1. AP E XAM R EMINDERS

2. S TART T IME The exam will start at 8:00 on Thursday morning! Don’t be late! 2 nd : room 101 with Mr. Green 4 th : room 102 with Mr. Sinclair

3. B EFORE THE E XAM Acquire a watch or clock (SILENT!) Review your major works data sheets Review your terminology puzzles and notes from this year (remember terms that might appear on multiple choice) Eat, preferably protein. Sleep—don’t underrate it. Breathe.

4. Multiple Choice Tips Believe that you are where you need to be and that you will do well in this test. Read the first five questions before you do a preliminary reading. Always read through the entire passage first and get a sense of what it is about. Realize that one of the passages will be of a ‘high’ level, one or more will be at a ‘medium’ level, an done at an ‘easy’ level. Move quickly on the easy one and don’t belabor it. Stay focused, read quickly, and don’t let your mind wander. Don’t get entranced if you have an interesting passage. You can always read for enjoyment later. POE. Process of Elimination. Even on a question you are unsure of, you can usually find two of the answers that are not compatible with your understanding of the passage. Thus, your guess will be one out of two. 50/50 chance! Try not to skip questions since often your penciling will get off and it will cost you time to go back and correct.

5. R EMEMBER THE S TRATEGIES Y OU ’ VE L EARNED Annotate the prompt Annotate the passage/poem Be sure to answer ALL parts of the prompt TPCASTT for poems In poetry it’s the speaker; in prose it’s the narrator Characters and relationships are always complex (___________ but/yet/and ___________) Work for three elements to get an upper score, but value quality over quantity Don’t abandon the strategies we’ve practiced. CLING to them instead!

6. M ANAGE Y OUR T IME 1 hour for 55 multiple choice questions 2 hours for 3 essays Pick your prompt: start with your hardest or start with your easiest Remember that giving yourself more than 40 minutes for one essay means you cut time from another (don’t take an hour for one and leave yourself only 20 minutes for another) Taking 10 minutes to annotate and plan will save you valuable time when you actually write the essay—don’t blow off planning! Take the snack when you’re offered it! It will give your brain a boost.

7. Q UESTION 3 Don’t look at the suggested titles unless you feel absolutely stumped Think outside the box (avoid overused titles or go a different direction with one) Don’t try to write based on a movie Be sure to answer all parts of the prompt Avoid writing about a book read too long ago or one you haven’t studied in class

8. Conclusion Reminders Answer the question "So What?" Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful. Synthesize, don't summarize Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together. Redirect your readers Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally. Create a new meaning You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts. Strategies Echoing the introduction: Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding. Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives. Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally. Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning.

9. B REATHE AND R ELAX You can do this. You’ve done this over and over again. This is not new. You can do this. You know how to do this. You can do this. Remember how far you’ve come. You can do this. You CAN DO THIS. Words and culture may change, but our basic humanity does not. Even if the language is old, the writer is still human. What is he/she trying to say to you? Calm down and pick it apart.

10. S TART T IME The exam will start at 8:00 on Thursday morning! Don’t be late!