ap english essay review

AP® English Language Study Guide

The AP® English Language and Composition exam is one of the most popular and often taken AP exams. It tests your ability to read and analyze prose arguments as well as write college-level argument and analysis essays. The AP Lang exam can be challenging, but the best way to improve your score is to practice reading and answering questions like the ones on the test. Fortunately, UWorld has plenty of practice questions with explanations for all the answers. This AP Lang study guide will give you all the information you need to achieve your dream score.

How to Study for the AP English Language and Composition Exam

In this AP English Language and Composition study guide, we will show you how to get the most out of your preparation for the AP English Language exam . From the moment you sign up for an AP Lang course to exam day, you can take the following steps to prepare and improve your chances of getting your dream score.

How to pass AP English Language

The number of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) you correctly answer and the marks you receive on the free-response questions (FRQs) are what determine your overall score on the AP Lang exam. The score is determined on a sliding scale, which means that the more MCQs you answer correctly, the lower the scores you need on the essays to score a 3 or higher. If you have higher FRQ scores, you can answer more of the MCQs incorrectly and still pass. That is why these guidelines for getting scores can vary from student to student.

How to do well on the AP English Language exam

In general, to achieve a minimum score of 3 on the AP Lang exam, you need to correctly answer at least 55% of the MCQs and obtain a 4 on one FRQ and a 3 on the other two FRQs.

In general, to attain a 4 on the AP Lang exam, you should correctly answer around 60% of the MCQs and secure a score of 4 on all the FRQs.

How do you get a 5 on the AP Lang exam?

In general, achieving a score of 5 on the AP Lang exam necessitates correctly answering approximately 70% of the MCQs and obtaining a score of 5 on all the FRQs.

How do you prepare for the AP English Language class?

Most students take the AP Lang class during their junior year of high school. To enhance your likelihood of earning a good grade and performing well on the exam, you can begin preparing over the summer for the class. Here are some suggestions you can follow to get a head start on success:

• Talk to your AP Lang teacher about class expectations, essential skills, and knowledge you will need for the next year.
• Many schools require summer reading for AP English students to improve their reading skills. Check if your school has this requirement, and start reading a book a month before school starts. If your school does not have a summer reading requirement, try to read or listen to national and world news. This will help you know more about current events, which you can use as evidence in the argument essay during the exam.
• Go through our easy-to-read guide on the AP English Language course and exam description to learn more about the course.
• Review common rhetorical terms like speaker, audience, exigence, context, diction, syntax, qualifier, claim, concession, counterargument, refute, underscore, and undermine (not the same thing).
• Read some contemporary nonfiction and speeches and some older speeches from the 1800s or earlier to reinforce what you’ve learned in previous English classes. Using your own words, express what the speakers are trying to say. Identify the position from which each speaker communicates. This will help you read and analyze arguments quickly and accurately on the exam.

How do you improve your score from a 3 to a 4 on the AP English Language exam?

The easiest way to improve your score from a 3 to a 4 on the AP Lang exam is to improve your essay scores on the synthesis and argument FRQs. Here are some tips to help you:

Synthesis FRQ

• Don't read all six to seven sources. You only need evidence from three sources in your essay. Instead of reading all the sources, spend your time writing a well-developed essay.
• The prompt for this essay will be a topic on which there's not a clear yes or no, good or bad, opinion. It will have complexity; everybody's perspective will have something positive and negative about it. In your essay, acknowledge that, but write in a more opinionated way about one perspective than the other. In other words, write the essay to include 70% of your opinion and 30% of the opposition's point of view. Do not write a 50/50 essay attempting to balance the two sides.
• Pick two pieces of evidence to support your argument and one from the opposition to use as a concession or to refute. That strategy will earn points for using three pieces of evidence and let you write a couple of good body paragraphs.

Argument FRQ

• If you have trouble finding evidence for this essay, try using the "ripple effect." Start with examples of events and situations you are familiar with, then move outward. Think of a personal example, an example from someone you know or something you've seen, then something or someone famous, influential, or historical. Valid examples can come from art, sports, music, gaming, and entertainment. They don't always have to come from what you've learned in school.
• To receive 1 point, you must compose a thesis. If you explain how one example supports your point, you will earn 2 points in the evidence and commentary category. Opting to elaborate on how two examples reinforce your point can help you earn 3 points for evidence and commentary. Employing more than two examples may be necessary to secure 4 points for evidence and commentary, ultimately reaching an overall score of 5 on this FRQ.
• Avoid becoming lost in the details of your examples. Instead, concentrate on the aspects that support your point and invest your efforts into explaining how your examples substantiate it.

How to review for the AP English Language exam

You can look at some FRQ prompts, sample essays, and scoring commentaries from previous exams that will help you review for the AP English Lang exam. You can find these by looking at Past Exam Questions here on the AP English Language page on the College Board® website. The sample questions on how to approach AP English Language MCQs page are also a good place to start your preparation. Also, complete the sample MCQ in the AP English Language Course Guide . It will not provide explanations, but it will give the correct answers.

How to self-study AP English Language

Self-studying for AP English Lang is common for home-schooled students. Self-studying presents two major challenges: you will not have an AP teacher to guide you through difficult concepts, and you will not have access to AP Classroom practice questions. However, you can still prepare yourself to do well on the exam. Here are some resources that can make it easier:

The questions available on the UWorld Qbank are designed to provide you with the kind of questions that you will see on the exam. In addition, each question fully explains why the right answer is right, and the wrong answer is wrong. This helps you identify inaccurate thought patterns and correct them before the exam.

While you cannot access the practice materials on the College Board’s AP Classroom, you can watch their Daily Videos for AP English Lang that are available on YouTube. These videos walk you through MCQ and FRQ strategies to show you how to succeed in each exam section.

The Garden of English website is hosted by a successful English teacher who posts videos and print resources that explain key concepts for success on the AP English Lang exam. The videos are free to view, and many of the print resources are available for purchase.

Many printed resources can be found on Amazon, in used bookstores, and even at your local public library. However, try to get the most recently published versions available. Test questions change in subtle ways on a regular basis. Printed materials have a harder time providing you with the most up-to-date material, while online resources often include the most current reflection of the actual test.

Most students learn best by combining instructor explanations with MCQ and essay practice. We suggest that you do both. 

• Start by watching videos designed to help with MCQ strategies because many students find this section the hardest part of the test. 
• Practice with some MCQs from an online question bank or printed exam study guide. First, go at your own speed. As you gain confidence, time yourself so that you can read a passage and answer the questions at a pace of about a minute apiece. For example, if there are 10 questions about a passage, you should try to read the passage and answer all the questions in 10 minutes.
• Once you have spent time working on the MCQ section, watch videos about one type of FRQ.
• Write a practice essay to simulate what you must do on the exam. Once again, take as much time as you need at first. Later, practice writing your essays in 40 minutes, because that is what you will need to do on the exam.
• Continue this process until you have learned about all three of the FRQ types and can write one in 40 minutes.

You may also find it helpful to consult with a friend who has previously taken the AP Lang exam and may have some helpful advice. Several online communities, such as the APStudents Reddit group, are happy to make suggestions about how to successfully self-study.

AP English Language Study Exam Tips

It is hard to study for the AP English Lang exam at the last minute because it tests specific skills you have developed throughout your educational journey: reading and writing . Trying to cram just before the exam is like trying to train for a marathon by taking up jogging a month before the race! However, you can improve your chances of success by taking some steps in the 1-2 months before the exam.

How to plan AP English Language study schedule

• Every week, read two speeches – one from before 1900 and one from after 1900—and practice rewriting the paragraphs. This will help you get used to the unusual sentence structure that is present in many older pieces of writing. Many times, the hardest part of reading an older passage is the archaic language that it uses, which isn’t very common anymore. Paraphrasing speeches will also expand your vocabulary if you look up unfamiliar words as you go. One place where you can find lots of speeches to practice reading is on the American Rhetoric website.
• Practice two sets of MCQs weekly – one over a reading selection and one over a writing passage. You can select these from a study workbook or online question bank you’ve purchased or ask your teacher to assign some practice questions to you from AP Classroom. Be sure to read any explanations that accompany the answers to get the most out of your practice and pick up some helpful tips along the way.
• Write an essay using an FRQ from a previous AP Lang exam once a week. Compare your response to the rubric and sample essays on the College Board website to score yourself. Be sure to write an equal number of essays for all three types of FRQs.
• Pay close attention to your classwork in your AP English Lang class. Most teachers begin hitting their classes with intensive exam preparation right after Spring Break. Everything you do in class will be designed to get you ready, so take advantage of the practice and take every assignment seriously.
• Adopt any of the suggested tips for the two-month schedule that you can reasonably do in a month. It will all depend on how many AP classes you take and your free time.
• Review common literary terms that show up on the AP exam. Don’t worry about memorizing the exact definitions because you won’t be tested on that information. Terms are typically part of a question stem or answer. Knowing what they mean will be helpful, but frequently, you can arrive at the correct answer without knowing what they mean.
• Start practicing answering MCQs and writing FRQs with a timer. A large part of what makes the AP Lang exam difficult is having to read, think, and write so quickly. To boost your confidence, get used to the time constraints you’ll face on the exam.
• Attend any extra study sessions that your teacher schedules. If they are not hosting official study sessions, ask to schedule a time to work together on your reading and writing skills.
• Every week, read two speeches - one from before 1900 and one from after 1900—and practice rewriting the paragraphs. This will help you get used to the unusual sentence structure that is present in many older pieces of writing. Many times, the hardest part of reading an older passage is the archaic language that it uses, which isn't very common anymore. Paraphrasing speeches will also expand your vocabulary if you look up unfamiliar words as you go. One place where you can find lots of speeches to practice reading is on the American Rhetoric website.
• Practice two sets of MCQs weekly - one over a reading selection and one over a writing passage. You can select these from a study workbook or online question bank you've purchased or ask your teacher to assign some practice questions to you from AP Classroom. Be sure to read any explanations that accompany the answers to get the most out of your practice and pick up some helpful tips along the way.
• Review common literary terms that show up on the AP exam. Don't worry about memorizing the exact definitions because you won't be tested on that information. Terms are typically part of a question stem or answer. Knowing what they mean will be helpful, but frequently, you can arrive at the correct answer without knowing what they mean.
• Start practicing answering MCQs and writing FRQs with a timer. A large part of what makes the AP Lang exam difficult is having to read, think, and write so quickly. To boost your confidence, get used to the time constraints you'll face on the exam.

