4 ❯ STEP 1. Set Up Your Study Program
As is obvious, the AP programs are designed for high school students who want to take
college-level courses. In our case, the AP English Lan guage and Composition course and
exam are designed to involve high school students in college-level English studies in both
the use and structure of language and composition.Who Writes the AP English Language and Composition Exam?
According to the College Board, the AP Comp exam is created by a group of college and
high school English instructors called the “AP Development Committee.” Their job is to
ensure that the annual AP Comp exam re flects what is being taught and studied in college-
level English classes at the high schools.
This committee writes a large number of multiple-choice questions that are pretested
and evaluated for clarity, appropriateness, and range of possible answers. The committee
also generates a pool of essay questions, pretests them, and chooses those questions that
best represent the full range of the scoring scale to allow the AP readers to evaluate the
essays equitably.
It is important to remember that the AP English Language and Com position exam is
thoroughly evaluated after it is administered each year. This way, the College Board can
use the results to make course suggestions and to plan future tests.What Are the AP Scores and Who Receives Them?
Once you have taken the exam and it has been scored, your test will be given one of five
numbers by the College Board.- 5 indicates you are extremely well qualified.
- 4 indicates you are well qualified.
- 3 indicates you are qualified.
- 2 indicates you are possibly qualified.
- 1 indicates you are not qualified to receive college credit.
Your score is reported first to your college or university, second to your high school, and
third to you. All the reporting is usually completed by the middle to end of July.
Reasons for Taking the AP English Language
and Composition Exam
Why Would I Want to Take the AP English Language
and Composition Exam?
Good question. Why put yourself through a year of intensive study, pressure, stress, and
preparation? To be honest, only you can answer that question. However, over the years, our
students have indicated to us that there are several reasons why they were willing to take
the risk and to put in the effort.- For personal satisfaction
- To compare themselves with other students across the nation
- Because colleges look favorably on the applications of students who elect to enroll in
AP courses - To receive college credit or advanced standing at their colleges or universities