<p>my school has “honors” english I, II, and III (for freshman, sophomore, and junior year, respectively). senior year, the “honors” class is vaguely labeled “AP English IV.” out of sixty kids, i was the only student in either class to take either of the AP tests. i actually took them both. very few kids ever take the test(s) from year to year at my school.</p>
<p>we spent the first semester on “how” to write (e.g., argumentative, research, expository, etc.). we spent the second semester reading various literature (e.g., shakespeare, tolstoy, etc.). so i guess the year was sort of divided into Language and Composition (first semester) and Literature and Composition (second semester). for really no reason at all, i decided to challenge myself and take both tests because i felt that i was a good enough writer to be able to handle such a level of difficulty.</p>
<p>well, i guess the AP graders agreed. i didn’t leave any MC blank; i thought they weren’t too difficult. the essays weren’t bad either; i thought all of my essays were well-constructed and convincing. i got 5’s on both tests.</p>
<p>i really didn’t prepare for either test. well, actually, i read sparknotes on The Brothers Karamazov to refresh my memory (i read the book a year ago). my friend from another school who took the literature test told me to have a novel fresh in your mind because the last question on the english literature exam was about a novel of your choice. i picked The Brothers Karamazov because it covered a wide range of concepts/ideas. and it worked out great this year because i used it in a very creative way (talking about Russia as the perfect setting for the philosophical/ideological conflict throughout the book between the main characters).</p>
<p>ultimately, i think both of the AP English exams basically just test how well you can read and write (more the latter, though).</p>