AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITIONThe Exam

Exam Overview

The AP English Language and Composition Exam includes multiple-choice and free-response questions that test essential skills covered in the course curriculum:

• reading comprehension of rhetorically and topically diverse texts
• rhetorical analysis of individual texts in isolation
• synthesis of information from multiple texts
• written argumentation

Encourage your students to visit the AP English Language and Composition student page for exam information and exam practice.

Exam Format

Section I

Multiple Choice — 52 to 55 Questions | 1 Hour | 45% of Exam Score

• Excerpts from non-fiction texts are accompanied by several multiple-choice questions

Section II

Free Response — 3 Free-Response Questions | 2 Hours, 15 Minutes (includes a 15-minute reading period) | 55% of Exam Score

This section has three prompts:

• Synthesis: Students read several texts about a topic and create an argument that synthesizes at least three of the sources to support their thesis.
• Rhetorical analysis: Students read a non-fiction text and analyze how the writer's language choices contribute to his or her purpose and intended meaning for the text.
• Argument: Students create an evidence-based argument that responds to a given topic.

The total Section II time is 2 hours and 15 minutes. This includes a 15-minute reading period. The reading period is designed to provide students with time to develop thoughtful, well-organized responses. They may begin writing their responses before the reading period is over.

Exam Questions and Scoring Information

For free-response questions from prior exams, along with scoring information, check out the tables below.

Be sure to review the Chief Reader Report. In this invaluable resource, the Chief Reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback from members of the reading leadership to describe how students performed on the FRQs, summarize typical student errors, and address specific concepts and content with which students have struggled the most that year.

You can also watch the 2017 Chief Reader Report Module. In this presentation, the Chief Reader of the 2017 exam, David G. Miller of Mississippi College, gives a brief and helpful walkthrough of the highlights of his 2017 Chief Reader Report.

Exam Resources