AP Literature Exam Overview

When will I take the exam?Thursday, May 5th

How is the exam structured?

Section I / Multiple Choice / 55-60 questions / 1 hour / 45% of grade
Generally 4 passages / About 15 questions per passage
Section II / Essays / 3 Essay Questions / 2 hours / 55% of grade
Question 1: Poetry Analysis Essay / Suggested time: 40 minutes
Question 2: Prose Analysis Essay / Suggested time: 40 minutes
Question 3: Open Question / Free Response / Suggested time: 40 minutes

How is the Exam Scored?

The Multiple Choice section is graded on the following formula: Number of answers correct MULTIPLIED by "X"

Starting in May 2011, there is no penalty for incorrect answers, so you should always guess! You receive no credit or penalty for blank answers, but if you have several, it will obviously limit your score."X" is a number that the College Board determines each year for their formula. For example, one year the multiple choice multiplier was 1.2272. If you took 55 multiple-choice questions, had 28 correct, 10 incorrect, and 17 blank, your final multiple choice score would be 34.3616 (28 x 1.2272 = 34.3616). Note this number is NOT rounded.

All timed AP essays are graded on the 1-9 standard rubric. The grade of each essay is added together and, like above, multiplied by a number that the College Board determines each year for their formula. For example, one year the essay multiplier was 3.0556. If you got a 5 on each AP essay, your final essay score would be 45.834: (5 + 5 + 5) x 3.0556 = 45.834. Note this number is NOT rounded.

For your final score, your multiple choice and essay score would be added together, rounded to the nearest whole number, and compared to a range for a final composite score of 1 through 5 (5 being highest). Again, this range of total score numbers varies somewhat each year. The range below came from the same year that the multipliers above were given. Therefore, our total score would be rounded to 80, and the final AP exam score would be a 3.

Sample Range of Total MC and Essay scores

5Extremely well qualified108-150

4Well qualified91-107

3Qualified70-90

2Possibly qualified42-69

1No recommendation0-41

Other Strategies and Notes

1. Check with your colleges on what they accept as AP credit.

  • Having proficient grades in multiple AP classes will make your transcript much stronger and more attractive when you apply to your colleges. However, while most colleges give some kind of academic credit for an AP Literature and Composition final exam score of 3 or higher, not all do. Also, some will give academic credit for AP Language and Composition or AP Literature and Composition, but not both. As examples, here are websites that detail the AP credit policies of two local universities:

2. Look for critical words.

  • Read instructions, questions, prompts and answers that contain these words or phrases: only, always, not, never, best, all of the following except. This will obviously impact what to pay attention for, and what answer may or may not be correct.

3. Do not leave answers blank!

  • Starting in May 2011, incorrect answers are no longer penalized! (Blank answers do not add or subtract points.) Therefore, always take an educated guess when you can, but make a random guess when you're truly stuck. Since it doesn't hurt you to guess (and you might get a few more points out of correct answers that way), leaving blank answers is not a productive strategy.

4. Don't agonize; keep moving.

  • Generally speaking, in the multiple choice section, give yourself one minute for each question. Answer easy questions first; if you get stuck, come back to difficult questions later. For each essay, give yourself about ten(10) minutes to read the prompt/passage, collect your thoughts, and prewrite strategically. Ideally, you’ll have thirty (30) minutes to write the essay.

5. When writing essays, worry most about content and organization.

  • Grammar and mechanical errors can somewhat affect your score, but graders are mostly concerned about what you have to say, whether you are persuasive and comprehensive in making your case, and how well you present your points. The College Board graders are advised to consider your essays as “barely revised first drafts” and not penalize you for small grammar/mechanical errors, so long as they don't have a major impact in understanding what you're saying.

6. Rest and eat well.

  • Do not CRAM or engage in a last-ditch study sesh at the last minute before you take the exam! Before the test, get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.

How can I “study” for the exam?

Everything we’ve done (in and out of class) this year was/is preparation for the exam. As always, you have two questions in mind as you read and write: 1. What is the author’s message? 2. How does the author convey/achieve that message? Most of the questions on the exam “boil down to” those two questions. The author has a message and employs literary/poetical/rhetorical devices and techniques to convey it. The author is always in control as few things in literature are accidentally done.For the open question/free response (terms used synonymously here), you have been building a literary repertoire by reading novels, the Bedford before you go to sleep, and more. My general advice is that you need to walk into the exam as an expert on about five diverse works of literary merit. Choose one that is older, one that is modern, one that is feminist, one that is a drama, etc. Add Poetry, of course (and, to an extent--short story and film), and you are golden.

Handout Sources: AP Central, McGraw-Hill’s AP Literature and Composition: 5 Steps to a 5, and Cliffs AP English Literature and Composition