Oversimplifies complexities. Restates prompt. See my AP English Literature Reading List for more guidance. AP Literature Multiple Choice There are 3 good practice tests here … So while you do have the power to choose which work you wish to write an essay about, the key words here are "literary merit." The key to these questions is to not get tripped up by the fact that you are making an inference—there will be a best answer, and it will be the choice that is best supported by what is actually found in the passage. The first section of the exam is one hour long and features multiple choice questions. Be sure to review the Chief Reader Report (2019 versions available later this fall). AP 2020-21. I'll break each of them down here and give you tips on how to identify and approach them. The score distribution tables on this page show the percentages of 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s for each AP subject. Accounts for alternative interpretations. Scoring for multiple choice is pretty straightforward; however, essay scoring is a little more complicated. Focuses on broad elements, summary, or description rather than specific details or techniques. Consists of mix of specific evidence and broad generalities. Also, these crop up much more commonly for prose passages than they do for poetry ones. (I know, I know—lots of genre fiction works do have literary merit and Shakespeare actually began as low culture, and so on and so forth. University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center's, Our own expert analyses of famous poems, such as ", Read books and be particularly familiar with four to five works for the student-choice essays, Work on your close reading and analysis skills. Before the reading begins, the chief reader, David Miller, addresses all readers with not only introductions of a fabulous team of leaders and housekeeping matters but with words of encouragement … Does not consistently maintain thematic interpretation. Basically, what techniques is the author using to construct the passage/poem, and to what effect? Being able to identify and understand the significance of any shifts—structural, tonal, in genre, and so on—will be of key importance for these questions. One of the passages will be poetry, and one will be prose. Organizes argument as line of reasoning composed of several supporting claims, each with adequate evidence. There's no guessing penalty, so you should answer every question—but guess only after you're able to eliminate any answer you know is wrong to up your chances of choosing the right one. As on other AP exams, your raw score will be converted to a score from 1-5. May be just opinion with no textual references or references that are irrelevant. I suggest checking out this list of notable authors in the 2014 AP Lit Course Description (pages 10-11). See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. . You might even see something by this guy. Our team of PrepScholar admissions experts have compiled their knowledge into this single guide to planning out your high school course schedule. You can get sample questions from the Course and Exam Description, the College Board website, and our guide to AP English Lit practice test resources. "Tiny books carried by ladies" is not one of the question types. You can learn more about poetic devices—like imagery and iambic pentameter—in our comprehensive guide. Save it for a really, really good college admissions essay instead.). Success on the AP exam relies on being able to demonstrate a level of sophistication in reading, thinking, and writing. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? The CED was updated in the summer of 2020 to include scoring guidelines for the example questions. As for what's best for the test - I really don't know, as I took it over 25 years ago, and things have undoubtedly changed since then. The final essay is an analysis of a given theme in a work selected by you, the student. Deciding which APs to take? Makes generalized comment. There are, generally speaking, eight kinds of questions you can expect to see on the AP English Literature and Composition exam. You of course should use the College Board's released free-response questions to practice writing complete timed essays of each type, but you can also practice quickly outlining thorough essays that are well supported with textual evidence. How Reading Can Improve Your AP Lit Score Identifies and explores complexities/tensions within work. AP English Literature and Composition Past Exam Questions, Access and Initial Setup in AP Registration and Ordering, Homeschooled, Independent Study, and Virtual School Students and Students from Other Schools, Schools That Administer AP Exams but Don’t Offer AP Courses, Transfer Students To or Out of Your School, How to Access Score Reports for Educators, AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, Learning Opportunities for AP Coordinators, Implementing AP Mentoring in Your School or District. You can’t argue with hard statistics. You will always get at least two prose passages (fiction or drama) and two poetry passages. The College Board AP English Development Committee sets the course framework for AP English courses and exams. You should know the plot, themes, characters, and structural details of these books inside and out. One of the single most important parts of your college application is what classes you choose to take in high school (in conjunction with how well you do in those classes). For the first two essays, you'll be presented with an excerpt and directed to analyze the excerpt for a given theme, device, or development. If you're taking other AP exams this year, you might be interested in our other AP resources: from the Ultimate Guide to the US History Exam, to the Ultimate AP Chemistry Study Guide, to the Best AP Psychology Study Guide, we have tons of articles on AP courses and exams for you! Try to read poems from a lot of eras and authors to get familiar with the