AP Capstone


AP Capstone is a 2-year program developed by the College Board, which consists of two courses: the AP Seminar and AP Research. Students who successfully complete the program and obtain scores of 3 or higher on at least four other AP exams receive either an AP Capstone Diploma or an AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

History

The predecessor to the current AP Capstone program, the AP|Cambridge Capstone Program, was initially offered in 17 high schools worldwide. With the launch of the full AP Capstone by the College Board in fall 2014, the program has expanded to now being offered in 1100 schools. Over 100 colleges and universities support the AP Capstone program.

AP Seminar

AP Seminar is the foundation course taken in 10th or 11th grade. It provides students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and prepare for university. Students explore real-world issues such as innovation, sustainability and technology. The assessment culminates in 2 through-course tasks and a final written exam. The through-course tasks are the following:
The final written exam is taken during the two weeks of AP testing in May. Students must receive a score of 3 or higher in the course to continue.
Score201520162017201820192020
54.9%6.6%6.7%7.9%7.1%6.4%
411.7%12.6%15.1%16.7%15.1%14.5%
358.3%53.8%65%57.6%58.9%59.7%
221.6%21.8%11.6%15.4%16.6%17.2%
13.5%5.2%1.6%2.4%2.3%2.3%
% of 3 or Higher74.9%73%86.8%82.2%81.1%
Mean Score2.932.943.143.123.08
Number of Students5,28812,30819,94330,96443,441

AP Research

Taken in Grade 11 or 12, students design, plan and conduct a year-long research-based investigation on a personally-chosen subject in AP Research. The assessment culminates with a 5,000-word academic thesis paper, as well as a public presentation. Students must obtain a final score of 3 or higher to be able to receive AP certification.
Starting in the 2017-18 school year, AP Research papers are graded using a holistic rubric. The two central elements that move a paper from a 2 to a 3 are the middle two rows, which assess the methodology and conclusion. The rubric can be seen .
More specifically, a replicable methodology and a new understanding are required to pass.
Score20162017201820192020
511.6%16.8%11.4%10.7%8.8%
416.3%18.1%23.7%22.2%32.1%
339.3%35.4%40.1%43.0%31.5%
230.8%27.3%19.8%19.5%25%
12.0%2.5%4.9%4.6%2.6%
% of 3 or Higher67.1%70.3%75.2%75.9%
Mean3.053.193.173.08
Number of Students2,8425,7879,64015,724

Program Completion