Updated: 16th October, 2026 TL;DR AP Research is the second course in the College Board's AP Capstone program. You pick your own topic, write a 4,000–5,000 word paper, and defend it in a 15–20 minute oral presentation. The paper counts for 75% of your 1–5 score, and the presentation counts for 25%. You need AP Seminar first, so this course fits juniors and seniors who want a full research project on their record. If you want to keep researching after the class, look at the Lu