Section One: Multiple Choice (45% of your score) The AP Exam Section One: Multiple Choice (45% of your score)

Time Management Check whether there are 4 or 5 passages. If there are four, budget 15 minutes each. 5? 12 minutes. Bring a watch so you can keep an eye on the time.  If you notice you took a bit too long on the first passage, then speed up.  Don't get crazy though; you still need to understand what you're reading.

Time Management Strategy You will be crunched for time. You get one hour to answer approximately 50 questions. Quickly, glance over the first few lines of each passage and pick which one seems hardest. Save this one for last. If you find you are running out of time, consider skipping this last passage instead of rushing through 2. You will win out by having better accuracy, and if you do well on the essays, you can still get a 5.

How to Tackle the Reading Part Some people like to skim read the questions (not the answers) first for context. Do this if you want. Pre-read the passage. This means you read the first few lines, skim the middle, and then read the last few lines. This matters! Next, read the passage at a comfortable pace (not too slowly), annotating as you go. If something doesn't make sense, it's fine. Keep reading on to the end. Ask yourself: “What is the general topic of the passage”? You should be able to briefly summarize the genral point. If you have no idea, don't panic. Reading the questions should give you some context and help you understand. Move on to the questions! You may need to re- read some parts again once you dig into the questions, but don't re-read anything until you need to—that's a waste of time. How to Tackle the Reading Part

Annotation During your read-through (after skimming questions and pre- reading), WRITE ON THE PASSAGE! Circle words that suggest tone. Underline super significant parts. Place a triangle anywhere you notice a change—shift in speaker, point of view, tone, etc. Star the places in the text where you think there's something they might ask a question about.

How to Work the Questions Speed Answer Choices Guessing You have 30-40 seconds per question. Do not speed-read the questions—be sure you know what they are asking. Do not speed-read the answers—you need to consider each one. Some may seem okay or be sort of right, but only one is the BEST choice.  If it's ½ bad, it is WRONG. Do not be fooled by ½ the answer being good and convincing.  ALWAYS use P.O.E. This means crossing out wrong answers until you have only one left. If you have it narrowed down to 2-3 answers, guess! It is okay to pick an answer you are not 100% sure about or one that has a word or two in it that you do not know.  If you do skip a question, put a huge mark by it so you go back to it in the end.

When You're Running Out of Time If you are getting close to the end of the exam (less than 10 minutes) and still have a whole passage to do, skip reading the passage. Try to answer the questions that require little or no reading. Some questions just want you to say what type of figurative language something is or what a word most closely means! Others direct you to a certain line. These are quick to do. Don't forget to fill in a random bubble on the ones you skipped though!

Question Types Comprehension Detail Literary Vocabulary & Application main idea, tone, characterization/relationships, audience, shifts in tone/attitude, word meanings, inferences, effect, purpose, characterization, tone shifts, etc. Detail  these send you back to a certain line, word, phrase, or section Literary Vocabulary & Application  irony, symbolism, tone, parallel structure, metaphor, rhetorical strategy, syntax, style, structure etc. Grammar  There are usually only 3-5 of these. Question Types

How to Study Highlight terms/vocabulary you are unfamiliar with. When finished, make a list to study. Write a short "why" (a rationale) for your answers as you go.  Practice with a buddy, discussing answers you disagree about before choosing one. Read the rationale not only for questions you got wrong, but also for the ones you got right!