your ideas and findings into an outline using the sections listed above. Be sure to consider how you can connect and analyze the evidence in order to develop an argument and support a conclusion. Also think about if there are any alternate conclusions that could be supported by your evidence and how you can acknowledge and account for your own biases and assumptions. 

Begin your paper by introducing and contextualizing your research question or problem. Make sure to include your initial assumptions and/or hypothesis. Next, include a literature review of previous work in the field and various perspectives on your topic. Use the literature review to highlight the gap in the current field of knowledge to be addressed by your research project. Then, explain and justify your methodology, present your findings, evidence, or data, and interpret the significance of these findings. Discuss implications for further research or limitations of your existing project. Finally, reflect on the project, how it could impact its field, and any possible next steps. Your paper should conclude with a comprehensive bibliography including all of the sources used in your process.

Make sure to proofread and edit your paper yourself, have it proofread and edited by a friend, and then proofread and edit it again before you complete your final draft.

How Do I Prepare For My Oral Defense?

Once your paper is finished, you may be tempted to sit back and rest on your laurels. Although you’ve no doubt expended a tremendous about of energy in producing a final product you can be proud of, don’t forget that the work is not over yet. Your oral defense accounts for 25% of your total score so it should be taken seriously.

Your oral defense is a 15-20 minute presentation that uses appropriate media to present your findings to an oral defense panel. You may choose any appropriate format for your presentation, as long as the presentation reflects the depth of your research. If your academic paper was accompanied by an additional piece of scholarly work (e.g., performance, exhibit, product), you should arrange with your teacher for him or her, along with the panelists, to view the scholarly work prior to your presentation.

As you plan your presentation, consider how you can best appeal to your audience. Consider different mediums for your presentation, and how those mediums might affect your credibility as a presenter. You want to be engaging to your audience while still being taken seriously.

Following your presentation, you will field three or four questions from your panelists. These will include one question pertaining to your research or inquiry process, one question focused on your depth of understanding, and one question about your reflection throughout the inquiry process as evidenced in your PREP. The fourth question and any follow-up questions are at the discretion of the panel. A list of sample oral defense questions begins on page 52 of the course description . For a complete outline of the oral defense, see page 49 of the course description . 

How Will My Work Be Assessed?

Because this assessment is only available to students enrolled in the AP Capstone program, your teacher will register you for the assessment when you enroll in the course. You should confirm with your teacher that you are registered for the assessment no later than March 1. 

You will submit your final paper and complete your oral presentation no later than April 30, at which point your teacher will submit your work and scores through an AP Digital Portfolio. Your presentation will be scored by your teacher alone. Your paper will be scored by your teacher and validated by the College Board.

You may find the scoring rubric from the 2016 performance tasks available here . You may find a collection authentic student research papers and scoring explanations available here .

Preparing for any AP assessment can be a stressful process. Having a specific plan of attack and a firm grasp of how your work is assessed will help you to feel prepared and score well. Use CollegeVine’s Ultimate Guide to the AP Research Course and Assessment to help shape your understanding of the course and how to complete your performance tasks effectively. When submission day arrives, you should feel better prepared and informed about the work you have produced.

For more about information about APs, check out these CollegeVine posts:

• Can AP Tests Actually Save You Thousands of Dollars?

• Should I Take AP/IB/Honors Classes?

• How to Choose Which AP Courses and Exams to Take

• What If My School Doesn’t Offer AP or IB Courses?

• Are All APs Created Equal in Admissions?

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• About AP Capstone
• AP Research
• How to Search
• Where to Search
• Evaluating Sources
• Citing Sources
• Notetaking & Outlining
• Designing Presentations
• MHS Library Home

Research Basics   |  How to Search   |   Where to Search   |   Evaluating Sources   |  Citing Sources   |  Notetaking & Outlining

QUEST Model for Research

• QUEST Outline for our research

Finding Quality Sources

• Google vs. Library Databases Explains why using online research databases provided by the library is more beneficial than simply doing Google searches.
• Source Type Chart Explains the different types of sources available and the purpose for using them in research.
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources Explanation of the difference between Primary and Secondary Sources from American University.

