AP Language and Composition Exam Review Karen Church Happiness: Earning a 3 or higher on the AP Language and Composition Exam!! First, breathe. “The 2005 National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA) study shows that students who take AP have much higher college graduation rates than students with the same academic abilities who do not have that valuable AP experience in high school.” (Taken from collegeboard.com) AP Language and Composition Exam Review Karen Church

AP Language and Composition Exam 51-55 multiple choice questions based on 4-5 reading passages (60 minutes.) Three essay questions (40 minutes each); 2 hours to complete all three. And … Fifteen minutes of extra reading time for the Synthesis Essay Prompt, which requires you to determine your central idea and use a minimum of 3 sources for support of your argument.

The Essays Three essays: 55% of your grade. Three essays to complete in 2 hours. Each essay is graded on the 9 point rubric. Based on previous years, you can expect: 1. A synthesis prompt 2. A rhetorical prompt 3. An argument prompt

Multiple Choice 45% of your grade on the exam You gain 1 point for each correct answer You neither lose nor gain points for blank answers For each passage, there are a range of questions from “easy” to difficult Most questions direct you to one of the following: main ideas/meaning in context, refers to/functions, rhetorical strategies, speaker.

2014 Score Distribution 5 9.6% 4 17.9% 3 28.4% 2 30.1% 1 14.1% 5 9.6% 4 17.9% 3 28.4% 2 30.1% 1 14.1% 3 or higher: 55.8%

Essays 2014 Question 1 (Synthesis) Mean: 4.65 Question 2 (Rhetorical) 3.76 Question 3 (Argument) 4.59

Previous Exams… Score Distributions 2010 2011

Scoring!

M.C. Exam Tips… For each passage, some questions are “easy” and some are “hard.” They are ALL worth the same amount of points. Determine YOUR patterns. Leave the questions which are the most difficult for YOU—and work on them at the end. Tip to try BEFORE the exam while you are practicing: Review the question stems before reading the passage, ignoring the specific line questions. This helps some students focus while they are reading! This does NOT work for every student. . . see if it works for you!

To begin, count the passages. There are typically 4—but can be 5 To begin, count the passages. There are typically 4—but can be 5. Set a time limit for each passage. For instance, if you have 4 passages, you’ll want to spend 15 minutes on each passage and its questions. Running out of time? Scan your remaining questions, looking for the shortest questions or specific line questions. Also, look for questions where the answers may be obvious, like “Which of the following is an example of alliteration?” Guessing is okay. Leave nothing blank.

During the month of April until May 13 … Take Practice Tests Analyze your results, logically, determining “the why” behind the “what”. Look over your old tests—look for patterns Review your rhetorical devices (lesson 1.09) Relax! After spending an entire year working on these skills, You are ready for this and the results will be EXEMPLARY!!

Your Exam FLVS requires you to take the exam. Your test is Wednesday, May 13, 8:00 A.M. Be prepared----bring a watch, a sweater/sweatshirt, a few #2 pencils, black or blue ink pens, and a snack. Eat a HEALTHY breakfast (protein=brainpower) and go to bed EARLY the night before. Remember how hard you worked this year—you are ready, you believe in yourself, and are happy for the challenge!!! 

Thank you for attending and remember …