Advanced Placements- English

The AP Exam, also known as the Advanced Placement Exam, is a standardized test administered by the College Board in the United States. It is designed to assess a student's knowledge and understanding of a specific subject at a college level. The purpose of the AP Exam is to provide high school students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement in college courses. Depending on their performance on the exam, students may be able to skip introductory courses in college and enroll directly in more advanced classes. This can save both time and money for students and their families.

Preparing for the AP Exam requires a significant amount of studying and review. Many students take AP courses in high school to help them prepare for the exam, as these courses are designed to cover the material and skills tested on the exam. Additionally, there are numerous study resources available, such as review books, online practice tests, and study guides.

Taking the AP Exam can be a stressful experience for students, as it is a high-stakes test that can have a significant impact on their college admissions and academic future. However, it is also an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and skills in a particular subject and potentially earn college credit.

Courses Offered in AP English

The AP English section of the Advanced Placement program contains 2 courses all of which are:

• English Language and Composition
• English Literature and Composition

AP English Language and Composition

The AP English Language and Composition course is a comprehensive and demanding academic program designed to enhance students' abilities in critical reading, writing, and analysis. This course aims to equip students with the necessary skills to excel in college-level English courses and to effectively communicate their ideas in a variety of contexts. Students will need to engage in close reading, analysis, and interpretation of a written work. They will also be expected to critically evaluate sources of information, gather and synthesize information from various sources, construct an argument based on evidence, and engage in the process of drafting and revising written work in preparation for this course.

Big Ideas and Enduring Understandings

• Rhetorical Situation
• Claims and Evidence
• Reasoning and Organization
• Style

AP English Language and Composition Course Skills

• Rhetorical Situation- Reading
• Rhetorical Situation- Writing
• Claims and Evidence- Reading
• Claims and Evidence- Writing
• Reasoning and Organization- Reading
• Reasoning and Organization- Writing
• Style- Reading
• Style- Writing

Prerequisites for AP English Language and Composition

There are no required courses prior to taking AP English Language and Composition. Students must possess the ability to comprehend and analyze college-level texts, as well as construct grammatically accurate and coherent sentences.

Exam Structure for AP English Language and Composition

Section I- Multiple Choice This section comprises 45 multiple-choice questions, which account for 45% of the overall score, and is 60 minutes long. The multiple-choice questions are accompanied by excerpts from nonfiction texts. A comprehensive breakdown of this section is outlined below.

• 23-25 Reading Questions- Students are required to read and evaluate the nonfiction texts.
• 20-22 Writing Questions- Students will be required to read from the perspective of a writer and contemplate potential modifications to the text.

Section II- Free Response In this section, students have to answer three questions in writing within 2 hours and 15 minutes, which includes a 15-minute reading period. This part counts for 55% of the total score and evaluates students' composition skills in three different areas:

• Synthesis- Following the analysis of 6-7 texts on a given subject matter, which may include visual aids and numerical data, students are expected to craft an argument that integrates and references a minimum of 3 sources in order to bolster their thesis statement.
• Rhetorical analysis- Students must read a nonfiction text and carefully analyze how the writer's language choices impact the text's intended meaning and purpose.
• Argument- Students are required to develop a well-supported argument based on evidence in order to address a specific topic.

AP English Literature and Composition

A course in AP English Literature and Composition is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of literary analysis and composition skills at an advanced level. This course delves into the study of various literary genres, including poetry, drama, and prose, with a focus on analyzing and interpreting complex texts. Throughout the course, students will engage in close reading and critical analysis of a wide range of literary works from different time periods and cultures. They will learn to identify and analyze literary devices, such as symbolism, imagery, and figurative language, and explore how these elements contribute to the overall meaning and themes of a text.

Big Ideas and Enduring Understandings

• Character
• Setting
• Structure
• Narration
• Figurative Language
• Literary Argumentation

AP English Literature and Composition Course Skills

• Explain the function of the character
• Explain the function of setting
• Explain the function of the plot and structure
• Explain the function of the narrator or speaker
• Explain the function of word choice, imagery, and symbols
• Explain the function of comparison
• Develop textually substantiated arguments about interpretations of part or all of a text

Prerequisites for AP English Literature and Composition Course Skills

AP English Literature and Composition does not require any prerequisite courses. Students are expected to possess the ability to comprehend and analyze college-level texts, as well as write grammatically correct and coherent sentences.

Exam Structure for AP English Literature and Composition

Section I- Multiple Choice This section comprises 55 multiple-choice questions, accounting for 45% of the total score, and is allotted 60 minutes.

• There are five question sets, each containing between 8 to 13 questions.
• These questions are based on excerpts from prose fiction, drama, or poetry, with each excerpt being followed by multiple-choice questions.
• The question sets will consist of a minimum of two prose fiction passages (which may include drama) and a minimum of two poetry passages.

Section II- Free Response This particular section accounts for 55% of the overall score and is allotted 2 hours. In this section, students will be required to provide written answers to three questions selected from the following categories:

• Poetry Analysis- Students are required to engage with a poetry passage and provide a response to the given prompt. This response should consist of a thesis statement that offers a poetic interpretation supported by relevant evidence.
• Prose Fiction Analysis- Students must interact with a work of prose fiction, which may also include drama, and respond to a specific prompt. Their response must include a thesis statement that presents a literary analysis backed up by strong evidence.
• Literary Argument- Students will examine a literary concept or idea and evaluate its impact on the interpretation of a literary piece. They have the option to select from a pool of approximately 40 works or reference another piece of prose fiction or drama from their personal reading to construct a well-supported argument that addresses the assigned topic. When addressing Question 3, students should choose a work of fiction that aligns with the question at hand.