How much time do you need to dedicate to the AP English Language exam to score a 3, a 4, or a 5?

The amount of time you need to dedicate to preparing for the AP English Language exam and scoring a 3, 4, or 5 can vary depending on several factors, including your current level of proficiency, study habits, prior experience with the subject matter, and the quality of your in-class experience. To score a 3 or above, you should aim to dedicate at least a moderate amount of time (2-4 hours) for consistent weekly preparation over an extended period leading up to the exam.

Be sure to split your time between the following categories of practice:

• Reading contemporary and older prose nonfiction
• Answering MCQs and writing FRQ responses
• Untimed practice and timed practice

Starting early, establishing a study schedule, and maintaining consistent effort are essential steps to enhance your likelihood of success.

AP English Language Review/Study Materials

Here's a list of all the study resources mentioned in this AP Lang study guide. We have given you many ideas for study resources throughout this guide, but here is a list of them all in one place. Make use of as many of them as you can!

• UWorld AP English Lang question bank : AP-level MCQs with in-depth explanations that help you learn from your mistakes
• AP Classroom : Direct from the College Board and includes actual past AP test questions, but you must be enrolled in an AP class to access it
• AP Course Description Guide : Explains how the test is set up, what skills are covered, and offers some practice questions
• Past AP Questions : Lists prompts, sample essays, and commentaries to show you what to do and not do in your essay responses
• AP Daily Videos : Available to anyone on YouTube, they contain valuable instruction from successful AP teachers 
• The Garden of English : A website run by a well-respected AP English teacher with bite-sized videos and tips

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2024 AP English Language and Composition Exam Guide

12 min read • june 18, 2024

Your guide to the 2024 AP English Language and Composition exam

We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We created a study plan to help you crush your AP English Language and Composition exam. This guide will continue to update with information about the 2024 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you do your best on test day.  Unlock Cram Mode  for access to our cram events—students who have successfully passed their AP exams will answer your questions and guide your last-minute studying LIVE! And don't miss out on unlimited access to our database of thousands of practice questions.

Format of the 2024 AP English Language and Composition exam

This year, all AP exams will cover all units and essay types. The 2024 AP English Language and Composition exam format will be:

• Section I: Multiple Choice - 45% of your score- - 45 questions in 1 hour
• Section II: Free Response Section - 55% of your score- - 2 hours and 15 minutes for:- 1 synthesis essay - 1 rhetorical analysis essay - - 1 argument essay

Scoring Rubric for the 2024 AP Lang Essays

• Synthesis Essay - Thesis - 1 point for a defensible thesis that responds to the prompt- Evidence and Commentary - Max of 4 points for providing evidence from at least 3 sources that support the line of reasoning AND commentary that explains and analyzes the evidence- Sophistication - 1 point any of the following: - Creating a nuanced argument - Showing the limitations of the argument - Making effective rhetorical choices - Employing a style that is vivid and persuasive- Rhetorical Analysis Essay - Thesis - 1 point for a defensible thesis that analyzes rhetorical choices- Evidence and Commentary - Max of 4 points for providing specific evidence AND consistently explaining how the evidence relates to the line of reasoning AND showing how the rhetorical choices contribute to the author's message .- Sophistication - 1 point for any of the following: - Explaining the significance of the rhetorical choices ( rhetorical situation ) - Explaining the complexities of the passage and their purpose - Employing a style that is vivid and persuasive- Argument Essay - Thesis - 1 point for a defensible thesis- Evidence and Commentary - Max of 4 points for providing specific evidence AND consistently explaining the relevance of that evidence.- Sophistication - 1 point for any of the following: - Crafting a nuanced argument by identifying complexities - Explaining the limitations of the argument by placing it in a broader context - Making rhetorical choices to improve the argument - Employing a style that is vivid and persuasive Check out our study plan below to find resources and tools to prepare for your AP English Language and Composition exam.

When is the 2024 AP English Language and Composition Exam and How Do I Take It?

** The exam will be on paper and in-person at your school: Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 8:00 AM, your local time.  **

How Should I Prepare for the AP Lang Exam?

• First, take stock of your progress in the course so far. What areas have you excelled and which sections need more focus? Download the  AP English Language Cheatsheet PDF  - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses!
• Build your study plan to review every unit and question type, but focus most on the areas that need the most improvement and practice. We’ve put together this plan to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam- - Practice essays are your best friends! The more essays you write, the more automatic the process will come, and the easier the AP exam will be!- - Try some of the past exam questions  [object Object]
• We've put together the study plan found below to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam. Pay special attention to the units that you need the most improvement in.
• Study, practice, and review for test day with other students during our live cram sessions via  Cram Mode . Cram live streams will teach, review, and practice important topics from AP courses, college admission tests, and college admission topics. These streams are hosted by experienced students who know what you need to succeed.

Pre-Work: Set Up Your Study Environment

Before you begin studying, take some time to get organized.

🖥 Create a study space.

Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space. 

📚 Organize your study materials.

Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also, create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!

📅 Plan designated times for studying.

The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.

🏆 Decide on an accountability plan.

How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First, set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused!

2024 AP Lang Study Guide

🚧 unit 1 foundations of rhetoric: analysis of the rhetorical situation and claims., big takeaways:.

Unit 1 is an introductory unit that lays the foundations for the reading skills associated with how to understand and analyze complex texts. Skills here include identifying the ASPECTS of a text, analyzing the claim given and the evidence used to support that claim, and determining the function of the “chunks” in the argument. Because the content in this unit is very foundational, it is looped throughout the rest of the course instruction.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

• Unit 1 Overview: Claims, Reasoning, and Evidence
• 1.1 Identifying the purpose and intended audience of a text
• 1.2 Examining how evidence supports a claim
• 1.3 Developing paragraphs as part of an effective argument 🎥 Watch these videos:  

College Board’s Instructional Video:  Overview of The Rhetorical Situation .- Fiveable’s  How to Read Like an AP Student .- Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statements - Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraphs ✍️ Practice:

Use the  Fiveable ASPECTS Guidesheet to help you break down a complex text. 🗺 Can you identify these rhetorical devices?

You won’t be asked to name drop on the exam, but it can be helpful to use devices when discussing strategies. Try  this Quizlet to help prepare.

Unit 2 Foundations of Argument: Analysis of an author’s choices in appeals and evidence

Unit 2 is an introductory unit that builds onto the foundations of rhetorical ASPECTS and moves toward planning and writing your own arguments. This unit focuses on the relationships between subject, speaker, and message, including examination of the structure and purpose of the given argument. The unit then moves into the developing thesis statements and building your own arguments with a clear line of reasoning.

• Unit 2 Overview: Organizing Information for a Specific Audience
• 2.1 Analyzing audience and its relationship to the purpose of an argument
• 2.2 Building an argument with relevant and strategic evidence
• 2.3 Developing thesis statements
• 2.4 Developing structure and integrating evidence to reflect a line of reasoning 🎥 Watch these videos:  

College Board’s Instructional Video:  Identify Rhetorical Situation in a Pre 20th Century Text . 

Fiveable’s video on  How to Find Rhetorical Devices 📰 Check out these articles:

Here’s a  list of recommended rhetorical devices with definitions and examples! ✍️ Practice:

Use the  Fiveable Rhetorical Precis Guidesheet to help you break down a complex text. 🗺 Can you identify these elements of practical argument?

You won’t be asked to name drop of the exam, but it can be helpful to use devices when discussing strategies. Try  this Quizlet to help prepare. -----------

👥 Unit 3 Confluence: Synthesis of multiple sources in argumentation

Unit 3 approaches multiple perspectives in argument through the lens of synthesis (that’s FRQ 1). In this study, you learn to identify effective and faulty reasoning while integrating a variety of evidence from credible resources that is properly cited in an original text.

