1. AP Language and Composition
AP Exam: Break Down
AP Language and Composition

2. Section I: Multiple- Choice Section II: Free- Response
Time and Questions
# of Questions
Percentage of score
Time Allowed
Section I: Multiple- Choice
Approx. 55 45
60 Minutes
Section II: Free- Response 3 55
15 minutes (reading portion) minutes (writing portion)

3. Multiple Choice 5 passages, which are usually:
Pre-20th century non-fiction prose
20th and 21st century non-fiction prose
Poetry (occasionally)
Fictional prose (occasionally)

4. Multiple Choice Types of Questions:
Identifying rhetorical devices and their purposes
General reading comprehension
Definitions of words
Purpose of passage
Citations
Etc.

5. Writing
3 Prompts:
Synthesis – combine two or more elements to form a new whole.
Passage Analysis – diving deeper into the text to reveal hidden meaning.
Argument – could include ethos, pathos, logos.

6. Synthesis
Usually has you consider a scenario and formulate a response using support from sources given.
Usually given 6-7 sources, but it gives you a minimum requirement of 3-4.
This usually takes the longest to complete because of the amount of reading.

7. Example Prompt:
The need to memorialize events or people is complex; in some cases, monuments honor moments of great achievement, while in other cases, monuments pay homage to deep sacrifice. A monument’s size, location, and materials are all consideration in planning and creating a memorial to the past. Read the following seven sources carefully, including the introductory information for each source. Then, in a well-organized essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, examine the factors a group or agency should consider in memorializing an event or person and in creating a monument.

8. Analysis
Usually you read a short passage and then analyze and discuss different rhetorical techniques used by the author.
Sometimes the prompt asks you to discuss specific techniques, but not always.

9. Example Prompt:
The passage below is from Last Child in the Woods (2008) by Richard Louv. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-developed essay, analyze the rhetorical strategies Louv uses to develop his argument about the separation between people and nature. Support your analysis with specific references to the text.

10. Argument
Usually it gives you a statement or concept made from someone in history or an author. Then, you must come up with your own ideas on the topic and either defend or challenge the statement or concept.
This takes more original thought than the other essays.

11. Example Prompt:
For centuries, prominent thinkers have pondered the relationship between ownership and the development of self (identity), ultimately asking the question, “What does it mean to own something?”
Plato argues that owning objects is detrimental to a person’s character. Aristotle claims that ownership of tangible goods helps to develop moral character. Twentieth-century philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre proposes that ownership extends beyond objects to include intangible things as well. In Sartre’s view, becoming proficient in some skill and knowing something thoroughly means that we “own” it.
Think about the differing views of ownership. Then write an essay in which you explain your position on the relationship between ownership and sense of self. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.