Finding a Topic

Newsbank allows you to browse news categories in order to help you focus on a topic to explore further.

Gale's Topic Finder allows you to explore new topics or keywords and discover new connections to ideas you may have.

Use Google Trends to explore topics or search terms (keywords) by time, location, and popularity.

• Opposing Viewpoints in Context
• Science Friday
• National Public Radio (NPR) News

Writing Research Questions

• Narrowing a Topic and Developing a Research Question Use this handout to help you go from a broad subject of interest to a more narrowed topic for research to a specific research question.
• Developing a Research Question Slides This slide deck covers the process of writing a quality research questions with specific focus on the criteria provided by the College Board for AP Seminar.

Research Guide Books

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• Last Updated: Feb 23, 2024 7:52 AM
• URL: https://methacton.libguides.com/apcapstone

The Admissions Strategist

Ap research vs. ap seminar.

Welcome back to our series all about Advanced Placement courses! Today we’re looking at two of the lesser-known options: AP Seminar and AP Research. The classes are designed to work together, with AP Seminar leading into AP Research the following year. In this post, we’ll go over what each course covers, when they’re usually taken, and how the final AP score is determined. 

AP Capstone

AP Seminar and AP Research are part of the Advanced Placement Capstone program. Similar to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the AP Capstone program makes it possible for motivated high school students to earn an advanced diploma. Students must take both of these foundational courses and a minimum of four additional AP courses to qualify. 

The Advanced Placement Capstone program gives students the opportunity and the motivation to make connections between their other AP courses. Students will learn how to weave together diverse subject matter into cohesive papers and presentations. The coursework includes a five-thousand-word research paper, similar to the extended essay required by the IB program.

Students who pass at least four AP exams in addition to passing the final evaluations for both AP Seminar and AP Research will receive the AP Capstone Diploma . Students who don’t pass at least four additional AP exams but pass the exams for these two courses will earn an AP Seminar and Research Certificate , which shows prospective universities that they’ve developed college-level academic and research skills.

Not all high schools feature this course. You may need to speak with your guidance counselor to learn more about the options at your school. 

This class lays the foundation for the AP Capstone course by providing students with the opportunity to develop analytic and inquiry skills. Unlike many high school classes, which are all about memorizing information, AP Seminar focuses on developing critical thinking skills. 

There are running themes throughout the class, chosen by the students and their teacher, that students explore and debate through different lenses and perspectives. This interdisciplinary exploration is often based on concepts or issues from other AP courses, local civic issues, academic questions, and/or internationally relevant topics.

Students explore these themes by reading articles, research studies, literature, and philosophical texts. They also listen to speeches and watch and/or engage in debates. Many classes also include analyzing artistic works and performances.

What does AP Seminar cover?

Early in the course, students are introduced to the QUEST framework:

• Question and Explore
• Understand and Analyze
• Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
• Synthesize Ideas
• Team, Transform, and Transmit

The College Board calls these the five “Big Ideas”. Students are encouraged to be intellectually curious and develop their own perspectives on big topics such as poverty, modernity, and education. They work to build a strong foundation of knowledge to understand complex questions in context. The course also establishes ground rules with the AP Capstone Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information.

Students will learn to read critically and analyze arguments created by writers, examining counterarguments and context as they learn to formulate their own arguments. They work at examining complex issues from multiple perspectives and examining their own biases. As the class progresses, students learn how to synthesize information and evidence into coherent arguments. 

Working with others is a big part of AP Seminar. Debates and group discussions take up a great deal of class time, and students develop their communication and presentation skills.

What grade is it typically taken in? 

AP Seminar has to come before AP Research, so students usually take it in their sophomore or junior year of high school. Some schools pair this course with another AP. For example, it might be called “AP Seminar: American Studies” and be designed for students who are concurrently enrolled in AP US History. Speak to your school guidance counselor for more information. 

Who should take this course?

There are no prerequisite courses required for AP Seminar. If you intend to complete the AP Capstone program, this is where you’ll begin. It’s a worthwhile achievement and excellent addition to your college applications. Students who complete this program are much better prepared for college coursework than others who have never written college-level research papers.