• Unit 3 Overview: Perspectives and How Arguments Relate
• 3.1 Interpreting character description and perspective
• 3.2 Identifying and avoiding flawed lines of reasoning
• 3.3 Introducing and integrating sources and evidence
• 3.4 Using sufficient evidence for an argument
• 3.5 Attributing and citing references
• 3.6 Developing parts of a text with cause-effect and narrative methods 🎥 Watch these videos:

Fiveable’s Introduction into  Synthesis Essays and  How to Begin Your Argument

College Board’s Instructional Video:  Complexity in Argument . 🗺 Can you identify these elements of synthesis?

👀 Unit 4 Reasoning: Analysis of argument from introduction to conclusion

Unit 4 includes a greater depth of focus on the writing of effective arguments -- the line of reasoning created in the introduction, built with modes of discourse, and strengthened in the conclusion. An important note about these skills of argumentation is that they build toward all parts of every FRQ. 

• Unit 4 Overview: How writers develop arguments, intros, and conclusion
• 4.1 Developing and connecting thesis statements and lines of reasoning
• 4.2 Developing introductions and conclusions
• 4.3 Adjusting an argument to address new evidence 🎥 Watch these videos:  

College Board’s Instructional Video:  Understanding a Line of Reasoning .

Fiveable’s  Effective Annotations . ✍️ Practice:  

Try Fiveable’s  Guide to LOR Body Paragraphs . 🗺 Can you identify the rhetorical modes?

You won’t be asked to name drop them on the exam, but it can be helpful to use devices when discussing strategies. Try  this Quizlet to help prepare. -----------

🧐 Unit 5 Commentary and Analysis: Analysis of complex argument and intentional rhetoric

In Unit 5, the skills look at the minutiae involved in argumentation: development of the line of reasoning that produces strong commentary and maintains the primary claim through all parts of the writing. To achieve these goals, this unit includes a focus on transitions , modifiers , and qualifications for argumentative perspective .  

• Unit 5 Overview
• 5.1 Maintaining ideas throughout an argument
• 5.2 Developing commentary throughout paragraphs
• 5.3 Using modifiers to qualify an argument and convey perspective
• 5.4 Using transitions 🎥 Watch these videos:  

Fiveable’s video on  How to Improve Analysis Part 1 and  Part 2 - As well as how to  Embed Quotes into Body Paragraphs - Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraphs - Synthesis Essay Body Paragraphs - Argument Essay Body Paragraphs 📰 Check out these articles:

Tara Seale’s adaptation for  Creating a Line of Reasoning . ✍️ Practice:

Try Fiveable’s  Guide to LOR Body Paragraphs . ---------

🏃‍♂️ Unit 6 Rhetorical Risks: Analysis of multiple perspectives, bias, and shifts with new evidence

In Unit 6, you will notice a direct link building on the ideas of Unit 3 as this instruction looks at position and perspectives while synthesizing information strategically to support a claim.  For greater depth, this unit moves to modify a current argument to include new evidence.

• Unit 6 Overview: Position, Perspective, and Bias
• 6.1 Incorporating multiple perspectives strategically into an argument
• 6.2 Recognizing and accounting for bias
• 6.3 Adjusting an argument to new evidence
• 6.4 Analyzing tone and shifts in tone 🎥 Watch these videos:  

College Board’s Instructional Video:  Creating a Nuanced Argument . 

Fiveable’s video on  Tracking an Author’s Argument ---------

🚀 Unit 7 Complex Argumentation: Analysis of effective arguments, including concession and refutation

The skills of Unit 7 are about putting all units of study together to look at the complexity of a given argument and the effectiveness of the pieces built into that argument.  Though many teachers will have addressed counterarguments, concessions, and refutations before reaching this unit, those skills are highly scrutinized in this segment of learning.

• Unit 7 Overview: Successful and Unsuccessful Arguments
• 7.1 Examining complexities in issues
• 7.2 Considering how words, phrases, and clauses can modify and limit an argument
• 7.3 Examining how counterargument or alternative perspectives affect an argument
• 7.4 Exploring how sentence development affects an argument 🎥 Watch these videos:  

Fiveable’s video on  Arguments and Counterarguments

College Board’s Instructional Video:  How Argument Demonstrates Understanding . ✍️ Practice:

Check your progress with  Fiveable’s AP Language Skills Matrix . --------

📝 Unit 8 Style: Analysis of how style influences the audience movement

Unit 8 covers how to understand the influence style has on the audience , and the purpose behind each decision. By analyzing these various tactics, students are able to understand the author’s audience, and how to effectively persuade them. Style is an important part in connecting the rest of the course and understanding how the rhetorical choices and devices are used to accomplish a purpose.

• Unit 8 Overview: Stylistic Choices
• 8.1 Choosing comparisons based on an audience
• 8.2 Considering how sentence development and word choice affect how the writer is perceived by an audience
• 8.3 Considering how all choices made in an argument affect the audience
• 8.4 Considering how style affects an argument 🎥 Watch these videos:  

Fiveable’s  Analysis of the Mindset of the Audience - College Board’s Instructional video:  Analyzing and Understanding the Audience 📰 Check out these articles:

College Board’s explanation of  Elements and Context for Style ✍️ Practice:

Review this quizlet on  Elements of Style for more practice. ---------

✏️ Unit 9 Craft: Creation of your own complex argument with synthesis and rhetoric

The final unit of AP Language and Composition covers how to effectively form your own arguments by acknowledging and understanding complexities to create a nuanced and sophisticated argument. It focuses on your ability to comprehend and connect multiple sources to create a well reasoned, and detailed argument as well as how to add in your own rhetorical devices and choices to make your writing more persuasive and effective.   

• Unit 9 Overview: Developing a Complex Argument
• 9.1 Strategically conceding, rebutting, or refuting information
• 9.2 Crafting an argument through stylistic choices like word choice and description 🎥 Watch these videos:  
• Fiveable’s video on  Creating your own Synthesis Arguments
• College Board’s video on  Complexities within Arguments and  How to Create a Nuanced Argument

Key Terms to Review ( 38 )

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Expert Guide to the AP Language and Composition Exam

Advanced Placement (AP)

With the 2023 AP English Language and Composition exam happening on Tuesday, May 9, it's time to make sure that you're familiar with all aspects of the exam. In this article, I'll give a brief overview of the test, do a deeper dive on each of the sections, discuss how the exam is scored, offer some strategies for studying, and finally wrap up with some essential exam day tips.

Exam Overview

The AP Language and Composition exam tests your rhetorical and composition skills. Essentially, how do authors construct effective arguments in their writing? What tools do they use? How can you use those tools to craft effective writing yourself? That is the essence of rhetorical analysis.

The exam has two parts: the first section is an hour-long, 45 question multiple-choice section. It includes five sets of questions, each based on a passage or passages. In this section, there will be 23-25 rhetorical analysis questions which test your rhetorical skills. There will also be 20-22 writing questions which require you to consider revisions to the texts you're shown.

The second section is free response. It starts with a 15-minute reading period, and then you'll have 120 minutes to write three analytical essays:

• One essay where you synthesize several provided texts to create an argument
• One essay where you analyze a nonfiction passage for its rhetorical construction
• One essay where you create an original argument in response to a prompt.

You will have about 40 minutes to write each essay, but no one will prompt you to move from essay to essay—you can structure the 120 minutes as you wish.

In the next sections I'll go over each section of the exam more closely—first multiple choice, and then free response.

The AP English Language and Composition Multiple-Choice

The multiple-choice section tests you on two main areas. The first is how well you can read and understand nonfiction passages for their use of rhetorical devices and tools. The second is how well you can "think like a writer" and make revisions to texts in composition questions.

You will be presented with five passages, about which you will receive a small amount of orienting information, e.g. "This passage is excerpted from a collection of essays on boating" or "This passage is excerpted from an essay written in 19th-century Haiti." Each passage will be followed by a set of questions.

There are, in general, eight question types you can expect to encounter on the multiple-choice section of the exam. I've taken my examples from the sample questions in the " Course and Exam Description ."

Magic eight-ball says there are eight types of multiple-choice questions!

Type 1: Reading Comprehension

These questions are focused on verifying that you understood what a certain part of the passage was saying on a concrete, literal level. You can identify these questions from phrases like "according to" "refers," etc. The best way to succeed on these questions is to go back and re-read the part of the passage referred to very carefully.

Type 2: Implication

These questions take reading comprehension one step further—they are primarily focused on what the author is implying without directly coming out and saying it. These questions will have a correct answer, though, based on evidence from the passage. Which interpretation offered in the answers does the passage most support? You can identify questions like these from words like "best supported," ‘"implies," "suggests," "inferred," and so on.

Type 3: Overall Passage and Author Questions

These questions ask about overall elements of the passage or the author, such as the author's attitude on the issue discussed, the purpose of the passage, the passage's overarching style, the audience for the passage, and so on.

You can identify these questions because they won't refer back to a specific moment in the text. For these questions, you'll need to think of the passage from a "bird's-eye view" and consider what all of the small details together are combining to say.

Type 4: Relationships Between Parts of the Text

Some questions will ask you to describe the relationship between two parts of the text, whether they are paragraphs or specific lines. You can identify these because they will usually explicitly ask about the relationship between two identified parts of the text, although sometimes they will instead ask about a relationship implicitly, by saying something like "compared to the rest of the passage."

