How to Prepare for the AP English Literature Exam
Taking Advanced Placement courses in high school is a wise idea. These classes, offered free to students in many schools across the country, can save you hundreds of dollars in college tuition costs by giving you college credit when you begin at a university. To receive this credit, you must take the AP Exam in the subject of your choice. For the AP English Literature Exam, there are steps you can take to maximize your chances of passing which, in turn, will net you the most available credit that your future college offers to AP students.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Download the course description from the College Board AP English Literature Exam website. The College Board administers the exam and can tell you exactly what areas you need to be knowledgeable in to pass with a high score.
-
2
Read the course description. This is 87 pages long, and shouldn't be started only a week before the exam. It helps you understand testing strategies and the types of questions that will be asked of you. Being familiar with the test before you enter the room will reduce stress.
-
-
3
Take excellent notes on the books you're reading for class. You may be asked to recall plot details; having a thorough understanding of everything you've read will help you pass.
-
4
Arrange your notes according to the years the books were written and then study your notes in that same timeline. It will help you create a structure of literature in your head that you can then refer to on the exam.
-
5
Practice your writing. Ask your teacher for sample essays and then write answers to the questions in the time allotted. Have your teacher or a parent look over your answers and suggest places for improvement. Writing one of these every day for two weeks prior to the exam will help you be familiar with the format and with your strengths and weaknesses.
-
6
Use the Internet to find examples of past test questions. Try answering as many as you can on your own in the weeks leading up to the exam.
-
7
Become familiar with the literary canon. Know the basic plots and themes for the works most likely to appear on the exam--classics like Moby Dick and the Scarlet Letter--by using a service that abridges books and their themes, like Cliffs notes. Though you should always read books in their entirety, there are too many for you to finish by your exam and even a passing knowledge of the ones you couldn't get to can help. Miss Effie's AP Site has a document available for download that contains the titles of the works most likely to be on the AP Literature Exam (See Resources).
-
8
Practice comparing and contrasting. A large number of questions on the AP English literature exam will ask you to do this because it encourages analytical thinking. Miss Effie's AP site also has examples that you can download and work on at home.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Eat a peppermint as you start testing. This will help keep you awake, as many tests start early in the morning.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit taking test image by Petro Feketa from Fotolia.com
