Ultimate Guide to the AP Test Format and Preparation Tips

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Dive into the essential details of the AP test, including requirements, test format breakdown, multiple-choice strategies, common question types, essay prompts, thesis and topic sentence tips, and the emphasis on critical thinking skills for success. Prepare effectively to maximize your performance and earn college credit through this comprehensive guide.

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AN AN INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION TO THE AP TEST THE AP TEST TO

AP Requirements You will have to take the AP test at the end of the year to receive college credit for my course (excluding dual credit students). You can earn up to six hours! You will take many applied practices in class and a full practice exam in the spring, as the practice exam is highly encouraged of all students (excluding dual credit students).

Test Format Multiple Choice (45%)- 60 minutes to answer approximately 55 questions 10-minute break between Section 1 and 2 Three Essays (55%)- 55 minutes for synthesis essay, 40 minutes for rhetorical analysis essay, 40 minutes for argument essay

Multiple Choice Help Don t skip questions. Answer every one! Circle your answers in the book and then, after each passage, transfer them over. If you are running out of time, quickly answer the word in context questions. Read the FULL question; those EXCEPT questions can kill you. You probably want to skip around to answer the easiest ones for you and then come back to fill in the rest, so you get to more questions that you know you have a chance of answering correctly.

Most Common Multiple Choice Questions Word in context- what does this word mean? Main idea- be able to grasp important point Terms- rhetorical and literary devices Function- what is the effect of a device/word? Organization/structure- characterizing/clustering

The 3 Prompts Will Be: Synthesis Essay Rhetorical Analysis Essay Argument Essay

Thesis and Topic Sentences Everything you write should relate back to your thesis, which should, in turn, relate back to the prompt. Use topic sentences and transitions for each paragraph. Have your thesis and topic sentences written out in your outline before you begin to write. This will help keep your essay tight and structured. Don t spend too much time on your outline. 10 mins. MAX

AP Critical Thinking Ability This test is assessing your thinking skills just as much as your writing skills. Don t write what everyone else is going to write. Use mature and interesting evidence/examples to support your point; take from history, literature, current events, school knowledge Keep personal examples to a minimum.

Speculate about our culture The trend in recent years is to include essays or nonfiction pieces with prompts that ask the reader to comment on our culture. Ex. Entertainment/technology The media & its effect on democracy Money/Narcissism

IF ITS A PIECE OF SATIRE, IF IT S A PIECE OF SATIRE, DON T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY DON T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY Look for the underlying points Ex. The Onion A Modest Proposal Reading the background information given to you in the directions will always help you identify satire.

Avoid immaturity in your writing, like: shows go deeper positive or negative Writing, In conclusion in your conclusion Restating the thesis exactly in both your intro and conclusion

Dont use a formula for your structure if you can help it. ( 5 par. Essay )

Use Effective Verbs WRITE THESE DOWN (present tense focusing on what the author is doing) Conveys, reveals, connotes, delineates, emphasizes, accomplishes, advocates, represents, presents, implements, enhances, contrasts, demonstrates, reflects, asserts, contributes, creates, permeates, flows, illustrates, alludes, displays, paints, portrays, elucidates, explicates

Speculate! Every piece will have various levels of complexity. It s your job to look for that curve, that shift. If you do, you will take your essay to the next level of critical analysis, which will help you get from a 6-7 to an 8-9.

Timed Writing Introduction: Get to the point immediately! Don t worry about lead-ins. Answer the question (or prompt) directly. (Instead of saying, In this poem the speaker clearly shows his attitude toward love say, The speaker conveys a very cynical attitude toward love ) Material: Be sure to use specific details from the text to support your general answer. Do not quote long passages, but do make specific references to the text and include short quotations. Organization: Although ideally you d like to set up perfectly logical paragraphs and coherent analysis, time restraints may make this impossible. Try to plan your general structure ahead of time, but feel free to stray from the plan if it s necessary to cover the material. Your reader will understand your time constraints. Essentially, the first paragraph will directly answer the question or prompt; the middle paragraphs will provide specific details to support that position; and the final paragraph will tie ideas together. {Tell me show me tie it together!}

Timed Writing Contd Transitions: Try to provide logical flow between paragraphs, but do not be afraid to break the flow if you discover important ideas that need to be added. Here you can use conversational transitions to bring in addition material: Let me back up for a minute to clarify a point made earlier Tone: Tone tends to be more conversational, though you want to be as formal as reasonably possible. You are trying to show that you understand the question or prompt. Title: Not needed. Don t waste the time.

Timed Writing Contd Drafts: One draft is all you have time to do. Make your writing as legible as is reasonable to expect in the limited time allotted. Do not use valuable time trying to recopy the essay. Be sure to use blue or black ink. Whiteout takes time and breaks the flow of ideas. Neatly cross out errors and keep writing. Readers will tolerate a few spelling or punctuation errors because of the time restraints. However, if errors are too frequent, they will impede the flow of the reader and give the impression that you have poor language skills. Be careful but not obsessive.

