Read. Write. Think. Illustrating that you know how to do all three by passing the AP Literature Exam

Messages from the testing coordinator The Little Details Messages from the testing coordinator

The testing begins at 7:30AM No cellphones If you have one, it will be collected at the door and not returned until after the test The testing begins at 7:30AM The door is closed at this time—no one is allowed to enter late If you take the bus, this may mean you will need to get a ride No perfumes, aftershave, or scented lotions There are a lot of allergies; please, be considerate of others You will need a blue or black ink pen, a #2 pencil, and likely an eraser as well Have the sniffles? Bring your own tissues

Multiple Choice Review

The Basics 55 questions (almost always) 2 prose excerpts 2 poems Typically one is older prose while the other is more contemporary 2 poems Typically one is an older poem while the other is more contemporary Frequently, one is by Shakespeare The 5th piece (some years there is one) Most often this is also prose, unless… If no Shakespeare has been used, then it will be often be the 5th passage/poem You will need a number 2 pencil

Are there any questions about the multiple choice section of the exam? Multiple Choice Q &A Are there any questions about the multiple choice section of the exam?

Essay Review

The Basics Three essays 2 hours total to write all three 1st essay = poetry 2nd essay = an excerpt of prose 3rd essay = open response 2 hours total to write all three (your goal is to average of 40 minutes each) The essay must be composed in blue or black ink If you have a favorite type of pen, bring it Always ANSWER the PROMPT, the whole prompt, and nothing but the prompt

The Poetry Prompt Typically these prompts assess your critical thinking skills related to more fastidious literary techniques and/or abstract ideas/terms Techniques that can help you dissect a poem: TPCASTT Use direct quotes, and cite them accurately: line numbers, “ / ” marks indicating line breaks, etc. Remember, poetry titles = “”s

The Prose Prompt Typically these prompts assess critical thinking skills as related to less fastidious concepts and/or abstract ideas/terms Stay engaged with the passage (box in words, underline, bracket, circle…) Remember, if you have read the whole work from which the passage was extracted, force yourself to USE ONLY THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THE EXCERPT Use direct quotes, and cite line numbers Underline novel/play titles, use “”s for short stories/chapters of a novel

The Open Response Prompt Typically these prompts assess critical thinking skills as related to more grandiose, “big picture” concepts and how they relate to the theme and/or structure of the work You don’t need to choose a book from the list: Whatever you choose, the work must hold solid literary merit The first work that comes to mind isn’t always the best option (it could be…), so think about it a minute The work on which you focus must be a full-length work of fiction or a play (epic poems are also fine) Avoid plot summary (a one-sentence overview in the first paragraph will suffice) Despite not having the text available, you need to be as specific as possible in all points Underline the titles of plays and novels

Are there any questions about the essay section of the exam? Essay Q &A Are there any questions about the essay section of the exam?

You are ready for this! Make yourself and your teacher proud. Good Luck! You are ready for this! Make yourself and your teacher proud.