AP English
Language &
Composition
What The Princeton Review
Says:
What the multiple choice section
looks like
5 to 7 passages
 5 to 12 questions per passage
 50-55 questions total
 60 minutes total = 8 – 12 minutes PER
PASSAGE (includes reading & answering)
 At least one passage written before 1800
 Little or no context or introduction given
with the passages
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Focus on the Big Picture
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DO NOT read the questions before reading the
passage
Read the passage quickly for the “big picture”
Read to determine the author’s goal, tone, and
point of view – take brief notes next to the
passage as you read!
( USE: “subject, audience, and purpose” to help
you find the goal, tone & P.O.V.)
The Two-Pass System
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After reading the passage for the big picture:
1. Answer all of the easy questions first
The “Big picture” questions are usually at the
beginning and (or) end of question set
2. Circle the “hard” questions in your test
booklet (when you can’t use POE)
3. ALWAYS Check your watch before going
back to answer the hard questions
Other Tips
Use the process of elimination (POE) to
make educated guesses on some
questions
 On detail questions, always reread the
sentence or section the question refers to
 Also, always reread the sentences before
and after it for context.
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To Sum Up
 Begin
each passage by reading for
the big picture.
 Actively underline inside the text – or
– take paraphrased notes next to
each paragraph
 Concentrate on the author’s goal
(purpose), tone, and point of view.
To Sum Up
 Do
not read stubbornly; you do not
need to understand or follow
everything; some (even many) details
can escape you — focus on the big
picture of the passage.
 Always return to the passage when
multiple-choice questions refer to
specific lines!!! (Do not try to answer
by memory)
To Sum Up
 Always
read around the lines; the
context of the lines is almost always
very critical in determining the correct
answer.
 Pace yourself – but keep your eye on
the time!!!
 Remember the two-pass system.
To Sum Up
 Also
- Dividing the section into chunks
for each passage should help you
out.
 Don’t forget about POE and educated
guessing! If you can eliminate two
answer choices, your chances of
guessing correctly increases a lot.
AP English Language &
Composition
What the
Cliffs Notes: AP English
Language and Composition
review guide says:
What the Multiple Choice Section
looks like:
60 minutes long
 Usually consists of approximately 55
questions
 Expect about 4 – 5 reading passages
(about 300 – 800 words in length)
 Each passage is followed by 10 – 15
questions
 Passages may be up to 400 years old
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NEW to the AP Lang. Test:
Beginning in 2007 – you can expect at
least a couple of questions about
footnotes
 BE FAMILIAR WITH MLA CITATIONS!!!
(Be able to decipher the type of source &
the purpose of footnotes used by the
author)
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Suggested Testing Strategy:
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1st – Skim the question stems BEFORE you read the passage
2nd – Read the passage ACTIVELY
3rd - Underline &/or paraphrase the passage as you go
4th – Read each question completely & carefully AFTER
you’ve read the passage
5th – Read every answer choice completely & carefully to
determine the best answer!
Any questions you cannot use POE to answer quickly – circle them
& return to those questions if you have time!
Question Categories to Expect:
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Questions about Rhetoric (syntax, diction,
P.O.V., figurative language & its effect!)
Questions about the Author’s Meaning &
Purpose (get inside the author’s head)
Questions about the Main Idea (The Big Picture,
tone, theme, etc.)
Questions about Organization & Structure
Questions about Rhetorical Modes (know the
difference between: Narration, Description,
Argumentation, & Exposition)
Reasons Answers Could Be Wrong
1.
2.
3.
4.
Contradictory to the passage (can be ruled out
if you’ve read the entire passage)
Irrelevant or Not Addressed in Passage (can
be ruled out if you’ve read the entire passage)
Unreasonable (can usually be spotted quickly)
Too Vague/General or Too Specific (compare
them to the question stem to see which answer
they are asking for!)
To Sum Up:
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TIME MANAGEMENT is crucial to making sure
you complete the test
Read the Question Stems before the Passages
Read the Passages – ACTIVELY
Then read the Questions & Answer choices
COMPLETELY
Use POE to rule out any of the 4 types of wrong
answers
Choose the BEST answer available!
To Sum Up:
Make sure that you answer the questions
that you are able to eliminate 2+ answers
on FIRST
 Then circle any questions that you are
unsure about
 Return to the circled questions AFTER you
have completed every passage in the
Multiple Choice Section
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For More Information:
Hartzel, Richard. Cracking the AP English
Language and Composition Exam. 2008
Edition. New York: Random House, 2008.
 Swovelin, Barbara. Cliffs AP: English
Language and Composition. 3rd Ed.
Wiley Publishing, 2008.
 Baron’s, Kaplan, and others also make
excellent study guides.
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