Important Updates
Support for Students and Schools Impacted by Coronavirus
In response to school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re offering at-home testing for 2020 AP Exams. Note that any related adjustments to 2020 AP Exams, such as length or content covered, may not be reflected on all AP Central pages. Visit Taking Online AP Exams for the latest exam information.
New Secure Practice Exams
The first of three new secure AP English Language and Composition practice exams is now available on the AP Course Audit site and in the AP Classroom question bank. The second and third will be posted later in the spring.
Each practice exam matches this year’s exam specifications and includes scoring guidelines and a scoring worksheet. Note: the scoring worksheets use past averages; while the worksheets account for the changes to this year’s exam, the cut score ranges may not fully align with the 2020 exam standards.
As a reminder, these exams are most appropriate for student practice late in the school year, as the exam date approaches.
Get Real-Time Feedback from Personal Progress Checks
Personal progress checks in AP Classroom are a great way to ensure your students are continuing to build mastery of content and skills. The real-time results can help you and your students prioritize additional practice before the AP Exam.
Samples and Scoring Commentary
Student samples from the 2018 and 2019 exams that have been re-scored using the rubrics that took effect in fall 2019, along with specific scoring guidelines and commentaries that explain the assigned scores, are available on this page.
Updates to CED, Rubrics, and Scoring Guidelines
The AP English Language and Composition CED has been updated, along with the rubrics and CED sample question scoring guidelines. Please refer to the errata sheet for details about the specific updates that were made.
A simplified rubric document (without decision rules and scoring notes) is also available, featuring a single-page rubric for each question.
Exam Overview
Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information on exam weighting, download the AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description (CED). Scoring guidelines for each of the sample free-response questions in the CED are also available, along with scoring rubrics that apply to the free-response questions, regardless of specific question prompts. A simplified rubric document (without decision rules and scoring notes) is also now available, featuring a single-page rubric for each question.
The CED, scoring guidelines, and rubrics documents were updated in September 2019. Please see this errata sheet for details about the specific updates that were made.
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- Wed, May 13, 2020
AP English Language and Composition Exam Day
Exam Format
Starting in the 2019-20 school year, the AP English Language and Composition Exam will have question types and point values that will remain stable and consistent from year to year, so you and your students know what to expect on exam day.
| Exam Updates | |
| 2019 Exam | Starting with the 2020 Exam |
|
Section I: Multiple Choice 52–55 Questions | 1 Hour | 45% of Exam Score
|
Section I: Multiple Choice 45 Questions | 1 Hour | 45% of Exam Score
|
|
Section II: Free Response 3 Free-Response Questions | 2 Hours 15 Minutes (includes a 15-minute reading period) | 55% of Exam Score
The free-response questions are scored using holistic rubrics. |
Section II: Free Response 3 Free-Response Questions | 2 Hours 15 Minutes (includes a 15-minute reading period) | 55% of Exam Score
The free-response questions will now be scored using analytic rubrics. |
Exam Tasks and Content
Section 1: Multiple Choice
- Includes 5 sets of questions.
- 23–25 Reading questions that ask students to read and analyze nonfiction texts.
- 20–22 Writing questions, a new type of question, that ask students to “read like a writer” and consider revisions to stimulus texts.
Section 2: Free Response
- Students write essays that respond to 3 free-response prompts from the following categories.
- Synthesis Question: After reading 6–7 texts about a topic (including visual and quantitative sources), students will compose an argument that combines and cites at least 3 of the sources to support their thesis.
- Rhetorical Analysis: Students will read a nonfiction text and analyze how the writer’s language choices contribute to the intended meaning and purpose of the text.
- Argument: Students will create an evidence-based argument that responds to a given topic.
Scoring Information for 2019-20
The free-response question sample packets below are aligned with the AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description. Please note that the CED was updated in September 2019; complete details can be found in the errata sheet.
These samples are actual student responses from the 2018 and 2019 exams, re-scored using the rubrics. Scoring commentaries and specific scoring guidelines that explain how the rubrics were applied are also provided below.
| Samples | Commentaries | Scoring Guidelines | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Questions originally from the 2018 exam |
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Questions originally from the 2019 exam |
Past Exam Questions and Scoring Information
For free-response questions and scoring information from the 2019 and earlier exams, visit Past Exam Questions.