AP tests are exams designed to measure a person’s grasp of a particular subject area. Passing one of these exams certifies that you have achieved a level of learning commensurate with that of a student who has passed college classes on the subject. If you’re in high school and are preparing for college, Advanced Placement (AP) courses are a great way to go with earning college credit while still being in high school.
The AP English Literature exam focuses on literary elements such as a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.
Students who wish to take the AP exam should expect to pay a $92 fee and must score a 3 on the exam to be considered as passing. Scores on the AP exam range from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest score.
What’s on the AP English Literature Exam
The AP English Literature exam consists of 52 multiple-choice questions that account for 45% of the exam. The AP exam also includes a free-response section with 3 questions total. The free-response section counts for the remaining 55% of the exam.
The questions on the multiple-choice section include excerpts from several published works of drama, poetry, or prose fiction. Each excerpt is accompanied by several multiple-choice questions or prompts.
The free-response section contains only 3 questions that require a literary analysis of a given poem, a literary analysis of a given passage of prose fiction, and an analysis that examines a specific concept, issue, or element in a work of literary merit selected by the student.
