AP English Language and Composition
College level English class offered to high school students as part of the AP programs
Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition (also known as AP English Language, APENG, AP Lang, ELAP, AP English III, or APEL), is an American course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.
Course
AP English Language and Composition is a course in the study of rhetoric taken in high school. Many schools offer this course primarily to juniors and the AP English Literature and Composition course to seniors. Other schools reverse the order, and some offer both courses to both juniors and seniors. The College Board advises that students choosing AP English Language and Composition be interested in studying and writing various kinds of analytic or persuasive essays on non-fiction topics, while students choosing AP English Literature and Composition be interested in studying literature of various periods and mediums (fiction, poetry, drama) and using this wide reading knowledge in discussions of literary topics.
Exam
Format
The AP English Language and Composition exam is typically administered on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning in the second week of May. The exam consists of two sections: a one-hour multiple-choice (MCQ) section, and a two-hour fifteen-minute free-response (FRQ) section. The exam is further divided as follows:
Section I: Multiple Choice
The multiple-choice (MCQ) section of the test features 45 questions, divided between 23–25 reading questions and 20–22 writing questions. There are typically 4 short passages divided between pre-20th century non-fiction prose, and 20th and 21st century non-fiction prose. The questions assess students ability to understand rhetorical situations, claims and evidence, reasoning and organization, and style.
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