Type 5: Interpretation of Imagery/Figurative Language

These questions will ask you about the deeper meaning or implication of figurative language or imagery that is used in the text. Essentially, why did the author choose to use this simile or this metaphor? What is s/he trying to accomplish?

You can generally identify questions like this because the question will specifically reference a moment of figurative language in the text. However, it might not be immediately apparent that the phrase being referenced is figurative, so you may need to go back and look at it in the passage to be sure of what kind of question you are facing.

Type 6: Purpose of Part of the Text

Still other questions will ask you to identify what purpose a particular part of the text serves in the author's larger argument. What is the author trying to accomplish with the particular moment in the text identified in the question?

You can identify these questions because they will generally explicitly ask what purpose a certain part of the text serves. You may also see words or phrases like "serves to" or "function."

Type 7: Rhetorical Strategy

These questions will ask you to identify a rhetorical strategy used by the author. They will often specifically use the phrase "rhetorical strategy," although sometimes you will be able to identify them instead through the answer choices, which offer different rhetorical strategies as possibilities.

Type 8: Composition

This is the newest question type, first seen in the 2019/2020 school year. For these questions, the student will need to act as though they are the writer and think through different choices writers need to make when writing or revising text.

These questions can involve changing the order of sentences or paragraphs, adding or omitting information to strengthen an argument or improve clarity, making changes to draw reader attention, and other composition-based choices.

Some very important stylish effects going on here.

The AP English Language and Composition Free Response

The free response section has a 15-minute reading period. After that time, you will have 120 minutes to write three essays that address three distinct tasks.

Because the first essay involves reading sources, it is suggested that you use the entire 15-minute reading period to read the sources and plan the first essay. However, you may want to glance at the other questions during the reading period so that ideas can percolate in the back of your mind as you work on the first essay.

Essay One: Synthesis

For this essay, you will be briefly oriented on an issue and then given anywhere from six to seven sources that provide various perspectives and information on the issue. You will then need to write an argumentative essay with support from the documents.

If this sounds a lot like a DBQ , as on the history AP exams, that's because it is! However, this essay is much more argumentative in nature—your goal is to persuade, not merely interpret the documents.

Example (documents not included, see 2022 free response questions ):

Essay Two: Rhetorical Analysis

In the second essay, you'll be presented with an excerpt from a nonfiction piece that advances an argument and asked to write an essay analyzing the rhetorical strategies used to construct the passage's argument. You will also be given some orienting information—where the passage was excerpted from, who wrote it, its approximate date, where it was published (if at all), and to whom it was directed.

Example (excerpt not included, see 2022 free response questions ):

Essay Three: Argument

In the third essay, you will be presented with an issue and asked to write a persuasive essay taking a position on the issue. You will need to support your position with evidence from your "reading, experience, and observations."

This doesn't look like a very well-constructed argument.

How The AP Language and Composition Exam Is Scored

The multiple-choice section of the exam is worth 45% of your score, and the free-response section is worth the other 55%. So each of the three free-response essays is worth about 18% of your score.

As on other APs, your raw score will be converted to a scaled score of 1-5. This exam has a relatively low 5 rate. Only 10% of test takers received a 5 in 2022 , although 56% of students received a score of 3 or higher.

In terms of how the raw score is obtained, the multiple-choice section is similar to other AP multiple-choice sections: you receive a point for every question you answer correctly, and there is no penalty for guessing.

The grading rubrics for the free-response questions were revamped in 2019. They are scored using analytic rubrics instead of holistic rubrics. For each free-response question, you will be given a score from 0-6. The rubrics assess three major areas:

#1: Thesis (0 to 1 points): Is there a thesis, and does it properly respond to the prompt?

#2: Evidence and Commentary (0 to 4 points): Does the essay include supporting evidence and analysis that is relevant, specific, well organized, and supports the thesis?

#3: Sophistication (0 to 1 points): Is the essay well-crafted and does it show a sufficiently nuanced understanding of the prompt?

Each scoring rubric broadly assesses these three factors. However, each task is also different in nature, so the rubrics do have some differences. I'll go over each rubric—and what it really means—for you here.

Synthesis Essay Rubrics

EVIDENCE AND COMMENTARY

SOPHISTICATION

Time to synthesize this dough into some cookies.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Rubrics

Examine your texts closely!

Argumentative Essay Rubrics

The best kind of frenzy is a puppy frenzy!

AP English Language Prep Tips

Unlike its cousin, the AP English Literature and Composition exam, the AP Language and Composition exam (and course) have very little to do with fiction or poetry. So some students used to more traditional English classes may be somewhat at a loss as to what to do to prepare.

Luckily for you, I have a whole slate of preparation tips for you!

Read Nonfiction—In a Smart Way

A major thing you can do to prepare for the AP Lang and Comp exam is to read nonfiction— particularly nonfiction that argues a position , whether explicitly (like an op-ed) or implicitly (like many memoirs and personal essays). Read a variety of non-fiction genres and topics, and pay attention to the following:

• What is the author's argument?
• What evidence do they use to support their position?
• What rhetorical techniques and strategies do they use to build their argument?
• Are they persuasive? What counterarguments can you identify? Do they address them?

Thinking about these questions with all the reading you do will help you hone your rhetorical analysis skills.

Learn Rhetorical Terms and Strategies

Of course, if you're going to be analyzing the nonfiction works you read for their rhetorical techniques and strategies, you need to know what those are! You should learn a robust stable of rhetorical terms from your teacher, but here's my guide to the most important AP Language and Composition terms .

• We've compiled a list of 20 rhetorical devices you should know.
• A heroic individual from Riverside schools in Ohio uploaded this aggressively comprehensive list of rhetorical terms with examples. It's 27 pages long, and you definitely shouldn't expect to know all of these for the exam, but it's a useful resource for learning some new terms.
• Another great resource for learning about rhetorical analysis and how rhetorical devices are actually used is the YouTube Channel Teach Argument , which has videos rhetorically analyzing everything from Taylor Swift music videos to Super Bowl commercials. It's a fun way to think about rhetorical devices and get familiar with argumentative structures.
• Finally, a great book—which you might already use in your class—is " They Say, I Say. " This book provides an overview of rhetoric specifically for academic purposes, which will serve you well for AP preparation and beyond.

You also need to practice argumentative and persuasive writing. In particular, you should practice the writing styles that will be tested on the exam: synthesizing your own argument based on multiple outside sources, rhetorically analyzing another piece of writing in-depth, and creating a completely original argument based on your own evidence and experience.

You should be doing lots of writing assignments in your AP class to prepare, but thoughtful, additional writing will help. You don't necessarily need to turn all of the practice writing you do into polished pieces, either—just writing for yourself, while trying to address some of these tasks, will give you a low-pressure way to try out different rhetorical structures and argumentative moves, as well as practicing things like organization and developing your own writing style.

Not the most auspicious start to an argumentative essay.

Practice for the Exam

Finally, you'll need to practice specifically for the exam format. There are sample multiple-choice questions in the " AP Course and Exam Description ," and old free-response questions on the College Board website.

Unfortunately, the College Board hasn't officially released any complete exams from previous years for the AP English Language and Composition exam, but you might be able to find some that teachers have uploaded to school websites and so on by Googling "AP Language complete released exams." I also have a guide to AP Language and Composition practice tests .

Once you're prepped and ready to go, how can you do your best on the test?

AP Language and Composition Test Day Tips

Here are four key tips for test-day success.

You are one hundred percent success!

Interact With the Text

When you are reading passages, both on the multiple-choice section and for the first two free-response questions, interact with the text! Mark it up for things that seem important, devices you notice, the author's argument, and anything else that seems important to the rhetorical construction of the text. This will help you engage with the text and make it easier to answer questions or write an essay about the passage.

Think About Every Text's Overarching Purpose and Argument

Similarly, with every passage you read, consider the author's overarching purpose and argument. If you can confidently figure out what the author's primary assertion is, it will be easier to trace how all of the other aspects of the text play into the author's main point.

Plan Your Essays

The single most important thing you can do for yourself on the free-response section of the AP English Language exam is to spend a few minutes planning and outlining your essays before you start to write them.

Unlike on some other exams, where the content is the most important aspect of the essay, on the AP Language Exam, organization, a well-developed argument, and strong evidence are all critical to strong essay scores. An outline will help you with all of these things. You'll be able to make sure each part of your argument is logical, has sufficient evidence, and that your paragraphs are arranged in a way that is clear and flows well.

Anticipate and Address Counterarguments

Another thing you can do to give your free responses an extra boost is to identify counterarguments to your position and address them within your essay. This not only helps shore up your own position, but it's also a fairly sophisticated move in a timed essay that will win you kudos with AP graders.

Address counterarguments properly or they might get returned to sender!

Key Takeaways

The AP Language and Composition exam tests your rhetorical skills. The exam has two sections.

The first section is an hour-long, 45 question multiple-choice test based on the rhetorical techniques and composition choices.

The second section is a two-hour free-response section (with a 15-minute initial reading period) with three essay questions: one where you must synthesize given sources to make an original argument, one where you must rhetorically analyze a given passage, and one where you must create a wholly original argument about an issue with no outside sources given.

You'll receive one point for every correct answer on the multiple-choice section of the exam, which is worth 45% of your score. The free-response section is worth 55% of your score. For each free-response question, you'll get a score based on a rubric from 0-6. Your total raw score will be converted to a scaled score from 1-5.