If you’re a dedicated student who enjoys debating and exploring a wide range of topics, this class could be an excellent addition to your high school course schedule. 

Get personalized advice!

How hard is the exam .

The AP Seminar Exam score is based on three components: a team project (25 percent of the score), individual paper (35 percent of the score), and final exam (40 percent of the score).

The team project is complete in groups of three to six students. They choose a topic, research independently, and then present their research to the group. Next, they synthesize this research into a ten-minute presentation. Their teacher will follow up with questions, and they’ll need to defend their argument. Lastly, each student writes a paper reflecting on the project and their experience collaborating with classmates. 

Next is the individual project, which must include at least one of the source materials provided by the College Board. Each student needs to write a two-thousand-word argument, give a presentation of six to eight minutes, and defend their argument by answering two questions posed by their teacher. 

The final exam is made up of three short-answer questions and two essay questions. The short-answer questions provide a single source and ask students to analyze an argument. Seven sources are provided for use on the final exam questions. In one essay, students must compare arguments found in the source material. In the second essay, they write their own evidence-based argument.

You can find more information here .

AP Research

After AP Seminar, students move on to AP Research. Each student chooses a topic that interests them and conducts a research-based investigation – that’s one long project for the entire school year. The class delves into research methodology, ethical research practices, and analysis. 

At the end of the course, students submit a research paper of at least four thousand but no more than five thousand words. They also present and defend this paper in a final presentation that is effectively the AP Research exam. The paper must include the following:

• Introduction and Literature Review
• Method, Process, or Approach
• Results, Product, or Findings
• Discussion, Analysis, and/or Evaluation
• Conclusion and Future Directions
• Bibliography

AP Research is taken after AP Seminar, usually in junior or senior year of high school. 

Anyone who’s passed AP Seminar should follow that up with AP Research in order to earn the AP Research and Seminar Certificate or the AP Capstone Diploma.

How can I excel in AP Research?

In this class, time management is key. Students who fall behind risk being extremely overwhelmed at the end of the year and turning in a sub-par project. Here is the recommended schedule for AP Research:

June–September: Choose a topic, do preliminary research, and finalize a research proposal.

September–October: Present a preliminary inquiry proposal for peer review, consult with expert advisers, and submit a proposal.

October–November: Complete preliminary research and finalize the inquiry method.

November–January: Implement inquiry method(s).

January–March: Write, proofread, peer review, and submit your academic paper.

March–April: Student presentations.

Choose a research question that genuinely interests you, something that you’ll enjoy learning about for months on end. Your teacher should be able to help you spitball areas of focus and specific questions within your area of interest so that you can find one that merits such an intense research project. 

In choosing a topic, students must consider these “Essential Questions”:

• What do I want to know, learn, or understand?
• What questions have yet to be asked?
• How does my research question shape how I go about trying to answer it?
• How does my project goal shape the research or inquiry I engage in to achieve it?
• What information/evidence do I need to answer my research question?

Once you’ve chosen a topic, you’ll use the skills honed in AP Seminar to analyze source material, evaluate multiple perspectives, and synthesize information into a coherent argument. The academic paper counts for 75 percent of the final AP score, and the presentation and oral defense counts for 25 percent.

The presentation and oral defense take 15 to 20 minutes total. After two years of these Capstone courses, you should be well prepared to deliver your argument and answer any questions the evaluators might have. 

In their presentation, students must: 

• Identify the research question and project goal
• Describe and explain their initial assumptions and ideas 
• Relate their hypothesis to their conclusion 
• Provide the rationale for choices made during the research process
• Explain the research process, evidence generated, conclusions, and implications
• Engage the audience through a dynamic use of design, delivery, and performance techniques

The presentation is followed by three or four questions from a panel of three evaluators. These questions will further evaluate the research process and the student’s depth of understanding. Potential questions include:

• How did your review of the methods used by scholars in the field inform your selection of a research method?
• How did you handle the uncertainty of the research process?
• How did you determine which results generated by your research method were most important in informing your new understanding?
• How does your new understanding address a gap in the scholarly conversation?
• What are the real-world implications or consequences related to your findings?
• If you could revisit your research process, what would you do differently and why?

