Featured Concern
AP (Advanced Placement) English
Related Articles:
Have you been misled about the AP English exams?
What books are on the AP English exams?
Junior and senior Blue Valley students may take AP (Advanced Placement) Communication Arts (English) classes. These classes prepare them to take one of the AP English Exams in May. The tests are scored from 1 to 5. A student who scores 3 or higher may receive full credit for a freshman English course at a participating college. For specifics on the AP program, go to http://apcentral.collegeboard.com.
One question regarding the literature that is assigned at the junior and senior levels is this: "If the students are seeking college credit for these classes, shouldn't they be reading college-level material?" Obviously, yes, the students must be doing college-level work in order to earn college credit, but in our research on the definition and intent of the AP exams, it is also clear that no, juniors and seniors are not required to read literature that is sexually-charged nor excessively vulgar in order to score well in either AP exam.
The "Language and Composition" test taken by juniors is primarily a writing test. The examination itself consists of a 60 minute multiple-choice section followed by a 120 minute essay test. The essay section counts for 55% of the total grade, leaving the multiple choice section as 45% of the total grade. The "Language" test is an intense evaluation of a student's mastery of the English language including such topics as vocabulary, sentence structure, tone and voice, organization, grammar, linguistic style, and composition.
Regarding the literature used to illustrate and teach the required knowledge for the test, the following statement is a direct quote from the College Board AP Course Description manual: "There is no recommended or required reading list for the AP English Language and Composition course." The teaching manual does list about 165 potential authors from which to select literature for teaching purposes. It also provides the caveat that "Teachers may choose others of comparable quality and complexity." In addition, about 31 "Useful Works on Composition" and "Literary Handbooks" are referenced.
For the multiple choice part of the Language and Composition exam, the official course description provides a number of "typical" questions shown on past exams. These questions are based on passages from the following authors: Sir Thomas Browne, William Hazlitt, Ralph Ellison, Barbara Tuchman, and Shirley Abbott. Currently, not one of these authors is represented on the Blue Valley "approved" book list.
All of this information, as well as sample multiple-choice questions and free-response (essay) questions can be found in the AP English Course Description manual.
Click here for more information on the AP English exam that the senior-level AP Communication Arts classes prepare for, "English Literature and Composition."