Here are some test prep strategies for AP Lang:

#1 : Read nonfiction with an eye for rhetoric #2 : Learn rhetorical strategies and techniques #3 : Practice writing to deploy rhetorical skills #4 : Practice for the exam!

Here are some test-day success tips:

#1 : Interact with each passage you encounter! #2 : Consider every text's overarching purpose and argument. #3 : Keep track of time #4 : Plan your essays #5 : Identify and address counterarguments in your essays.

With all of this knowledge, you're ready to slay the AP English Language and Composition beast!

Noble knight, prepare to slay the AP dragon!

What's Next?

Want more AP Lang review? We have a complete collection of released AP Language practice tests , as well as a list of the AP Lang terms you need to know and a guide to the multiple choice section .

Taking the AP Literature exam? Check out our ultimate guide to the AP English Literature test and our list of AP Literature practice tests .

Taking other AP exams? See our Ultimate Guides to AP World History , AP US History , AP Chemistry , AP Biology , AP World History , and AP Human Geography .

Need more AP prep guidance? Check out how to study for AP exams and how to find AP practice tests .

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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How to Write the AP Lang Argument Essay + Examples

What’s covered:, what is the ap language argument essay, tips for writing the ap language argument essay, ap english language argument essay examples, how will ap scores impact my college chances.

In 2023, over 550,148 students across the U.S. took the AP English Language and Composition Exam, and 65.2% scored higher than a 3. The AP English Language Exam tests your ability to analyze a piece of writing, synthesize information, write a rhetorical essay, and create a cohesive argument. In this post, we’ll be discussing the best way to approach the argumentative essay section of the test, and we’ll give you tips and tricks so you can write a great essay.

The AP English Language Exam as of 2023 is structured as follows:

Section 1: 45 multiple choice questions to be completed in an hour. This portion counts for 45% of your score. This section requires students to analyze a piece of literature. The questions ask about its content and/or what could be edited within the passage.

Section 2: Three free response questions to be completed in the remaining two hours and 15 minutes. This section counts for 55% of your score. These essay questions include the synthesis essay, the rhetorical essay, and the argumentative essay.

• Synthesis essay: Read 6-7 sources and create an argument using at least three of the sources.
• Rhetorical analysis essay: Describe how a piece of writing evokes meaning and symbolism.
• Argumentative essay: Pick a side of a debate and create an argument based on evidence. In this essay, you should develop a logical argument in support of or against the given statement and provide ample evidence that supports your conclusion. Typically, a five paragraph format is great for this type of writing. This essay is scored holistically from 1 to 9 points.

Do you want more information on the structure of the full exam? Take a look at our in-depth overview of the AP Language and Composition Exam .

Although the AP Language Argument may seem daunting at first, once you understand how the essay should be structured, it will be a lot easier to create cohesive arguments.

Below are some tips to help you as you write the essay.

1. Organize your essay before writing

Instead of jumping right into your essay, plan out what you will say beforehand. It’s easiest to make a list of your arguments and write out what facts or evidence you will use to support each argument. In your outline, you can determine the best order for your arguments, especially if they build on each other or are chronological. Having a well-organized essay is crucial for success.

2. Pick one side of the argument, but acknowledge the other side

When you write the essay, it’s best if you pick one side of the debate and stick with it for the entire essay. All your evidence should be in support of that one side. However, in your introductory paragraph, as you introduce the debate, be sure to mention any merit the arguments of the other side has. This can make the essay a bit more nuanced and show that you did consider both sides before determining which one was better. Often, acknowledging another viewpoint then refuting it can make your essay stronger.

3. Provide evidence to support your claims

The AP readers will be looking for examples and evidence to support your argument. This doesn’t mean that you need to memorize a bunch of random facts before the exam. This just means that you should be able to provide concrete examples in support of your argument.

For example, if the essay topic is about whether the role of the media in society has been detrimental or not, and you argue that it has been, you may talk about the phenomenon of “fake news” during the 2016 presidential election.

AP readers are not looking for perfect examples, but they are looking to see if you can provide enough evidence to back your claim and make it easily understood.

4. Create a strong thesis statement

The thesis statement will set up your entire essay, so it’s important that it is focused and specific, and that it allows for the reader to understand your body paragraphs. Make sure your thesis statement is the very last sentence of your introductory paragraph. In this sentence, list out the key points you will be making in the essay in the same order that you will be writing them. Each new point you mention in your thesis should start a paragraph in your essay.

Below is a prompt and sample student essay from the May 2019 exam . We’ll look at what the student did well in their writing and where they could improve.

Prompt: “The term “overrated” is often used to diminish concepts, places, roles, etc. that the speaker believes do not deserve the prestige they commonly enjoy; for example, many writers have argued that success is overrated, a character in a novel by Anthony Burgess famously describes Rome as a “vastly overrated city,” and Queen Rania of Jordan herself has asserted that “[b]eing queen is overrated.”

Select a concept, place, role, etc. to which you believe that the term “overrated” should be applied. Then, write a well-developed essay in which you explain your judgment. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.

Sample Student Essay #1:

[1] Competition is “overrated.” The notion of motivation between peers has evolved into a source of unnecessary stress and even lack of morals. Whether it be in an academic environment or in the industry, this new idea of competition is harmful to those competing and those around them.

[2] Back in elementary school, competition was rather friendly. It could have been who could do the most pushups or who could get the most imaginary points in a classroom for a prize. If you couldn’t do the most pushups or win that smelly sticker, you would go home and improve yourself – there would be no strong feelings towards anyone, you would just focus on making yourself a better version of yourself. Then as high school rolled around, suddenly applying for college doesn’t seem so far away –GPA seems to be that one stat that defines you – extracurriculars seem to shape you – test scores seem to categorize you. Sleepless nights, studying for the next day’s exam, seem to become more and more frequent. Floating duck syndrome seems to surround you (FDS is where a competitive student pretends to not work hard but is furiously studying beneath the surface just like how a duck furiously kicks to stay afloat). All of your competitors appear to hope you fail – but in the end what do you and your competitor’s gain? Getting one extra point on the test? Does that self-satisfaction compensate for the tremendous amounts of acquired stress? This new type of “competition” is overrated – it serves nothing except a never-ending source of anxiety and seeks to weaken friendships and solidarity as a whole in the school setting.

[3] A similar idea of “competition” can be applied to business. On the most fundamental level, competition serves to be a beneficial regulator of prices and business models for both the business themselves and consumers. However, as businesses grew increasingly greedy and desperate, companies resorted to immoral tactics that only hurt their reputations and consumers as a whole. Whether it be McDonald’s coupons that force you to buy more food or tech companies like Apple intentionally slowing down your iPhone after 3 years to force you to upgrade to the newest device, consumers suffer and in turn speak down upon these companies. Similar to the evolved form of competition in school, this overrated form causes pain for all parties and has since diverged from the encouraging nature that the principle of competition was “founded” on.

The AP score for this essay was a 4/6, meaning that it captured the main purpose of the essay but there were still substantial parts missing. In this essay, the writer did a good job organizing the sections and making sure that their writing was in order according to the thesis statement. The essay first discusses how competition is harmful in elementary school and then discusses this topic in the context of business. This follows the chronological order of somebody’s life and flows nicely.

The arguments in this essay are problematic, as they do not provide enough examples of how exactly competition is overrated. The essay discusses the context in which competition is overrated but does not go far enough in explaining how this connects to the prompt.

In the first example, school stress is used to explain how competition manifests. This is a good starting point, but it does not talk about why competition is overrated; it simply mentions that competition can be unhealthy. The last sentence of that paragraph is the main point of the argument and should be expanded to discuss how the anxiety of school is overrated later on in life. 

In the second example, the writer discusses how competition can lead to harmful business practices, but again, this doesn’t reflect the reason this would be overrated. Is competition really overrated because Apple and McDonald’s force you to buy new products? This example could’ve been taken one step farther. Instead of explaining why business structures—such as monopolies—harm competition, the author should discuss how those particular structures are overrated.

Additionally, the examples the writer used lack detail. A stronger essay would’ve provided more in-depth examples. This essay seemed to mention examples only in passing without using them to defend the argument.

It should also be noted that the structure of the essay is incomplete. The introduction only has a thesis statement and no additional context. Also, there is no conclusion paragraph that sums up the essay. These missing components result in a 4/6.

Now let’s go through the prompt for a sample essay from the May 2022 exam . The prompt is as follows:

Colin Powell, a four-star general and former United States Secretary of State, wrote in his 1995 autobiography: “[W]e do not have the luxury of collecting information indefinitely. At some point, before we can have every possible fact in hand, we have to decide. The key is not to make quick decisions, but to make timely decisions.”

Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Powell’s claim about making decisions is valid. 

In your response you should do the following:

• Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position. 
• Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning. 
• Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. 
• Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

Sample Student Essay #2:

Colin Powell, who was a four star general and a former United States Secretary of State. He wrote an autobiography and had made a claim about making decisions. In my personal opinion, Powell’s claim is true to full extent and shows an extremely valuable piece of advice that we do not consider when we make decisions.

Powell stated, “before we can have every possible fact in hand we have to decide…. but to make it a timely decision” (1995). With this statement Powell is telling the audience of his autobiography that it does not necessarily matter how many facts you have, and how many things you know. Being able to have access to everything possible takes a great amount of time and we don’t always have all of the time in the world. A decision has to be made with what you know, waiting for something else to come in while trying to make a decision whether that other fact is good or bad you already have a good amount of things that you know. Everyone’s time is valuable, including yours. At the end of the day the decision will have to be made and that is why it should be made in a “timely” manner.

This response was graded for a score of 2/6. Let’s break down the score to smaller points that signify where the student fell short.

The thesis in this essay is clearly outlined at the end of the first paragraph. The student states their agreement with Powell’s claim and frames the rest of their essay around this stance. The success in scoring here lies in the clear communication of the thesis and the direction the argument will take. It’s important to make the thesis statement concise, specific, and arguable, which the student has successfully done.

While the student did attempt to provide evidence to support their thesis, it’s clear that their explanation lacks specific detail and substance. They referenced Powell’s statement, but did not delve into how this statement has proven true in specific instances, and did not provide examples that could bring the argument to life.

Commentary is an essential part of this section’s score. It means explaining the significance of the evidence and connecting it back to the thesis. Unfortunately, the student’s commentary here is too vague and does not effectively elaborate on how the evidence supports their argument.

To improve, the student could use more concrete examples to demonstrate their point and discuss how each piece of evidence supports their thesis. For instance, they could discuss specific moments in Powell’s career where making a timely decision was more valuable than waiting for all possible facts. This would help illustrate the argument in a more engaging, understandable way.

A high score in the “sophistication” category of the grading rubric is given for demonstrating a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation (purpose, audience, context, etc.), making effective rhetorical choices, or establishing a line of reasoning. Here, the student’s response lacks complexity and sophistication. They’ve simply agreed with Powell’s claim and made a few general statements without providing a deeper analysis or effectively considering the rhetorical situation.

To increase sophistication, the student could explore possible counterarguments or complexities within Powell’s claim. They could discuss potential drawbacks of making decisions without all possible facts, or examine situations where timely decisions might not yield the best results. By acknowledging and refuting these potential counterarguments, they could add more depth to their analysis and showcase their understanding of the complexities involved in decision-making.

The student could also analyze why Powell, given his background and experiences, might have come to such a conclusion, thus providing more context and showing an understanding of the rhetorical situation.

Remember, sophistication in argumentation isn’t about using fancy words or complicated sentences. It’s about showing that you understand the complexity of the issue at hand and that you’re able to make thoughtful, nuanced arguments. Sophistication shows that you can think critically about the topic and make connections that aren’t immediately obvious.

Now that you’ve looked at an example essay and some tips for the argumentative essay, you know how to better prepare for the AP English Language and Composition Exam.

While your AP scores don’t usually impact your admissions chances , colleges do care a lot about your course rigor. So, taking as many APs as you can will certainly boost your chances! AP scores can be a way for high-performing students to set themselves apart, particularly when applying to prestigious universities. Through the process of self-reporting scores , you can show your hard work and intelligence to admissions counselors.

That said, the main benefit of scoring high on AP exams comes once you land at your dream school, as high scores can allow you to “test out” of entry-level requirements, often called GE requirements or distribution requirements. This will save you time and money.

To understand how your course rigor stacks up, check out CollegeVine’s free chancing engine . This resource takes your course rigor, test scores, extracurriculars, and more, to determine your chances of getting into over 1600 colleges across the country!

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AP English Language and Composition Practice Tests

The new AP English Language and Composition Exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and broken up into two sections.

Section I: One hour (45 percent of total score)

50–60 multiple-choice questions about several nonfiction prose passages

Section II: Two hours and 15 minutes

Three essays (55 percent of total score)

Essay 1: an argument for or against an idea presented in a short passage incorporating provided published sources

Essay 2: an analysis of a prose passage

Essay 3: an essay commenting on the validity of an opinion expressed in a statement or short passage

AP English Language and Composition Glossary

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AP English Language and Composition Multiple-Choice Practice Tests

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AP English Language and Composition Free-Response Practice Tests

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AP English Language and Composition Downloads

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AP® English Language

One month ap® english language and composition study guide.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

The AP® English Language and Composition test. It’s what you’ve been working towards all year long. While one month of remaining study time may seem like enough, it will pass quickly. This one-month study guide is designed to enhance and reinforce what you have already learned in class and provide you with ample practice in every area you will be tested in. Are you ready to get started?

Course Materials

1. An Upgraded Account on Albert.io

2.  Official AP® English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description

Resource Materials

1. AP® style study guide supplied by your teacher or that you have purchased

2. All your classwork and handouts from the course

3. Dictionary and thesaurus

4. Notebook and index cards

5. Your common sense and a sense of humor

Print this study guide and keep it in a secure and accessible location.

– In your Official AP® English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description , read through the section titled Writing pages 31-35. This section covers the Argumentative Essay requirements. In your notebook, write at least five key points that you want to remember.

– Review your vocabulary. Refer to your class materials including any prior reading handouts. Make a flashcard for any word you are not confident of. You will be adding to and reviewing these vocabulary words multiple times throughout this study guide.

– Go to the Albert.io AP® English Language Free Response section and read through the Values prompt. Pay close attention to the example response and how it is graded according to the rubric.

– Complete the first section in your chosen AP® style study guide book. The first section of most AP® study guides will usually provide you with a good idea of your current skill and comprehension levels.

– Choose a classic novel such as Moby Dick or a Shakespeare play to read for 30 minutes. It is important that you are comfortable reading all styles of writing. The goal of the Multiple Choice section of the test is to challenge your ability to choose THE MOST CORRECT answer. The most correct choice is typically rooted in the context of the reading.

– Pay close attention to the minute differences between words. Did you read “minute” as a noun as in a length of time or as an adjective, as in “a small amount?” With that in mind, expand your vocabulary index cards with 10 additional words.

– Go to the Albert.io Practice Questions and complete as many questions in the Rhetoric section as you can in 40 minutes. It is important that you become confident and quick in choosing your answers.

– Complete a section in your AP® style study guide book pertaining to the Argumentative Essay.

– Take a deep breath and get a good night’s sleep

– Choose an Argumentative Essay prompt from either your AP® style study guide or any prompt your teacher provided. There are many prompts on the Albert.io AP® English Language Free Style section should you struggle for a prompt.

– Give yourself 40 minutes to write an essay. Learning to write a complete essay in the allotted time is key to a high score in the AP® exam. It is highly recommended that you bring this essay to your teacher for feedback.  Also, refer to the Albert.io AP® English Language Outline How To section. Read through the How to Tackle the AP® English Language General Argument Essay

– Go to Official AP® English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description and read through pages 36-38. In your notebook, write up to 5 key points to remember regarding Synthesis writing.

– Review your notes from class this week.

– Read the Albert.io review article titled How to Study for AP® English Language

– Go back through the previous study days in week one. Did you complete all the assignments? Complete any remaining activities from Week One of this one-month study guide.

Start your AP® English Language Prep today

Do you feel more competent this week than last? Your skills and your confidence will continue to grow stronger each week.

– Complete the next section in your AP® style study guide book.

– Review your vocabulary index cards and your notes from class last week.

– Read the writing on pages 52 & 53 of your Official AP® English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description . Choose a vivid paragraph from that reading and in your notebook, write 5 reasons why you feel the author chose to use those particular words to paint that particular picture.

– In your notebook, write as many tone of voice words in 10 minutes as possible. Words such as angrily, noisily, agitated and so on.

– Read through the advice on How to Tackle AP® English Language Author’s Meaning Questions

– In the Practice Questions section, complete the first three sets of questions in the Author’s Meaning and Purpose category.

– Select a Synthesis writing prompt from either your AP® study guide book or any prompt your teacher has provided. Give yourself 10 minutes to write a thesis statement based on that prompt.

– Give yourself 5 minutes to write an introduction paragraph for your chosen prompt. Take these writings to your teacher and ask them to critique your writing.

– In your Official AP® English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description , refer to the section on Images to Texts on page 27 & 28. During the AP® test, the documents will appear very similar yet there will be one that has the BEST data to support your writing.

– It is time to see your progress in the Albert.io Check List. How you are doing? In what areas are you strong and what areas are you lacking?

– Go to the Practice Questions and complete 40 additional questions in the section you are struggling in OR complete all the questions in the Organization and Structure section.

– Using the Synthesis prompt you choose on Day 3, give yourself 40 minutes to write the complete essay. Use the thesis and introduction you previously wrote but edit as needed.

– Read the article How to Ace the AP® English Language and Composition Synthesis Essay . In your notebook, write five key points you want to remember from that article.

– Take yourself and/or dog out for a walk. If walking isn’t an option, spend at least a half hour outside enjoying your favorite activity or sit in a quiet area and relax.

– At the end of the Albert.io AP® English Language FAQ section, there are many helpful articles. Today there are two articles for you to read. The first is The Little Student Who Could: Digging Deep for your AP® English Essays and the second is Beating the Clock: How to Write Three AP® Comp Essays in Two Hours.

– Complete a section in your AP® style study guide. In your notebook, write five key points from the lesson.