Overview: AP Seminar and AP Research

AP Seminar and AP Research are the two key components of the Advanced Placement Capstone program, which gives students the perfect environment in which to hone skills that will serve them well the rest of their lives, such as the ability to analyze information and form their own opinions on complex topics. They are taken in two different years, with AP Research following AP Seminar. Students who pass both of these exams in addition to at least four other AP exams will have completed the AP Capstone program. 

Here are the 2022 score distributions for the two exams:

The Capstone program is not an easy undertaking, but for dedicated students who plan to apply to competitive universities, it’s well worthwhile. If you’re still not sure whether these classes are the right choice for you, talk to students from your high school who have completed the Capstone program to learn more about their experiences.

Stay tuned for more articles on other Advanced Placement courses. And please reach out if you need help. Our experienced tutors can help you plan your course schedule and prepare for exams. Until next time!

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Advanced Placement

Why Take AP Seminar?

College Board

• April 1, 2022
• Last Updated July 5, 2023

Interested in choosing your own topic of study? There’s an AP® course for that. AP Seminar gives you the opportunity to explore your passion and learn like college students do.

“I was handed the baton of pursuing what I wanted, and that kind of freedom is rare in high school. Not only was I able to research subjects I was passionate about, but I was also able to learn how to compile it into an argumentative paper, then present and defend my findings in an articulate presentation. I learned valuable research skills that continue to aid in my work.” Jayden H., former AP Seminar & AP Research student currently at University of Pennsylvania

About the Course

AP Seminar gives you the opportunity to develop and practice skills in research and effective communication through speaking and writing. During the course you’ll investigate a wide variety of real-world issues, write essays, and design and give presentations. Unlike other AP courses, AP Seminar doesn’t just conclude with a traditional AP Exam — you’ll also complete performance tasks throughout the year, like a collaborative team project and research-based essay.

There are no prerequisites for this course. In fact, AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research . These courses make up the two-year AP Capstone program. Once both courses are completed, you’ll have the opportunity to receive two awards. These awards are highly valued by colleges and universities globally.

Students typically take AP Seminar in grade 10 or 11. In some schools, you may be able to take AP Seminar as an English course in grade 10.

How You Benefit

Get ready for anything! Both AP Capstone courses, AP Seminar and AP Research, help you hone skills critical for success in all majors and careers.  T hese skills can be directly applied in journalism and communications, business administration, education, political science, prelaw studies and more. Check out all majors and careers that align best with this course .

Here’s a recap of the skills you’ll learn in AP Seminar:

• Reading and analyzing articles, studies, and other texts.
• Gathering and combining information from sources.
• Viewing an issue from multiple perspectives.
• Crafting, communicating and defending arguments based on evidence.

Taking AP Seminar will help prepare you for AP Research, where you’ll go a step further to design, plan, and conduct a yearlong research-based investigation on a topic of your choice.

“AP Seminar was much more student-led as it allowed for students to research a problem and develop a solution to implement within their team. Many classes were spent working within teams as well as collaborating with others, and several classes were also spent on soft skills such as presentation and communication, which I've found to be very helpful in my everyday life.” Mia V., former AP Seminar student currently at University of Virginia

 Ask your counselor if this course is available at your school.

Related Posts

6 tips to build confidence for your ap exams, how to pick ap courses.

Exam: Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation

1 min read • june 18, 2024

Steven Kucklick

Performance Task 2 Overview

PT 2 may seem more intimidating than PT1, especially since you have to do it all yourself. But, don't let the 2000 word paper 👀 or the eight minute presentation scare you off!

In a lot of ways, PT 2 should be more familiar to you. Here, you are writing ✍️ a traditional argumentative research paper and then presenting on it. It's pretty much that simple.

Where things can get kind of intimidating is the implementation of the stimulus materials .