Argument Question: Recognize the complexity of the question. That is of the purpose of the argument. That is a path to a higher score- qualify!!! If you qualify, make sure you still favor a side. Don t come across as wishy-washy. Do not use hypothetical evidence. It must be real (use your AP History knowledge as well as your knowledge from reading & being an informed citizen).

Synthesis Essay Make sure you cite by using quotes, summaries, or paraphrases- both direct and indirect citations. Make their words work for you by incorporating only what you need of the quote; never use full paragraphs (or even full sentences) if you can help it. Embed their words in your own words; this is the most mature way to synthesize. You must cite 3 documents (citing more than 3 can actually lower your score, but citing less than 3 will give you an automatic score of 3 or less) Yes, you can bring in outside information. The synthesis essay is not worth more, so don t waste all your time on it.

Synthesis Contd Your argument should be the focus of the essay, NOT the sources themselves. Don t split your paragraphs around your sources (one paragraph dedicated to each source). Synthesize the sources into your argument. Pretend you re writing a research-based argument (yes- defend, challenge, or qualify) paper and your research is already done for you. Don t let the sources take over.

For the Rhetorical Analysis Essay Remember you can use my formula for times sake: (The author) uses diction, syntax, and figurative language in order to (insert his or her specific rhetorical purpose). You don t have to, but it s a nice fallback and will get you where you need to go.

Remember: Discussing purpose and effect ( WHY the author uses the device or what his/her intended effect is) is more important than listing terms. Diction: word choice that is meaningful takes connotation into account and helps set up a tone, a mood, or a theme. Syntax: rules of language sentence length, structure, punctuation, word order, active vs. passive verbs, repetition, etc. Figurative Language: language that isn t literal, i.e. metaphors, symbolism, allusions, etc.

Tips Discussing purpose & effect is always much more important than listing terms. Read the prompt carefully, and make sure you know exactly what is being asked before you dive right in. Reading the background information at the top of the source will help you identify anything strange about a piece including if it s satirical in nature, or if it s a bogus source (they have been known to try to trick students this way in the synthesis essay). This information can also tell you who wrote the passage/source, why they are relevant, and, possibly most helpfully, can place it in an appropriate historical context that can get you making connections and give you a starting point.

Think like the College Board The front line and the last line of the piece will be important. Discuss their function.

Dont explain the terms Remember your audience. Your reader knows what polysyndeton is, asyndeton, etc. Your reader is a college professor or an experienced AP Teacher. If you can t remember the technical term, or freeze up, discuss punctuation or diction, or ANYTHING you feel might be purposeful or have an effect.

Remember Your essays will be graded holistically. 5 is considered passing. To receive an 8 or a 9, you must demonstrate either control of language or a brilliant perspective/argument.

General Rubric 9-8 Superior papers specific in their references, cogent in their definitions, and free of plot summary that is not relevant to the question. These essays need not be without flaws, but they demonstrate the writer's ability to discuss a literary work with insight and understanding and to control a wide range of the elements of effective composition. At all times they stay focused on the prompt. 7-6 These papers are less thorough, less perceptive or less specific than 9-8 papers. These essays are well- written but with less maturity and control than the top papers. They demonstrate the writer's ability to analyze a literary work, but they reveal a more limited understanding than do the papers in the 9-8 range. Generally, 6 essays present a less sophisticated analysis and less consistent command of the elements of effective writing than essays scored 7.

Rubric Contd 5Safe and plastic, superficiality characterizes these essays. Discussion of meaning may be pedestrian, mechanical, or inadequately related to the chosen details. Typically, these essays reveal simplistic thinking and/or immature writing. They usually demonstrate inconsistent control over the elements of composition and are not as well conceived, organized, or developed as the upper-half papers. On the other hand, the writing is sufficient to convey the writer's ideas and stays focused on the prompt. 4-3 Discussion is likely to be unpersuasive, perfunctory, underdeveloped or misguided. The meaning they deduce may be inaccurate or insubstantial and not clearly related to the question. Part of the question may be omitted altogether. The writing may convey the writer's ideas, but it reveals weak control over such elements as diction, organization, syntax or grammar. Typically, these essays contain significant misinterpretations of the question or the work they discuss; they may also contain little, if any, supporting evidence, and practice paraphrase and plot summary at the expense of analysis.

Rubric Contd 2-1 These essays compound the weakness of essays in the 4-3 range and are frequently unacceptably brief. They are poorly written on several counts, including many distracting errors in grammar and mechanics. Although the writer may have made some effort to answer the question, the views presented have little clarity or coherence.

Stamina Eat and sleep right the TWO days before the test (including the day of the test, which is May 16th). You don t want to burn out by the last section of the multiple choice or by the last essay. This could make a difference between a 3 and a 4 or a 2/3.

What to bring Be at DHS (location to be announced) by 7:30 AM on Wednesday the 16th of May. You must bring: a blue or black pen, a couple of sharpened #2 pencils, and a highlighter is optional. DO NOT BRING CELL PHONES. Dictionaries and thesauri are not allowed either.