AP Exam Info

Exam Date: Wednesday, May 5, 2027

8 am, BHS Library (please arrive approximately 745 am)

Welcome to AP.  The purpose of this page is to familiarize you with the basics of the AP exam and provide you with some of the most important resources of the course.

Overview: About the AP Lit Exam

What the AP Literature Exam Is and Is Not

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 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 speech, and AP Lang may cover important passages from Shakespeare-- but essentially, this division holds true most of the time.

The Structure of the Exam

The AP 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 passages of approximately one page long including poetry, plays, and prose.  The passages will be taken from literature in English from roughly 1500 through the modern era.  There will be three essays: a poetry essay in which you will analyze a poem and discuss how the author's use of the tools of poetry conveys their point, a prose analysis essay in which you will analyze the author's use of the tools of language to communicate the point; and finally, a free-response essay in which you will be responding to a prompt and answering it with an example taken from your own independent reading.

Taking the Exam

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.