These are a collection of articles, poems, videos, songs, or really anything in between, that are meant to guide 👨‍💼 students towards a particular topic.

Using this topics students will brainstorm their own research question and and construct an argumentative paper.

The presentation is simply a place where you can explain your argument and the evidence you chose while demonstrating your knowledge of your thesis ✍️.

Let's work through each section of PT 2 and look at how best to approach it.

Stimulus Packet

Each year the College Board release a set of Stimulus Materials to act as guide 👨‍💼 for students as they choose their topic. Each source that the College Board provides in this packet is based around a large central theme that students should use as a guide while they choose their topic.

Before we get any further, let's look at the 👉  Stimulus Packet from 2019 .

Here we can see that we have 7 different sources. This will be true (as of now) in all stimulus packets.

We can also the variety in sources that College Board provides. We have everything from academic journals to a Bob Dylan song 🎵.

Typically, in Stimulus Packets there will be a peer reviewed article, a historical source , an opinionated argumentative source , a piece of media, and some collections of poetry, music, or fiction.

The great thing about the Stimulus Packet is that you are allowed to go through it with your class and your teacher. As you analyze each source think about the central theme across all sources. In the Stimulus Packet I linked, the central theme is 'change.'

Remember, this theme will be broad, but you should start thinking about topics that fit 👉 👈 within it.

Stimulus Packet is not just there to serve as the topic for PT 2, you will also need to incorporate at least one of the sources in your actual written paper.

Quick tip : I recommend using at least two sources in your paper. That way you are sure to get those points on the rubric.

Because of this, you should also look for a topic that will fit well with some of the sources. Because the sources are so diverse, you shouldn't have too hard of time finding a topic that interests you while still incorporating a source.

Now that we have our big theme, we can move on to topic selection!

Picking your Topic

Now to the most important part of PT2.... picking your topic 😍! Again, you should be brainstorming around the larger topic from the Stimulus Packet and one of the sources within it.

I would recommend doing this with a classmate 👨‍🏫. Having someone you can bounce ideas off of can be really helpful. I would strongly encourage not doing the same topic as classmate so that you don't run into plagiarism issues.

As you're brainstorming topics it's important to remember not to go too big or too small. You should be broad enough that you have enough evidence to use, but specific enough that you don't have too much to talk 🗣️ about.

Don't be afraid to pursue multiple topics and do some preliminary research. Sticking to one topic early can often lead to stress if you can find enough evidence or the right evidence for you.

You should also feel comfortable changing your topic slightly as you do research. As much as your topic should influence your research, your research should also influence your topic.

**Check out the  Big Idea 4 guide to review how to find a good variety of evidence **

Individual Written Argument

Now that we've settled on a topic and we've found good evidence, we can start writing ✍️!!

The Individual Written Argument (IWA) is essentially a standard argumentative research paper where you are arguing for a thesis using claims and evidence.

Your entire IWA sort of rests on your thesis 👀 so it's important get that written first and foremost. The traditional three pronged thesis is of course acceptable, but not required. What should be true is that your thesis needs to outline your entire argument. I should know exactly what you are going to argue just by reading your thesis.

Once you begin writing you are essentially just writing a standard argumentative research paper, even if it is the longest paper you've written.

Here are some things to keep in mind 🤔 while you write:

• The evidence is there to support your claims, just like the claims are there to support your argument. All of these elements need to work together. Don't just make your paper a book report on your evidence. 📕
• Line of reasoning is also crucial for a successful paper. Organize your claims and your evidence in a way that makes sense to the reader. Check out the  Big Idea 2 guide to review line of reasoning. 🤨
• Don't ramble! 2000 words seems like a lot, but you have a lot to talk about! Be thoughtful with your words. ✍️
• I would aim for about 15 to 20 pieces of unique evidence when you go into writing. If you use less, you use less! It's better to be over prepared than under. 💻

Individual Multimedia Presentation

Finally we've made it... the Individual Multimedia Presentation 🗣️! Your IMP will be very similar to the Team Multimedia Presentation. However, instead of arguing for your solution to the problem, you will be arguing your thesis.

