Previous AP essay prompts constitute many of the timed and take-home essays we will complete in this course. To gain a better understanding of what is expected of you, please check out the College Board's website. The College Board not only posts the questions they have asked; they also post sample student responses and the scores they earned.
To achieve maximum success, I highly recommend that you use the following steps to practice answering these questions:
- Read the question, and underline what you think it is really asking you to do.
- Write a clear thesis that answers the entire question specifically.
- Determine how you would structure the essay to effectively achieve your purpose. (Your purpose is determined by what the question asks you to do.)
- Write clear topic sentences for each body paragraph.
- Think of (and, if you feel like it, write down) examples you would use to support each topic sentence.
- If it is an argument question, make sure you have considered the counter-argument.
- Read the student responses for the question. Highlight specific examples, analysis, reasons, etc. in one color and effective use of language in another color. Consider how your points compare to the points the sample response made.
- Score the response using the rubric College Board provides.
- Look to see what score the AP Readers gave the response. How close were you? Why did it receive the score it received?
- Talk to Mrs. Holt if you want feedback on the reasoning behind the scoring.