IceQube

Great scores guys! Congratulations on all the 4s and 5s!

I'm reading The Scarlet Letter right now. Every time I start reading though, I end up passing out on the sofa for several hours. Is there anything I should pay attention to in the book? Themes? Rhetoric?

And what's the hardest essay - the "synthesis" essay or the analysis essay?

dreambig0x

lol okay no one is prob gonna see this but if anyone still needs advice on studying for AP lang....
i didn't take the class and didn't study **** (so basically i had no idea what i was going to face) and got a 5. and i'm not tryna sound arrogant or cocky or whatever, i'm just saying it's not as bad as you seems. if you're used to writing DBQs in history or AP lit and you have a good idea of literary devices and terms and whatnot you should be set to go. one of the essays is like the SAT essay we have to write for 25 min, except i dont remember how much time we get on the AP lang test...and the MC was kind of like SAT CR MC questions, in my opinion. i sucked at the CR sections (hence my consistent 590-600's) so i have no idea how i managed to get through them on the exam lmao. and i agree with the fact that you needa stay calm. i was in such a YOLO mood and it worked for me

i hope all of you did well!!

dreambig0x

and @iceqube, i dont remember which the synthesis and analysis ones are but in my opinion the one where you're given a vague question and told to answer it using your own sources of information is the easiest because you can legit use ANYTHING as long as it pertains to the topic. honestly though, all of them were pretty good. and the timing was really generous. i liked the exam

IceQube

Thanks dreambig0x! I've already taken the AP Lang exam, and I think I did well . It's amazing to see how far I've come from a year ago - from uncertain about the AP exam to practically acing the AP Lang exam. The M/C was easy; the essays were all right. You're advice might be a little too late for me but it'll prove invaluable for students to come. Thanks for sharing !

YoungDerivative

Read a lot of boring passages and books like Scarlet letter. U have to build up stamina.

I took like 3 practice tests and didn't really need to study much cuz we wrote a lot in class. I got a 5. Btw, I thought this test was easier than the SAT. I always mess
Up on vocab or simple questions but this one just made sense.

YoungDerivative

Oh and in class we'd take these stupid practice tests from some random book and I'd fail every single one. And Barrons is terrible too. Not realistic AT ALL and is not even logical. In Barrons I'd fail every test (less than 50%) and on the official tests from Collegeboard I'd miss maybe 5-8. Don't make the mistake I did and use random tests. Use collegeboards. The multiple choice is very similar to the SAT except for a few questions here and there.

sunshinenm

I recommend practice writing the different types of essays in the time allotted on the test. I also recommend looking at old graded essays to get a good feel for what the College Board graders are looking for. In my opinion, the analysis essay is the hardest essay, because you need to know what the graders are looking for, and be able to CORRECTLY interpret the text. I believe you can get a passing score if you're willing to devote time to preparation. Get a good prep book, but ultimately your best preparation (imho) is to write, write, and write. Up to the test my teacher made us write up to 3 essays a week, in addition to practicing the CR. Good luck! (:

Sejine

@iceqube

I read Scarlett Letter for AP Lang. Never again.

The best advice I can give, after scoring a 5, is to become really comfortable with writing essays in a small time period. You don't want to get to the test and not be able to write quickly enough.

knightsgk01

Best advice I can give (coming from someone who got a 5 and DID NOT take the class) is to read the essays from past years on the AP website. I believe the AP readers look for a unique style that may differ greatly from what you are used to doing at your high school. You have to be creative, you have to be different, and you have to be able to back up your argument with examples. If anyone has any questions on how they should go about studying for the AP English Language test without taking the class, or even if you are in the class, feel free to PM me, and I'd be happy to help.

tldr: read the essays online before you take the test. PM me if you have questions

dirkslam41

Just take the class, you write so many essays that by the time AP exam comes, you know exactly what to do. And by the point, you will be well experienced in bs'ing for pages on end lol.