A good way to think about this is that you will be translating your paper into an eight minute presentation. You need to explain the importance of your argument while connecting your claims with your evidence 🤝.

You should also take some time to explain the different perspectives of your evidence.

Check out the  Big Idea 5 guide to review good presentation strategies 👨🏿‍💼.

You will also be asked to answer two questions. This is your  Oral Defense  section. These question will ask you to reflect on the research process and how you could extend on your topic.

As always, these questions are available to you. You can find them on page 63 of the  Course and Exam Description.

In Conclusion...

Wrapping things up I want to remind you not to get too stressed out. PT 2 can easily feel very overwhelming, but if you chunk things up and plan, you will be great!

As always the  rubrics  are your friend! Make sure to read them to understand exactly how to get all the points you need.

Key Terms to Review ( 14 )

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so basically I moved schools in October, at school A we were being taught how to write the IRR's and we started the project in late septemeber. Just forming groups, picking topics, and starting the research. When I moved to school B they hadn't started any of that and didn't start until halfway through January. In short I never learned how to write a research report and I'm having a really tough time writing it/editing it. Any advice to simply write a decent paper ?

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170 AP Research Topics For Your Paper

As you may already know, AP Seminar is across multiple disciplines of study. It primarily explores how students can achieve critical thinking abilities through collaboration and thorough academic research. AP Seminar also helps the student understand real-world issues from different lenses.

This way, you get to understand how the world works through multiple perspectives. AP Seminar usually covers team projects, individual papers, oral presentations, and the exam at the end of the course. How do you prepare for your project, paper, or oral presentation without essential AP research paper topics?

It would help if you have AP research topics ideas and perhaps, AP research questions. You need AP seminar topics that help you develop your analytical and creative research and writing skills. You will find them in this content. However, before that, what must be found in a good AP research paper?

Characteristics of a Good AP Research Paper

Writing a good research paper requires analyzing previous academic papers and improving your knowledge about what you want to write. While writing your research paper, take notes of these:

• A Good Papers Must be Relevant in the Long Term This means you should not write on something that will no longer be relevant in two years. In other words, think about Shakespeare. Or better still, think about writing something that many other writers and researchers will reference. Your logic must have no noticeable unclear gap. Your research must also pass through a thorough assessment process to ascertain that everything in your paper is relevant to the present and the future. If you are writing something about history, you should apply logic and thought to the sources you pick and write about them.
• Backup Your Research with Valid Sources Every research paper without an external source is poor. Especially when you quote facts, your good sources make your paper appealing and worthy of application or study by different generations. Your paper must include all the facts it needs to pass each point. This is also important because having solid references means that you consulted excellent sources and adopted their information while writing your paper.
• Have Great Research Questions Research questions sometimes turn your paper around. This is because your AP research questions must be well thought of and dynamic to the issues you’re writing about. When you choose from AP seminar themes available to you or the AP research topic ideas of your choice, asking yourself questions your research will answer makes it easy to focus. Your research questions influence your research, and they make writing easy too.
• Your Research Must be Specific You can only master how to stay relevant by writing on specific issues. For example, if you want to write about coronavirus, you should not make the mistake of treating a general topic. Instead, narrow it down to your environment or a controversial issue. The Atlantic recently published a long-form essay about a hospital overwhelmed with patients. They eventually had to use their ambulances for some operations. That is an example of a research that treats a specific issue, not a generic one.
• Your Research Must be Well Structured and Concise This is perhaps the most critical part of your work. If you have an excellent paper, it will only reflect when you have a great structure. As you know, your paper must have an introduction, the main body, and the conclusion.

The introduction is where you discuss the general concepts and the target of your paper. You can also discuss why it is essential to examine the topic; this could be your problem statement. Your main body is where you disassemble and reassemble your facts, make your arguments, and pass your message. Note that you will answer all your research questions in this section, which is why the section is most important while writing a paper. It will help if you back every fact up with solid references. Your conclusion is where you sum everything you’ve raised and discussed. You may attach a quick call to action to the necessary authorities, depending on what you’ve written. However, if you have just sensitized your readers with your project, your conclusion should end with a perfect sentence or paragraphs that stays with your readers.

