What You Need to Know About the AP English Language and Composition Exam ❮ 5- A love of the subject
- So the family will be proud of them
There are plenty of other reasons, but hopefully, no matter what the other reasons
might be, the top reason for your enrolling in the AP English Language and Composition
course and taking the exam in May is to feel good about yourself and the challenges you
have met.
What You Need to Know About the AP English
Language and Composition Exam
If I Don’t Take an AP Composition Course, Can I Still Take the
AP English Language and Composition Exam?
Yes. Although the AP English Language and Composition exam is de signed for the student
who has had a year’s course in AP English Lan guage and Composition, there are high schools
that do not offer this type of course, and the students in these high schools have also done
well on the exam. However, if your high school does offer an AP Composition course, by all
means take advantage of it and the structured background it will provide you.How Is the AP English Language and Composition
Exam Organized?
The exam has two parts and is scheduled to last 3 hours and 15 minutes. The first sec-
tion is a set of multiple-choice questions based on a series of prose passages. You will have
1 hour to complete this part of the test. The second section of the exam is a 2-hour and
15-minute essay writing segment consisting of three different essays: analysis, argument,
and synthesis. According to the College Board’s AP English Language and Composition
Exam Instructions, the 15-minute reading period in Section II is recommended, not
required. Students are strongly encouraged to use the reading period to read the questions
and sources and plan their responses. They may begin writing their responses during that
time if they choose to do so. However, our advice is to use this time for careful reading.
After you complete the multiple-choice section, you will hand in your test booklet and
scan sheet, and you will be given a brief break. Note that you will not be able to return to
the multiple-choice questions when you return to the examination room.Must I Check the Box at the End of the Essay Booklet That Allows
the AP People to Use My Essays as Samples for Research?
No. This is simply a way for the College Board to make certain that it has your permission
if it decides to use one or more of your essays as a model. The readers of your essays pay
no attention to whether or not that box is checked. Checking the box will not affect your
grade either.How Is My AP English Language and Composition Exam Scored?
Let’s look at the basics first. The multiple-choice section counts for 45% of your total score,
and the essay section counts for 55%. Next comes a four-part calculation: the raw scoring of
the multiple-choice section, the raw scoring of the essay section, the calculation of the com-
posite score, and the conversion of the composite score into the AP grade of 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1.