The AP English Literature and Composition is a 3-hour College Board exam. It contains two parts: multiple-choice and free-response. Most students don’t need AP Lit multiple-choice tips since they believe this section is pretty easy. But when it comes to writing three essays, any advice becomes helpful. What if we offer you a step-by-step guide on AP Lit tips that may help you ace both the multiple-choice section and the essays easily?
So, in this post, we are going to share the most effective tips for the AP Lit exam. In the end, you will build confidence for the test and gain study skills that will come in handy even in college.
How Long Does It Take to Prepare for the AP Literature Exam?
The AP English Literature and Composition exam is about 3 hours long. First, you will have to answer 55 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes! But it gets even more intense. There is also the free-response section that lasts about 120 minutes. Thus, you have to prepare well so as not to crack under pressure. And it will take time if you want to ace the test.
How long it will take you depends on your needs and study habits. If you love reading poetry and literature, you may find that you don’t need months of preparation. People who read regularly build up their comprehension skills over the years and have a rich vocabulary. This is basically what you need, in addition to analytical skills, to pass the test successfully.
If you struggle with reading comprehension and literary terms look like Latin to you, chances are that you need more time. It’s a great idea to start even before the beginning of the school year. Don’t wait a week or two before the test day to start studying! No matter how good you think you are, this approach can backfire and put even more pressure on you.
AP Lit Tips: Effective Preparation for the AP Literature and Composition Exam
The AP Literature exam will test your ability to understand and interpret literary texts. What’s more? The questions cover literary works of different time periods. How can you possibly prepare for that? Actually, there are some proven techniques you can use right away:
#1 Go Through Each Unit of the AP English Literature Course
So, where should you start? Believe it or not, your first step should not be tackling practice questions online. And no, it’s not deep reading of the classical work you’ve heard people recommend, either. You will get to these soon. But first, you need to get a clear picture of the AP exam content. Check the College Board website, specifically the AP Literature and Composition course page.
There is a list of topics for each unit. Some questions will require you to identify literary devices like metaphor or hyperbole, while in others, you’ll have to specify a character’s interactions with settings. The questions may be related to short fiction, poetry, drama, and longer fiction works.
Source: The College Board
#2 Get Familiar With the Exam Format
Wonder how to score high on the test? Here’s a secret: students are likely to succeed when they take the time to learn about the AP lit exam’s unique format. You should know what it looks like if you want the odds to be in your favor.
Take a look at the question types, check the timing for each section, and know what to expect on the test day. Thus, you’ll reduce your anxiety and have an idea of how to study effectively using tips for AP Lit multiple-choice and free-response questions.
Starting in 2025, each multiple-choice question will have four answer choices instead of five. But more changes might be coming, so be sure to regularly check the official College Board website for any updates.
Source: The College Board
#3 Read Books That Teach You How to Analyze Literature
You will get a list of recommended readings for your AP class, which should be the basis for your studies. However, it turns out you can’t enjoy classical literature and poetry when you struggle with assessing their literary merit. So, start with reading books that break it all down for you, like Thomas C. Forster’s “How to Read Literature Like a Professor.”
Source: Amazon
Thus, you’ll brush up your critical thinking and reading skills. Plus, there are tons of materials on how to get the hang of analyzing and interpreting literature. While studying, remember to make notes and bookmark pages. If you want, you can also find some YouTube videos that explain how to interpret different literature.
#4 Read Classical Literature and Practice Writing Essays for the Free-Response Questions
How-to books are great since they provide students with a map for getting started. However, you need to practice a lot to build your skills. Pick up “Jane Eyre,” “The Portrait of a Lady,” and other classical pieces of literature and try to read them thoughtfully.
But don’t simply read. Reread parts of the books that seem difficult, jot down words that are important, and make notes of things, scenes, or anything related to characters’ or plot development. You can use those notes to support your stance in the essay answers. Since you will need to write three essays in the free-response section, practice writing essays and formulating a thesis statement beforehand.
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#5 Get Someone to Review Your Essays
Want to ace the free-response section? Then, ask for feedback. Usually, these questions require you to present an interpretation of a given literary work. You may have to read a poem, a prose passage, or a drama and give your own interpretation (backed with evidence) in response to a given prompt. The third free-response question typically involves a literary analysis essay based on a given prompt.
All these bring us back to the original point: students who want to improve must ask for feedback. Ask your English teachers, parents, tutors, or even friends to rate your efforts and give you tips on how to improve. This is how you get better. Usually, teachers may give helpful advice on tackling those questions. At the same time, your friends may be able to spot grammatical errors, which is also something that can help you improve.
#6 Take Practice Tests to Tackle Multiple Choice Portion of Questions
Students usually pay much attention to the second section of the AP lit test, which is essay writing. But the first section is not a walk in the park either. It contains 55 multiple-choice questions, which are split into 5 sets of questions. Each one has a short prose passage, drama, or poetry, which you must carefully read before choosing a correct answer. You will have just one minute for each question. This is why practicing is so important.
Besides teaching you time management, practice tests also mimic the real test experience. Thus, you’ll know exactly what areas need improvement. The more of these tests you take, the more you sharpen your test-taking ability. You will know which tricks work for you and use your own AP Lit multiple-choice tips to complete this section well. While occasional wrong answers won’t lower your score much, you need to get almost all the answers right to get a high score.
#7 Make Flashcards to Memorize Literary Terms
Many of the questions on the AP English Literature exam revolve around common literary devices. Some examples are figurative language, similes, metaphors, irony, personification, and more. Since there are so many of them, it’s a good idea to make flashcards to memorize them better and faster.
On each card, put down the meaning of a term, an example, and maybe a fun illustration in case you need visuals to stimulate your memory. And, of course, remember that all the flashcards in the world won’t do much good unless you review them regularly. Even 15 minutes a day is better than an hour once a week. Not sure how to make DIY flashcards? There are numerous guides online.
#8 Start or Join a Discussion Group to Ace Free-Response Questions
While multiple-choice questions account for 45% of your total score, free-response questions constitute 55% of it. The free-response section requires you to write 3 essays. That’s why you might need more preparation, especially if writing isn’t your thing. But no worries! Practice makes perfect.
Apart from just writing, you can join a discussion group. Take part in class discussions (literature classes), or maybe start your own lit group with a few friends. How can it help? If you discuss the plot, character arcs, conflicts, etc., and share your perspectives, you will start to pick up analytical skills quickly. When you polish this skill, you might even look forward to writing those three exam essays.
Source: The College Board
#9 Get Extra Personalized Help
You may need to get a private tutor if you really struggle with some topics in the AP English Literature and Composition. When is the right time to ask for help? Well, if you have been doing everything right but still can’t grasp the concepts or many things just don’t make sense, it’s worth considering tutoring services.
You can find an affordable option if you consider online tutoring. There are many options for cheap tutoring services for standardized exam prep. Define what you need, set your goals, and find a tutor who suits you best. Consider their qualifications and experience to be sure you are getting quality services.
Conclusion
The AP English Literature and Composition test day can be one of your good memories if you are ready for it. Start preparing early, read recommended books, take practice exams, and apply the AP Lit exam tips mentioned earlier. In the end, you might even find yourself excited about the actual exam. Who knows?
