Hints for Passing the Exam! AP English Lang. & Comp. Hints for Passing the Exam!

Multiple Choice Practice self discipline: look at your watch to insure that you are using your time well. You have 1 hour for this section. Answer all the questions to the best of your ability before going on to the next passage. Skim the questions before reading the passage. Read each passage carefully & critically. Annotate in the test booklet; mark it up!

Multiple Choice Paraphrase while you are reading; rethink the author’s ideas in your own words. After reading the passage, read each question carefully. Read all the answer choices carefully. Eliminate a wrong answer choice by crossing out that letter in the test booklet.

Multiple Choice Leave the most difficult questions until the end of each section. Put a check by those, then return to them. Watch the time! On questions you find very difficult – those on which you cannot eliminate wrong answers, leave the answer blank. Check it in the test booklet, but be careful to mark your next answer in the right place on the answer sheet

Multiple Choice You don’t have to erase marks you make in your test booklet. Underline or circle parts of passages, write comments in the margins, check unanswered questions, but do these things QUICKLY. Don’t make extra marks on your answer sheet, because these marks could be counted as wrong answers.

Multiple Choice POE – Process of Elimination REASONS ANSWERS MIGHT BE WRONG: Contrary to the passage Irrelevant or not addressed in the passage Unreasonable. Where did they get that idea? Too general or too specific for the question

Multiple Choice What’s general and specific in an answer choice? i.e.: If the question asks for the best title to the passage, you need a general answer, one that encompasses the content of the entire passage. In contrast, if you’re asked about the author’s use of a certain quotation, the correct answer is likely to be more specific.

Multiple Choice The wrong answer is wrong for a reason and will always have an inaccurate word or phrase. The correct answer will not have a single word or phrase in it that is inaccurate.

Scoring Multiple choice counts for 45% of your score Try to answer all questions MC Score is the number correct minus .25 the number wrong. Essays are scored 9 to 0. If you receive 5’s on all 3 of your essays, you would need a raw score of 18 on your multiple choice to get a 3 on the exam. You would need a raw score of 46 to get a 5.

Essay Section Synthesis Essay: This essay type presents 6 or 7 passages on the same subject; one of these documents will likely be a visual chart, photograph, or political cartoon. You need to read these documents carefully, then use 3 or 4 to write a thoughtful essay in which you present your views while acknowledging views in your chosen documents.

Essay Section Argument (Persuasive) Essay: This essay presents a passage; read it, then discuss the extent with which you agree or disagree.

Essay Section Analytical Essay: This essay presents a passage to read, then asks you to analyze the rhetorical and literary strategies the author uses to create effect or meaning in his essay.

Pacing the Essay Spend about 10 minutes reading the topic and the passage carefully and planning your essay. You can make an informal outline on your test booklet.

Pacing the Essay Take about 25 minutes to write the essay.

Pacing the Essay Save about 5 minutes to proofread!

Planning the Essay Understand and appraise the author’s point. Relate the passage to the essay question. As you read, always keep the essay question/purpose in mind! Begin gathering concrete evidence to support the points of your essay. Underline items of diction, syntax, style, tone, etc. (for the analytical essay)

Planning the Argument Essay Your thesis statement A list of supporting evidence The order of presentation of that evidence 2-3-1 Strongest argument last! Weakest argument in the middle. Speak to the opposing view. “Opponents of this issue propose….. However,….” “Those who disagree maintain…..On the contrary,…”

Planning the Analysis Essay Use SOAPStone to critically determine from reading the text: subject, occasion, audience, purpose, style, tone Remember: Name, genre, and thesis of the work How does the author develop the work? What is the author’s purpose? Who is the author’s audience?

Planning the Analysis Essay Pull out of your hat the rhetorical devices you see in the author’s essay that contribute to the way he/she communicates/develops the essay. Read the prompt carefully to determine HOW you are being asked to analyze the passage/piece

How can I cram tonight? Go over the Powerpoints on my website Be sure you have a dozen tone words at your fingertips that range from negative to positive Skim through a commercial AP preparation book. You will have odd bits of time during the two weeks of AP testing to work in the book

Hints for success Get a good night’s rest! Bring some water and hard candy you can hide in your pocket. Don’t bring cell phones into the testing area. Watch the clock during the exam! In the essay section, don’t spend too much time on reading or planning (you may find a bit of extra time during the first 15 minutes, before you are allowed to write). The majority of your time should be spent writing.

RELAX! You have been prepared by an instructor trained by the College Board to teach this class. You have read and written many essays. You are an above average writer. You are awesome! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!