language. The AP Literature exam is a three-hour test that includes an hour-long multiple-choice section based on five prose and poetry passages and with 55 questions, and a two-hour free-response section with three essays: one analyzing a poetry passage, one analyzing a prose passage, and one analyzing a work chosen by you, the student. That means you can select a work not on this list as long as it's as difficult and meaningful as the example titles you've been given. Nobody Ap Lit Exam Essay Examples is perfect, that’s why we cover your back with the possibility to ask for a revision. Take a look through the complete list of AP courses and tests, read our analysis of which AP classes are the hardest and easiest, and learn how many AP classes you should take. Only hints at other interpretations. They don't require you to do a lot of interpretation—you just need to know what's going on. This will help on both multiple-choice questions and the free-response essays. I'd also include in this category super-specific questions such as those that ask about the meter of a poem (e.g., iambic pentameter). You should also outline your essays before you write them. If you're planning to take the AP English Literature and Composition exam, you'll need to get familiar with what to expect on the test. So you have a lot to work with! All rights reserved. Apron optional. This is a privilege that we do not take lightly and also a very fun week full of friends, collaboration, and growth. What all AP students need to realize is that the AP Lit test is a test about sophistication. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. That's not a lot of time considering this section of the test counts for 55% of your overall exam grade! Here are some helpful close reading resources for prose: You'll want to be familiar with literary terms so that any test questions that ask about them will make sense to you. May contain some simplistic, inaccurate, or repetitive explanations. In this guide, I'll go over the test's format and question types, how it's graded, best practices for preparation, and test-day tips. . While Student Packs are being collected, read the information on the back cover of the exam booklet. Unit guides clearly lay out the course content and skills and recommend sequencing and pacing for them throughout the year. Some questions ask you to identify or describe something about the passage or poem as a whole: its purpose, tone, genre, etc. Stay up to date with the latest information on test dates, AP online review, and what this means for you with our AP COVID-19 FAQ article. Note, though, that no one will prompt you to move from essay to essay, so you can theoretically divide up the time however you want. You may keep it only if you are not taking any other AP Exams this year. AP Lit. Sample Questions for the 2020 exam. . . Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. It will help you get familiar with the exam format and overall experience. Displaying AP Lit Multiple Choice 1994.pdf. The second portion of the test is two hours in length and consists of three free-response questions. The AP Literature Exam is a three-hour exam that contains two sections in this order: The exam tests your ability to analyze works and excerpts of literature and cogently communicate that analysis in essay form. Here are some things you can do to prepare for the exam: On test day, be sure to really look closely at all the passages and really interact with them by marking the text in a way that makes sense to you. Each essay, then, is worth about 18% of your grade. You can identify these as they will either explicitly mention figurative language (or a figurative device, such as a simile or metaphor) or include a figurative phrase in the question itself. Get the latest articles and test prep tips! The first two essays are literary analysis essays of specific passages, with one poem and one prose excerpt. Then you can see those analytical skills in action in our expert analysis of "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas. Be aware that the released exams don't have complete slates of free-response questions, so you might need to supplement these with released free-response questions. One thing students might not do very much on their own time but that will help a lot with AP Lit exam prep is to read poetry. You don't have to get every point possible to get a 5 by any means—but the AP English Literature test does have one of the lowest 5 rates of all APs, with only 9.3% of students receiving 5s in 2020 2019. In many ways, inference questions are like second-level reading comprehension questions: you need to know not just what a passage says, but also what it means. Educators and Students: Get Support for This School Year. Ask below and we'll reply! Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, AP tests were held remotely in 2020, and information about how things will work for 2021 still evolving. AP Exam. Is incoherent or does not address prompt. See how all AP students performed on the most recent exams. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, 'f5a9450c-28a2-4837-94dd-69230ed94f08', {}); For the third and final essay, you'll be asked to discuss a particular theme in a work that you select. Start studying ap lit tri 1 exam to the lighthouse. But when I took it, having read broadly as well as deeply helped a great deal. As I graded 500+ essays for the 2020 exam, I created a skills list of roses and thorns (positives and negatives) to help inform our instruction in AP Lit for the upcoming school year using the new rubric. The AP Literature Exam is a three-hour exam that contains two sections in this order: An hour-long, 55-question multiple-choice section A two-hour, three-question free-response section The exam tests your ability to analyze works and excerpts of literature and cogently communicate that analysis in essay form. It doesn’t matter whether you need your paper done in a week or by tomorrow What 3 Essays Are On The Ap Lit Exam – either way, we’ll be able to meet these deadlines. What is the phrase referring to? She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University. This is the official AP English Literature practice exam that was released by the College Board in 2012. Moreover, it won’t affect the quality of a paper: our writers are able to write quickly and meet the deadlines not because they do it half-heartedly but because they are very experienced in this. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? All questions are taken from the sample questions on the AP Course and Exam Description. Find information about resources for the 2020-21 school year, such as AP Classroom and AP Daily, and learn about 2021 exams. One of the most important steps you can take to prepare for the AP Literature and Composition exam is to read a lot and read well. AP Litterature Essay. Start studying AP Lit Final Exam. In this invaluable resource, the chief reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback from members of the AP Reading … A good way to approach these questions is to ask yourself: so what? The AP English Literature and Composition Exam has consistent question types, weighting, and scoring guidelines every year, so you and your students know what to expect on exam day. Since the whole exam is about reading and interpreting literature, it only makes sense that reading will help you sharpen the skills you’ll need to ace the exam. When you think you have a grip on basic comprehension, you can then move on to close reading (see below). Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In general, you will not be given the author, date, or title for these works, though occasionally the title of a poem will be given. Ap lit exam … If you come across an online resource that helps you, please send it to me so I can post it to help others. 1 hour | 45 Questions | 45% of Score . Download free-response questions from past exams along with scoring guidelines, sample responses from exam takers, and scoring distributions. Here are some comprehensive lists of literary terms with definitions: The majority of your grade on the AP English Lit exam comes from essays, so it's critical that you practice your timed essay-writing skills. The AP English Literature and Composition Exam is three hours long and has two parts — multiple choice and free response. Also note that you can choose a work of "comparable literary merit." You can identify these questions from words such as "infer" and "imply.". Looking for help studying for your AP exam? Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition (or AP English Literature and Composition, AP Lit and Comp, Senior AP English, AP Lit, or AP English IV) is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program. In this invaluable resource, the chief reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback from members of the AP Reading leadership to describe how students performed on the FRQs, summarize typical student errors, and address specific concepts and content with which students have struggled the most that year. You'll succeed on these questions as long as you carefully read the text. Indeed, you might find academic designations of "literary merit" elitist and problematic, but the time to rage against the literary establishment is not your AP Lit test! Does not make multiple supporting claims or does not support more than one claim. You can spot them because they will refer directly to characters' attitudes, opinions, beliefs, or relationships with other characters. You can identify these by phrases such as "in the passage" and "as a whole.". If you are using assistive technology and need help accessing these PDFs in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at ssd@info.collegeboard.org. Section 1: Multiple Choice. This week several hundred educators are gathered to score AP Lit exams. Provides defensible interpretation in response to prompt. Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition (or AP English Literature and Composition, AP Lit and Comp, Senior AP English, AP Lit, or AP English IV) is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program. Just be sure to leave enough time for each essay! The first section of the AP Literature exam is one hour long and consists of 45 multiple-choice questions—23-25 Reading questions and 20-22 Writing questions. These are questions for which you have to either identify what word or phrase is figurative language or provide the meaning of a figurative phrase. The AP Literature exam is one of the longer AP exams, clocking in at 3 hours. You can identify this question type from words and phrases such as "according to," "mentioned," "asserting," and so on. The three essays are each scored on a rubric of 0-6, and raw scores are converted to a final scaled score from 1 to 5. This page ranks books by how often they have been cited in AP Literature Free-Response Questions during the last 10 years and provides links to vocabulary information for each book including quizzes. Mentions literary elements, devices, or techniques with little or no explanation. Note that you might have to go back and reread parts to make sure you understand what the passage is saying. A valuable resource for test prep that will give you practice with real AP questions. . Why did the author use these particular words or this particular structure? Since there are three complete released exams, you can take one toward the beginning of your prep time to get familiar with the exam and set a benchmark, and one toward the end to make sure the experience is fresh in your mind and to check your progress. All the rubrics are very similar, with only minor differences between them. You can identify these questions by words/phrases such as "serves chiefly to," "effect," "evoke," and "in order to." Focuses on importance of specific words and details. Unusual words are also sometimes defined for you. When AP exams were first implemented, English Language and English Literature … Keep track of the nuts and bolts of grammar. You will be provided with a list of notable works that address the given theme below the prompt, but you can also choose to discuss any "work of literary merit.". Our one-on-one online AP tutoring services can help you prepare for your AP exams. SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. No clear connections or progression between claims. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Score, with only 9.3% of students receiving 5s in 2020 2019, steering clear of close reading "pitfalls", The 9 Literary Elements You'll Find In Every Story, 10 Personification Examples in Poetry, Literature, and More, the College Board's released free-response questions, tips on how to find the best AP practice tests. Describes work rather than making a claim. What is the overall picture created by all the tiny details? In this post, we’ll go over three concepts to guide your reading as you prepare for the AP Lit exam, plus 20 awesome book recommendations. I have compiled a list of important writing skills that we need to focus on in the upcoming sc hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, 'b8868328-25ad-4976-9f3f-6f24fa4b2b20', {}); Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. There are several things you can do to hone your skills and best prepare for the AP Lit exam. Taking practice tests is a great way to prepare for the exam. If you're not sure what a work of "comparable literary merit" is, stick to the titles on the provided list. Commentary may fail to integrate some evidence or support key claim. Now, let's take a look at the free-response section of the AP Literature exam. . The College Board has kept track of the most frequently cited the In my AP English course, at least, we read a great many classics (nothing post 1950, as far as I can remember). Uses overly complex language. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? We know that poetry can be intimidating. If you think the paper you have got from us could be better, tell us the reasons and we will revise and correct it. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. You can expect to see five excerpts of prose and poetry. Free-Response Questions Download free-response questions from past exams along with scoring guidelines, sample responses from exam takers, and scoring distributions. That means no genre fiction! The multiple-choice section, or Section I of the AP Literature exam, is 60 minutes long and has 55 questions. That covers the eight question types on the multiple-choice section. The AP English Lit exam for 2020 will be shorter, online, cover less material, and have a different format. Explains how use of literary techniques contributes to interpretation. Ask questions; get answers. AP English Lit exam Start your free, practice AP English Lit exam. Sign In. And, this is all true for Q3. It will be something that isn't stated directly or concretely but that you can assume based on what's clearly written in the passage. A Comprehensive Guide. Your AP class will likely focus heavily on close reading and analysis of prose and poetry, but extra practice won't hurt you. Without further delay, here are the eight question types you can expect to see on the AP Lit exam. Below is a list of resources that students in previous school years have found extremely helpful in preparing for the exam. The Course and Exam Description (CED) for AP Lit provides 10 practice questions that address prose fiction and 9 practice questions that address poetry. The May AP Exams are complete. 2020 primary exam date and times. If you have no other AP Exams to take, place your Student Pack under your chair now. Whether the 2021 test date of Wednesday, May 5, is near or far, I'm here to help you get serious about preparing for the exam. Download example questions (.pdf/514 KB) similar to what you'll see on the 2020 AP English Literature and Composition Exam. We'll advise you on how to balance your schedule between regular and honors/AP/IB courses, how to choose your extracurriculars, and what classes you can't afford not to take. You'll be on your way to AP English Lit success in no time! So for example, Jane Eyre or East of Eden would be great choices, but Twilight or The Hunger Games would not. Uniformly offers evidence to support claims. It counts for 45% of your overall exam grade. For reference, here is the past primary exam date and time for this course. The meaning of figurative phrases can normally be determined by that phrase's context in the passage—what is said around it? Most works will be originally written in English, but you might occasionally see a passage in translation. If getting a high score on this section sounds like a tall order, that's because it is. Stick to safe bets like authors in the list on pages 10-11 of the old 2014 AP Lit Course Description. Exam Preparation . Read on for a breakdown of the two different sections and their question types. Before we wrap up, here are my six top tips for AP Lit test day: And don't forget to eat breakfast! Each of your essays will receive a score from 0 to 6 based on the College Board rubric, which also includes question-specific rubrics. In addition to reading broadly, you'll want to become especially familiar with the details of four to five books with different themes so you'll be prepared to write a strong student-choice essay. These questions test your ability to understand what the passage is saying on a pretty basic level. And all in just 40 minutes per essay! The date ranges of these works could fall from the 16th to the 21st century. This is, in many ways, a special kind of inference question, since you are inferring the broader personality of the character based on the evidence in a passage. Here are some tips on how to find the best AP practice tests. The AP Literature Free Response section is two hours long and involves three free-response essay questions, so you'll have about 40 minutes per essay.