The purpose of this initial unit, which should take no more than a few days, is to familiarize you with the basics of the AP exam and provide you with some of the most important resources of the course.
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Long ago in the mists of time, the AP Language and Literature exams were one exam. At some point, the two exams split into AP Lang (this course) and AP Lit.
What is the difference? AP Lang covers nonfiction prose -- letters, diaries, editorials, literary essays, speeches, biographies, and other forms of nonfiction. AP Lit covers fiction -- drama, poetry, short story, and novel. There might be some crossover -- for example, we will be reading more than one passage from Shakespeare, and AP Lit may cover important speeches -- but essentially, this division holds true most of the time. The primary purpose of the AP Lang exam is to explore the craft of rhetoric, asking the central question, How does an author use the tools of rhetoric to communicate his or her point? (As you can see, understanding the definition of "rhetoric" will be one of our first tasks.) |
The AP Lang exam consists of two primary parts: a multiple-choice section, worth approximately 45% of your total exam grade, and a three-part essay section worth approximately 55%. The multiple-choice section will cover 4-6 nonfiction passages of approximately one page long. The passages will be taken from literature in English from roughly 1500 through the modern era. There will be three essays: a synthesis essay in which you will read a variety of short sources and use those sources to support an argument you will write; a rhetorical analysis essay in which you will analyze the ways in which the author crafts language to communicate the point; and finally, an argumentative essay in which you will be responding to a brief statement by another author.
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You are expected to take the AP exam in early May. If you cannot afford it, financial assistance is readily available. Inability to pay should not be a bar to taking the exam. For further information, consult the College Board's website for signup information and details.
Resources This page contains the College Board's basic information about the AP along with a link to a released multiple-choice exam AND a wealth of free-response questions. |