– In 30 minutes, write as many metaphoric phrases as you possibly can. If possible, take your phrases to your teacher for critiquing.

– Review your vocabulary index cards and add any additional words you need to continually review.

– Go to the Albert.io AP® English Language Practice Questions and complete the last three sections of questions in the Rhetoric category. If you have already completed those questions, spend 30 minutes answering questions in any other category.

– Read 30 minutes of your favorite Shakespeare.

– Complete a section in your AP® style study guide. Add any words you are unfamiliar with to your vocabulary index cards.

– Go to sleep early tonight.

– Finish any remaining Practice Questions in Albert.io Author’s Meaning and Purpose section. Don’t cheat yourself out of valuable study time. If you have already completed that section, continue working for at least 30 minutes in another section of your choosing.

– Read through the ‘Of Studies’ prompt in the Free Response Question section. Closely analyze the Example Response and how it was graded according to the rubric.

– Review your class notes from last week. Pay special attention to any annotations you have made or teacher comments.

– Choose any of the Rhetorical prompts from the Albert.io AP® English Language Free Response section to write an essay on. Give yourself 40 minutes to complete the essay.

– Spend at least 20 minutes reviewing how to cite sources. Use your notes from class or use a website such as wikiHow .

– Complete another section of your AP® style study guide

– Read the preamble of the Declaration of Independence . Now read it again. In your notebook, write down every word you do not know the meaning of. Find the definitions. Then ask yourself why the authors would choose those particular words.

– Read the article titled How to Master AP® English Language Arguing .

– In your notebook, write up to 5 key points from the article.

– Look back at the work you completed this week. Did you complete each assignment in this one-month study guide?

– In your notebook, make a list of any remaining questions you have.

– Read through the “A God Who Remembers” prompt in the Albert.io AP® English Language Free Response section. How do your essays compare with the example essay? In your notebook, write 5 similarities and 5 differences.

– Review your notes from class last week and your vocabulary cards.

– Read the article The Ultimate List of AP® English Language Tips on the Albert.io website.

– If you have any sections remaining in your AP® style study guide, complete another section. If there are no remaining sections, take the day off!

– Read 30 minutes of any non-fiction writing piece.

– Read at least two articles you have not yet read in the Albert.io AP® English Language Outline section.

– Review two of the essays you have written throughout the AP® English Language and Composition course. Do you see how far you have come?

– Review three of the sections you have completed in your AP® style study guide.

– Read another two articles you have not yet read in the Albert.io Outline section.

– Challenge yourself to complete any remaining practice questions in the Albert.io AP® English Language section or the questions found on pages 47-51 in Official AP® English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description .

– Have you completed all the Practice Questions in Albert.io? If not, take at least 40 minutes and answer more questions.

– Scroll to the bottom of the Albert.io AP® English Language FAQ. Read the article titled Don’t Blindly Answer C! AP® English Multiple Choice Strategies .

– Scroll to the bottom of the Albert.io AP® English Language FAQ. Read the articles you have not already read.

– Use the Check List to ensure you are ready for the test.

Congratulations on completing this AP® English Language and Composition one-month study guide! The bottom line is, if you have walked through all these assignments and followed your teachers directing, you will be comfortable and confident on test day.

Let us know what has worked for you. What did you like best about this one month study guide? Do you have recommendations of your own on how to study for the AP® English Language exam?

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Kickstart your AP® English Language prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today .

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Why is the college board changing the way they score ap tests.

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Roosevelt, N.Y.: Photo of child writing on test booklet during the New York State 2016 Common Core ... [+] math test, grade 4 at Ulysses Byas Elementary School in Roosevelt, New York on April 13, 2016. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams, Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)

In a previous article , I described a massive change in the distribution of AP scores.

There were some hints that this was coming. There was a 2021 conference on the English Literature and Language AP exams, titled Mosaic 2021, which John Moscatiello, founder of Marco Learning, attended. In August 2021, Moscatiello wrote on X that there was a live presentation by Trevor Packer, the Director of the College Board’s AP program since 2003. Moscatiello notes that “ @AP_Trevor shows data that indicates that ‘the standards being set for 3, 4, or 5 are much too stringent.’ Students who earned a 3 on AP English Language Exam are doing better than students who earned a C, C+, or B- in college English courses.”

He presented the following chart to back up his claims that college grades are not matching up with many AP scores:

AP English Lang test distribution and AP Standard Setting Methodolgy

Moscatiello notes in his tweet that @AP_Trevor shows data that indicates, according to Packer, that “the standards being set for 3, 4, or 5 are much too stringent. Students who earned a 3 on AP English Language Exam are doing better than students who earned a C, C+, or B- in college English courses.”

On July 6, 2024, based on some tweets by Moscatiello, Jon Boeckenstedt, the Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at Oregon State University, did some digging into this year’s AP scores. “I've done manual checks and double-checks on this, especially on the exams where the results look way out of whack with what you would expect.” Moscatiello's take, according to Boeckenstedt, was that this was “intentional on the part of the College Board, and that it would continue on other exams in the future.”

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On July 11 Moscatiello wrote an article in the Fordham Institute site called “The Great Recalibration of AP Exams”, a title he used in a July 2 tweet. He noted that the College Board website describes the processes to set scores: “annual studies of AP student performance in college consistently find that AP students with scores of 3 or higher outperform in subsequent college coursework the comparison groups of college students who took the colleges’ own AP-equivalent course.”

Researchers who have tried to ascertain the validity of these College Board claims have found that the data is unavailable. As noted in my previous article, data from the College Board became more opaque. “Used to be, with a little work, you could download very detailed data on AP results from the College Board website,” notes Jon Boeckenstedt in his blog Higher Ed Data Stories . “Those days are gone. They still publish data, but it's far less detailed; what's more, what is easily accessible is fairly sterile, and what's more detailed seems to be structured in a way that suggests the company doesn't want you digging down into it.” “There is no reason to doubt the efficacy of this [College Board] research, but since almost none of it is publicly available, there is no reason to accept it at face value either,” agrees Moscatiello.

“This is important,” notes researcher Tom Loveless on X. “AP is undermining its own legitimacy through an opaque recalibration of scores. The sad thing is, if colleges begin doubting AP scores, a lot of working-class kids will lose a way to reduce college costs by reducing time-to-degree.”

Researcher and scholar Chester E. Finn, Jr., in Education Next , wonder Are AP Exams Getting Easier? in a paper with this title. “Because this is opaque for non-specialists, and because specialists, too, can make mistakes, any change in standard-setting and scoring methods on a high-stakes test like AP inevitably invites skepticism, especially when its practical effect seems to have been a big expansion in the number and percentage of ‘qualifying’ scores.”

So I set out on a quest to find where and how the College Board announced and described this major change in scoring.

I started by Googling “how are advanced placement tests scored?” The first link was to the AP Student page. In the FAQ’s, there is a a question: “How are AP Tests Scored?” I hit the link, ready to find the answer. Hmmmmm. No mention of recalibration. “The total scores from the free-response section and the multiple-choice section are combined to form a composite score. These composite scores are then translated into the 5-point scale using statistical processes designed to ensure that, for example, a 3 this year reflects the same level of achievement as a 3 last year.”

There’s a link to “read more” but it has the exact same copy. There is a link to Courses and Exams on the site, but there is no link to anything related to recalibration or scoring.

I went back to the Google results and scrolled down and reached AP Central, a site for AP teachers and administrators. When you go to the link for Courses and Exams, it is identical to the student page with, no link to anything related to scoring. There is no link to anything related to scoring the tests.

As I scroll further down my search results, I find a Google link that gets one to a discussion on a section of the Courses folder on scoring:

You cannot get this information directly from the College Board website. You can only get it if you search specifically for this file and it only resides on the professional’s page (AP Central). This is the entirety of the College Board’s description of the Great Recalibration:

“Psychometricians utilize this assembled information to identify appropriate standards for setting AP scores that will be valid in predicting success when students are placed ahead into subsequent courses in the same discipline at a range of colleges and universities. These processes ensure that AP Exam scores achieve the “predictive validity” that has been a hallmark of the AP Program for decades. As a result of these processes, annual studies of AP student performance in college consistently find that AP students with scores of 3 or higher outperform in subsequent college coursework the comparison groups of college students who took the colleges’ own AP-equivalent course.

While colleges and universities are responsible for setting their own credit and placement policies, AP scores provide evidence and recommendations for how qualified students may receive college credit or placement.

Why have some AP subjects’ score distributions changed recently?

AP’s standards are anchored in evidence. We periodically conduct research on each AP subject around the performance of AP students who use their AP credit to place out of introductory college courses. In this way, on a rotating basis, each AP subjects’ standards are verified every 5-10 years. This research results in one of three outcomes: the data support a larger proportion of AP students receiving credit-qualifying scores; the data confirm and maintain the same standards as in the past; or the data require reducing the percentage of students receiving particular scores within the 1-5 range.

What has changed about the way AP Exam performance levels are set?

In the past, AP’s standards were set via panel-based and content-based judgements (sic). Now that the number of students and colleges that receive and award AP credit is much larger than in the past, we have access to much richer data on AP and college students than in the past. Researchers and psychometricians can use this evidence to set standards that more accurately predict how well students will perform if they place out of an introductory college course.

