How to do Well on the AP English Language and Compositioin Test
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This is the reaction most students have prior to an AP test.
The AP English Language and Composition test is not the hardest AP test around, but it is far from the easiest. I will only go over a VERY brief outline of what the test is. If you want a full preparation either take the class or read a prep book (or both).
The test is composed of:
- One 55 minute Multiple Choice Section
- One 55 minute Document Based Syntheses Essay
- Two 40 minute Other Essays
- 45% Multiple Choice
- 55% Essays
On the Multiple Choice
- You lose 1/4 of a point for each wrong guess. Guess only if you have narrowed your answer down to four or less possible choices.
- Manage your time carefully. Do not take too long on any single passage.
- Work quickly. You will usually find yourself working down until the last second.
- Make sure you know all the common rhetorical devices used in essays (for example, motonomy or parallelism)
- You usually only need to answer about half of the questions correctly to pass. This is harder than it sounds.
On the Document Essay
- Cite at least 3 documents (both directly and indirectly) no matter what.
- Make sure you do not just repeat what the documents say.
- Cite a document that goes against your argument and refute it.
- Follow the rest of the essay tips (below)
On the Essays
- Structure does matter. Use an effective structure for your essay. Do not limit yourself to a 5 paragraph essay for whatever you write.
- Use correct grammar. Mistakes will hurt your score.
- Write legibly. If your writing is illegible, your essay will not even be scored and will receive a 0.
- Support your points thoroughly. Do not say anything you can't defend.