Now that you know all these, consider these AP seminar research paper topics for your project, paper, or oral presentation. On the other hand, remember you can buy thesis online from our professional helpers team and never worry about your grades.

AP Seminar Themes

AP Seminar themes are the usual subject of discourse that often appear in any AP Seminar. These themes unite all the courses you study during your one year long course. You can consider these AP research topics:

• The ethics of algorithms on social media
• Controversial supreme court ruling based on public opinion
• Environmental injustice and consequences on real estate
• The challenges of typo errors
• Overview of genetics
• The cause of food waste
• Universal adult suffrage and the fault in the system
• #MeToo movement and the challenges
• The issues on wealth inequality
• Agree or disagree with Francis Fukuyama’s The End of History.”
• Social class exists in communist societies
• Communism is the feasible system of the future
• Art and education
• Music and education
• The significance of entertainment in the workplace.

AP Seminar Topics

These are direct AP seminar research topics that you can use for your paper. The best topics are often intriguing enough to impress your teachers for your dissertation or thesis. You can use these to create the perfect paper:

• Food waste management in Ukraine
• How the naval power of China is not enough over Taiwan and its allies
• Low lying islands and global warming
• The differences in Chinese GDP between 1978 and 2020
• How global warming affects countries that contribute less to it
• The rise in the creation of energy-efficient cars
• Genetically modified plants ruin nature: discuss
• Pesticides cause more harm than good: discuss
• Saving money in college is underrated
• Significance of electric cars to the future
• A study on three robots and the prospects for the future workplace
• Gun control is impossible: discuss
• Intensive farming may not end hunger: discuss
• Examine the output of three countries and their wealth
• How much has the world achieved gender equality?
• Discuss why the demand for tech is a challenging issue
• Compare and contrast the labor market in the US and Germany
• Would you say China is the superpower of sustainable batteries
• Study the rising sectors in the world and their consequences
• Will petroleum, not batteries, be vital in 2030?
• Homework is overrated
• What are the controversies around the statement “I am self-taught.”
• Significance of noise pollution
• Quantum entanglement: discuss
• China and its tech products
• UK and software growth
• Is Africa forgotten?
• Challenges between black Americans and African Americans
• Aside from COVID-19 and omicron, what are globally threatening issues?
• Abortion is unethical: discuss.

AP Research Topic Ideas

As a research student, you may also want to consider good ideas to develop for your paper. Your AP research topic ideas must aid your analytical skills. It should also help you create interesting perspectives about issues. You can consider:

• How the ozone layer protects the planet
• The best way to address global warming
• A study of Elon Musk’s education system
• A study of the Swiss educational system
• Challenges of education in the UK
• Challenges on education in the US
• Study how prison changes people
• Discuss recent aquatic discoveries
• How to answer to Brazil’s deforestation
• The effects of deforestation on global health
• The rise and evolution of taxes
• Is the US the world police?
• Trace world religions: is there a peaceful religion?
• Discuss how Jews weaponized the Holocaust narrative in Palestine
• Discuss why some courses are compulsory
• Examine the problem with obesity
• Discuss what it means to be in denial
• Analyze US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan
• Human right over national security: discuss
• Is the EU sustainable?
• Discuss the activities of CNN’s Jeff Zucker
• Why is history important?
• Is philosophy a foundational discipline for all disciplines?
• Examine measures to prevent a WWIII
• Lessons from the failure of Right 2 Respond in Syria
• Discuss the challenges of mandatory service
• Was the Cold War indeed a cold war?
• What does the world know about Antarctica?
• Debt diplomacy: discuss
• An overview of terrorism.