The AP Program can use this robust data in the well-established Evidence Based Standard Setting (EBSS) protocol to set the 1-5 AP Exam performance levels. To set the levels, this protocol combines analyses of college grading practices, college instructor comparisons of AP content to their courses, AP and college student performance on other assessments, the performance of AP students who place ahead in college compared to those who do not, and many other data points relating to college readiness and success. This process ensures even greater alignment between student performance on an AP Exam and in the corresponding introductory college course.

Do colleges and universities support AP’s standards?

Yes. College faculty from across a wide spectrum of U.S. colleges and universities participate in the EBSS process and typically rate the AP Exam as significantly more difficult than their own institutions’ final exams for the comparable introductory courses. The faculty focus on several key comparisons: AP students are typically the most academically able students, the top 10-15% of high school students in that particular subject, and their PSAT and SAT scores are typically much higher than those of the college population at large, indicating very strong academic readiness and abilities in comparison to the general college population. Moreover, AP students typically receive 2-3 times more instructional hours in their AP course than students who wait to take the comparable introductory course in college. Accordingly, college faculty generally support AP grade distributions in which 70-80% of AP students receive AP grades equivalent to a college C or better (i.e., an AP 3 or higher).”

This is the full text of the College Board reasoning for this massive change in the scoring of AP tests. There are no links to this on either the AP Student or AP Central pages. It appears that the College Board has been less than candid or transparent in discussing this change. In the coming days, it is likely we will be hearing more from the College Board about this change. [note: a response was received and is summarized at the end of this article]

AP teachers I have spoken to are generally supportive of the claim that some scores tend to underpredict student college grades and that some adjustment in warranted. The rationale for the changes may be sound, but the College Board’s obscured data make testing this claim virtually impossible.

Today, July 22, The College Board communications office sent me two documents. ( here and here ) noting “As part of our preparation for the AP Annual Conference this week, we’ve also released two items to the broader AP community this morning”. Here is a summary:

*”Over the last three years, the Advanced Placement Program has applied this new approach, known as evidence-based standard setting (EBSS).”

*”Among AP subjects that have typically long had a ~60%–80% AP Exam ‘success rate’ (a score of 3 or higher) the EBSS process confirmed and maintained those success rates, which did not change as a result of the EBSS process.”

*”9 subjects “have recently had success rates lower than the 60%–80% typical of AP subjects. When EBSS methodologies were used to evaluate student performance in these 9 subjects, student performance analyses supported raising these success rates, such that they are now in alignment with the ~60%–80% success rates typically achieved in other AP subjects.”

They state that the change to EBSS was due to two factors:

*”Digital data collection technologies have emerged that have made this type of quick, efficient, large-scale data collection and analysis possible.” and “Beginning in fall 2019, the AP Program provided all AP teachers with a new digital library of AP course materials….This enabled a more comprehensive collection of metadata to be applied to each exam question by linking each question to the skills, content, and difficulty level it was designed to measure.”

*“We rely on external experts like the American Council on Education (ACE) to independently review and verify AP processes. In their most recent report, ACE stated that the validity evidence for AP scores with success rates in the typical 60-80% range was ‘exceptionally strong.’”

*“AP sets standards that are significantly more stringent than the standards represented by colleges’ own grade distributions: Colleges’ grades in humanities courses are typically 85% Cs or better, and colleges’ grades in STEM courses are typically 75% Cs or better, whereas for most AP subjects, the evidence shows that 60%–75% of AP Exams should receive scores of 3 or higher in order to maintain the historical standards associated with AP scores.”

These details are helpful in allowing professionals to judge the reasoning for the change in scoring. It will be interesting to see the response from the college admissions community, particularly those with the skills to assess the validity and usefulness of these statements.

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Educators wonder how to teach the writings of Alice Munro in wake of daughter’s revelations

FILE - Canadian author Alice Munro is photographed during an interview in Victoria, B.C. Tuesday, Dec.10, 2013. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, Robert Lecker has read, taught and written about Alice Munro, the Nobel laureate from Canada renowned for her short stories. A professor of English at McGill University in Montreal, and author of numerous critical studies of Canadian fiction, he has thought of Munro as the “jewel” in the crown of her country’s literature and source of some of the richest material for classroom discussion.

But since learning that Munro declined to leave her husband after he had sexually assaulted and harassed her daughter, Lecker now wonders how to teach her work, or if he should even try.

“I had decided to teach a graduate course on Munro in the winter of 2025,” Lecker says. “Now I have serious questions whether I feel ethically capable of offering that course.”

Andrea Robin Skinner, daughter of Munro and James Munro, wrote in the Toronto Star earlier this month that she had been assaulted at age 9 by Munro’s second husband, Gerard Fremlin. She alleged that he continued to harass and abuse her for the next few years, losing interest when she reached her teens. In her 20s, she told her mother about Fremlin’s abuse. But Munro, after briefly leaving Fremlin, returned and remained with him until his death in 2013. She would explain to Skinner that she “loved him too much” to remain apart.

When Munro died in May at age 92, she was celebrated worldwide for narratives which documented rare insight into her characters’ secrets, motivations, passions and cruelties, especially those of girls and women. Admirers cited her not just as a literary inspiration, but as a kind of moral guide, sometimes described as “Saint Alice.” A New York Times essay that ran shortly after her death, by Canadian author Sheila Heti, was titled “I Don’t Write Like Alice Munro, But I Want to Live Like Her.”

“No one knows the compromises another makes, especially when that person is as private as she was and transforms her trials into fiction,” Heti wrote. “Yet whatever the truth of her daily existence, she still shines as a symbol of artistic purity.”

Educators in Canada and beyond are now rethinking her life and work. At Western University in London, Ontario, Munro’s alma mater, the school has posted a statement on its website saying that it was “taking time to carefully consider the impact” of the revelations. Since 2018, Western University has offered an Alice Munro Chair in Creativity, with a mission to “Lead the creative culture of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, serving as a mentor and a model.” That chair, held for the past academic year by Heti, will be left unfilled as “we carefully consider Munro’s legacy and her ties to Western,” according to the school.

Requests with Heti’s agent and publicists for comment were not immediately answered.

For the fall semester at Harvard University, authors and faculty members Laura van den Berg and Neel Mukherjee will be co-teaching “Reading for Fiction Writers,” a review of literary works ranging from the science fiction of Octavia Butler to the “realist” fiction of Munro. Van den Berg, a prize-winning writer whose books include the story collection “The Isle of Youth” and the novel “State of Paradise,” says that Munro’s failure to support Skinner has forced her to rethink her approach to the class.

“I’ll never read Munro the same away again, and won’t be teaching her the same way,” she says. “To me, what was so painful about what Andrea Skinner has been through is the silence. And feeling that she could break her silence after her mother was gone. To me, to just stand in front a group of students and read the lecture I had originally prepared would feel like a second silencing.”

A former student of Lecker’s, Kellie Elrick, says she is still figuring out how Munro should be taught and how to think of her work. Munro’s stories have enriched her life, she says, and she doesn’t regret reading them. Elrick, entering her fourth year at McGill, sees parallel narratives, “difficult to reconcile,” of “Munro the writer” and “Munro the mother.”

“I think that it’s perhaps both productive and dangerous to read an author’s work biographically,” she added. “It may allow us (the readers) to think we may understand things, but there are things we can never truly know about the lives and intentions of writers.”

One of the Munro stories that van den Berg and Mukherjee plan to teach is “Friend of My Youth,” narrated by a woman long estranged from her mother, whose “ideas were in line with some progressive notions of her times, and mine echoed the notions that were favored in mine.” Mukherjee, a Booker Prize finalist in 2014 for the novel “The Lives of Others,” is unsure about how, or whether, to work in the recent news about Munro when teaching ”Friend of My Youth,” which the author had dedicated to her own mother.

He believes in separating the “art from the artist, that we all have done bad things.” He considers himself “very conflicted,” sharing van den Berg’s horror that Munro chose her husband over her daughter, but also finding that her work may have gained “richer depth, now that we know something in her life that she may have been trying to come to terms with.”

“I don’t see writers as would-be saints,” he says.

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‘One of the Truly Awful and Self-Indulgent Performances of Our Time’: The Best and Worst Moments From Night 4 of the Convention

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Best Moment

Kristen Soltis Anderson, contributing Opinion writer Donald Trump gave a compelling and moving description of what it was like to be under fire and pledged to represent all of America, not just half of America. That may be easier said than done.

David Brooks, Times columnist The first 20 minutes of the Trump speech. If he’d done the story about the assassination attempt and then added 15 minutes of policy, he would be cruising toward victory. He could have plausibly argued that he is a changed man.

Jane Coaston, contributing Opinion writer Hulk Hogan’s speech was his best performance since he beat Macho Man Randy Savage at WrestleMania V.

Matthew Continetti, fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Trump’s account of the attempt on his life was gripping. He displayed a vulnerability and humility that most people had never seen before. And when he kissed the fireman’s helmet of Corey Comperatore, the husband and father who was killed during last weekend’s shooting, Trump created yet another indelible image. It won’t be soon forgotten.

David French, Times columnist Trump’s tribute to Comperatore was touching and appropriate. Placing his uniform on the stage was a powerful visual reminder of the loss.

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