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How to Study for the AP English Exam
USINFO | 2014-01-03 14:48
Knowing how to study for the Advanced Placement (AP) English exams can help you finish your bachelor's degree early, because you may not have to take the usually mandatory introductory English courses. The AP English exams are scored on a one to five scale; five being the highest score. Students who score a three or four can skip introductory college English and enter intermediate English, while students who scored a five can enter advanced English composition.
Instructions
●Study from Study Guides, such as the "Kaplan's AP English Literature and Composition" and the "Barron's AP English Language and Composition." Read through the introduction to understand the separate sections of the exams. The literature exam focuses on critically analyzing literature, while the language exam focuses on the writing aspect of an English course.
●Create flash cards for vocabulary words and study them on your off time or when you are not home. Write a word on one side and its definition on the other. Flip through the cards to memorize the words.
●Read the novels that have been featured on the AP Literature and AP Language exams. Read novels such as "Pride and Prejudice," "Wuthering Heights" and "Crime and Punishment," as they frequently appear on the Literature exam. Read novels including "The Red Badge of Courage," "The Invisible Man" and "As I Lay Dying," which often appear on the language exam. Look for character development, themes and main points.
●Use AP English Literature test study guides to familiarize yourself with the test's structure, questions and types of essay prompts. Use guides such as Kaplan and the Princeton Review's "Cracking the AP English Literature Test," as they show questions, essay prompts and concepts from past tests that are frequently repeated on the newer exams. Read poets including William Butler Yeats, William Shakespeare and John Milton, whose works often show up on literature exam. Study poetry for the literature exam, focusing on the poem's structure, main points, theme and diction. Poetry doesn't normally appear on the language exam.
●Read through and work on the practice exams in the study guide. Practice questions help you get a feel for the test's structure, sample questions and the test's flow. Complete five to 10 practice tests; use a timer on the last five exams to help you with your speed. Focus on the writing section on the language practice tests and the reading comprehension on the literature practice exam.
●Read articles from magazines, such as "The Atlantic" and "The New Yorker" to get through the reading comprehension portion of each exam more smoothly. Reading outside material can help you study while learning something in which you are interested. Examine the article for its main points, structure and the author's attitude.
●Start a study group with your classmates. Meet before or after school two or three days a week and practice reading poetry, studying vocabulary words and discussing the synopsis and main points of novels.
●Study with a tutor who has studied the material on the exams and knows what to look for while reading passages and poems, writing essay prompts and answering questions. Work with the tutor two or three times a week.
Instructions
●Study from Study Guides, such as the "Kaplan's AP English Literature and Composition" and the "Barron's AP English Language and Composition." Read through the introduction to understand the separate sections of the exams. The literature exam focuses on critically analyzing literature, while the language exam focuses on the writing aspect of an English course.
●Create flash cards for vocabulary words and study them on your off time or when you are not home. Write a word on one side and its definition on the other. Flip through the cards to memorize the words.
●Read the novels that have been featured on the AP Literature and AP Language exams. Read novels such as "Pride and Prejudice," "Wuthering Heights" and "Crime and Punishment," as they frequently appear on the Literature exam. Read novels including "The Red Badge of Courage," "The Invisible Man" and "As I Lay Dying," which often appear on the language exam. Look for character development, themes and main points.
●Use AP English Literature test study guides to familiarize yourself with the test's structure, questions and types of essay prompts. Use guides such as Kaplan and the Princeton Review's "Cracking the AP English Literature Test," as they show questions, essay prompts and concepts from past tests that are frequently repeated on the newer exams. Read poets including William Butler Yeats, William Shakespeare and John Milton, whose works often show up on literature exam. Study poetry for the literature exam, focusing on the poem's structure, main points, theme and diction. Poetry doesn't normally appear on the language exam.
●Read through and work on the practice exams in the study guide. Practice questions help you get a feel for the test's structure, sample questions and the test's flow. Complete five to 10 practice tests; use a timer on the last five exams to help you with your speed. Focus on the writing section on the language practice tests and the reading comprehension on the literature practice exam.
●Read articles from magazines, such as "The Atlantic" and "The New Yorker" to get through the reading comprehension portion of each exam more smoothly. Reading outside material can help you study while learning something in which you are interested. Examine the article for its main points, structure and the author's attitude.
●Start a study group with your classmates. Meet before or after school two or three days a week and practice reading poetry, studying vocabulary words and discussing the synopsis and main points of novels.
●Study with a tutor who has studied the material on the exams and knows what to look for while reading passages and poems, writing essay prompts and answering questions. Work with the tutor two or three times a week.