AP World History Research Paper Topics

World history can be broad yet interesting. World history is interesting when you apply rational thought and philosophy into the aspects of the past that matter and those that don’t. These are some good AP world history research paper topics:

• Effects of the industrial revolution
• The evolution of German industries
• The Crusaders are the same as the Jihads: discuss
• The struggle for democracy
• French revolution and consequences on Europe
• The US independence and consequences on Europe
• The decolonization of Europe led to the colonization of Africa
• British imperialism and challenges
• Mongols and relevance in history
• What are the similarities and differences in the civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Discuss the hegemony of the Ottoman Empire
• Discuss the evolution of contemporary politics
• Examine history and religion
• How Hitler could have won WWII
• How Asia changed post-WWI
• The symbols in Ancient Egypt
• The symbols in Mesopotamia civilization
• How agricultural revolution affect the world
• The rise of industries in Japan
• The growth of armament and present challenges
• Water challenges in the Middle East
• The Middle East is a vital region to the globe: discuss
• Would you say Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was a great leader?
• Examine the disunity in the Arab League
• Mortification in Ancient Egypt
• The Jews and the world
• The cyclical nature of history
• Sexual revolution and trends
• Nudity and its politics
• Child trafficking in India.

AP US History Research Paper Topics

To engage in more direct research, you may want to integrate your thoughts into interesting AP research topics. These are topics about current and past events in US history:

• Differences between presidents Trump and Clinton
• The US and the Great Depression
• US interference in the Suez Canal crisis
• US foreign policy to Libya under Gaddafi
• The US before and after 9/11
• Religions of the Native Americans
• The fiction in Salem Witch Trials
• Women’s role in America’s independence
• Women’s role in the Renaissance Europe
• Sexual revolution as feminism
• Industrial revolution in America
• The causes of slavery in the Americas
• America will always fight wars: discuss
• The reasons why America built up its armies
• The evolution of labor unions in America
• An overview of the Cuban Missile Crisis
• The US and social media policy
• US and gender inequality
• Corruption in the US
• Gangsterism in the US
• George Floyd and the consequences of his death
• The effects of the Mississippi River Flood
• CIA and the murder of Congolese Patrice Lumumba: justifiable?
• Ideological challenges in US history
• Indigenous technology in the American Civil War
• The effect of Hurricane Katrina
• An overview of a mass shooting in any location of your choice
• Environmental crisis in the US
• Was the Cold War necessary?
• Criticize the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

AP Capstone Research Topics

AP Capstone involves the assessment and overview of all the courses during your AP Seminar. It examines your knowledge of different theories and how you can apply them. You can choose these topics for your paper:

• The US and its ethnicities
• US and religious duplicity
• Vaccines and their benefits in the US
• How does the US control the UN
• Bullying and its impacts
• How social media affects students
• Food insecurity and challenges of the contemporary world
• The future of the automobile
• The future of automation
• Does Elon Musk do something similar to Mark Zuckerberg?
• Extreme sports: what’s the thrill?
• The history of vaccines
• Is America truly democratic
• Discuss the overaction of lawmakers on the Janet Jackson Superbowl performance saga
• Is the UN a toothless bulldog?

AP Biology Research Topics

Biology is an integral part of the world and a relevant course in your AP Seminar. You can choose to discuss any of the following interesting topics:

• Critically analyze how the human body works.
• Discuss the correlation between the way Ancient Egyptians preserved their dead and the way it is done today
• How has the research and writings of the Romantic Era achieved some changes in the biology of contemporary society?
• What is the most common thing that weakens the human immune system?
• The HIV/AIDS epidemic and the vulnerability of the human society
• The scientists’ struggle in preventing the spread of the virus before, during, and after COVID-19
• Assess the importance of genetics, if any, in the creation of robots with emotional abilities like humans
• Assess how stress affects the immune system and how a strenuous activity as sex helps ease stress
• Speak with any five persons and evaluate why some people have refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine
• Discuss how bacteria affect the body and its consequences
• Evaluate how animals communicate
• Trace the evolution and trends in the discovery that the heart controls human life, not the brain
• A study of how white blood cells work and fight diseases
• Should DNA tests be made accessible for the public?
• Cell division and how to teach how it works to pupils
• Examine the process of photosynthesis on plants
• The trends and discoveries of cancer treatments
• Read five pieces of literature on different perspectives on genetics and appraise them.
• Analyze how the red blood cells convey oxygen
• Appraise the structure of the human body.

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