AP English Language and Composition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition (or AP English Language and Composition) is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.
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[edit] The Course
This course is designed for able and motivated students with a command of standard English and a lively interest in the power and versatility of language. Students read complex prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and write for a range of purposes to express ideas with clarity and precision. Students are strongly encouraged to take the AP examination at the end of the course.
[edit] The Exam
The AP English Language and Composition exam is comprised of two sections, each weighted equally against the other. Section I, containing four passages with 54 corresponding questions, in administered with a one-hour time limit for completion. Section II, comprised of three essays, is completed within a two hour administration period.
Beginning with the May 2007 annual exam administration, the English Language and Composition AP exam will include examination of skills involving the citation and synthesis of information. One free-response prompt will ask students to categorize a range of given information, varying from literary excerpts to artwork, and formulate from the categorizations an essay of analysis that includes proper citation of referenced material. A portion of the Section I multiple-choice exam questions will also address competency with regard to information citation and synthesis.
[edit] Grade Distributions
In the 2006 administration 256,722 students took the exam from 8,168 schools. The mean score was a 2.65.
The grade distribution for 2005 was:
| Score | Percent |
|---|---|
| 5 | 5.4% |
| 4 | 15.9% |
| 3 | 29.6% |
| 2 | 36.7% |
| 1 | 12.4% |
[edit] Popular Textbooks
The Bedford Reader edited by X. J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron
