This is part 2 of a 5-part series featuring study guides for our five most popular AP exams.
RELATED: Access Study Guides for Our 5 Most Popular AP Exams | Part 1: AP Chemistry
AP English Language and Composition Exam Basics
The AP English Language and Composition exam multiple-choice section includes 45 questions and accounts for 45 percent of the exam score. The free response section includes three questions that you will need to respond to with written answers and accounts for 55 percent of the exam score. Students have three hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam.
What’s on the AP English Language and Composition Exam?
Multiple choice:
- 23-25 reading questions: You’ll be asked to read and analyze nonfiction texts.
- 20–22 writing questions: You’ll be asked to read like a writer and consider revisions to the text.
Free response:
You will need to provide written answers to three questions that measures your skill in composition in three areas:
- Synthesis: After reading six to seven texts about a topic (including visual and quantitative sources), you will need to compose an argument that combines and cites at least three of the sources to support your thesis.
- Rhetorical analysis: You will read a nonfiction text and analyze how the writer’s language choices contribute to the intended meaning and purpose of the text.
- Argument: You will create an evidence-based argument that responds to a given topic.
AP English Language and Composition Study Guide
Download the AP English Language and Composition study guide to help you prepare for the AP English Language and Composition exam.
Preparing for the AP exam
In addition to the AP English Language and Composition study guide, Peterson’s provides AP English Language and Composition practice tests to assess your knowledge of the course material. Practice tests identify your strengths and weaknesses in exam topics and provide detailed answers and explanations to every question. Taking practice tests simulates the actual test-taking experience under timed conditions, so you can take the exam with confidence.
Download the AP English Language and Composition Study Guide
