AP English Language and Composition

This article is part of the Advanced Placement series.

General exam structure    •    Awards

Current subjects:

Art History Biology Calculus (AB & BC) Chemistry Chinese Language and Culture Comparative Government & Politics Computer Science A Computer Science Principles English Language & Composition English Literature & Composition Environmental Science European History French Language German Language Human Geography Italian Language and Culture Japanese Language and Culture Latin Macroeconomics Microeconomics Music Theory Physics 1: Algebra-based Physics 2: Algebra-based Physics C: Mechanics Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism Psychology Research (Second part of AP Capstone program) Seminar (First part of AP Capstone program) Spanish Language Spanish Literature Statistics Studio Art (2-D, 3-D, & Drawing) U.S. History U.S. Government & Politics World History

In development:

Russian Language and Culture

Former subjects:

Computer Science AB French Literature German Literature Latin: Vergil Latin Literature Physics B

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (commonly abbreviated to AP Lang or AP Comp) is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.

AP English Language and Composition is a course in the study of rhetoric taken in high school. Many schools offer this course primarily to juniors and the AP English Literature and Composition course to seniors. Other schools reverse the order, and some offer both courses to both juniors and seniors. The College Board advises that students choosing AP English Language and Composition be interested in studying and writing various kinds of analytic or persuasive essays on nonliterary topics, while students choosing AP English Literature and Composition be interested in studying literature of various periods and genres and using this wide reading knowledge in discussions of literary topics.

The AP English Language and Composition exam consists of two sections: a one-hour multiple-choice section, and a two-hour fifteen-minute free-response section. The exam is further divided as follows:

The multiple-choice section of the test is approximately 55 questions, with the exact number of questions varying from 52 to 55 with each test administration. There are typically 4 short passages divided between pre-20th century non-fiction prose, and 20th and 21st century non-fiction prose. The questions typically focus on identifying rhetorical devices and structures from the passages, as well as their general functions, purposes in a passage, the relationships between the devices, and the formal features of the text. In 2007, questions were added that ask about citation information included in the passages. These citation questions are not designed to test knowledge about MLA, APA, Chicago Style, or any other particular citation format, but instead focus on how the citations reference and enhance information from the passage. Students have 60 minutes to answer all 55 questions, and the section accounts for 45% of the students score.

The Free-Response section of the test consists of three prompts, each of a different type: synthesis, passage analysis, and argument. Each is scored on a scale from 1 to 9.

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