Practice ExamNeed practice? I know I do. Below you can find an Advanced Placement Literature and Composition practice test directly from the College Board website.
On the link, there are practices for the multiple choice part of the exam, as well as previous tests which can be reviewed. |
Need a book? I got you covered!
Here are some of my favorite pieces of fantastic pieces of literature I have read over the course of the year which I plan to use on the AP Test. Hopefully it helps you, too!
Title
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Author
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Important Characters
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Themes/AP Prompts
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More Information
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Raisin in the Sun
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Loraine Hansberry
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Mama, Walter, Beneatha, Mr. L
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Money, woman's rights, flower, american dream.
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The Kite Runner
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Khaled Hosseini
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Amir, Hassan, Baba.
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Money, learning from mistakes, childhood, growing characters.
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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Ken Kesey
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Chief Bromden, Randle McMurphy, Nurse Ratched,
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Crazy, mental illness, voice, communication, power.
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Ahhhh! Multiple Choice!
Have no fear, the multiple choice man is here! I have complied a list of 10 tips that I have gotten over the course of the year that will for sure--without a doubt--certainly get you above a 3 on the AP Test!
- Don't stress; trust yourself. Trust the information that has been implemented into your brain day after day by your teacher for the last 129 days. Or, 3,096 hours. Or, 185,760 minutes. Or, 11,145,600 seconds! You have the knowledge in you, be confident.
- Read the questions before you encounter the passage. By doing this, you will get an excellent idea of what the passage will be about and the themes in it before you even start reading. It's like a cheat code, use it.
- Process of elimination. There are always bound to be answers in there that are meant to throw you off as a reader, so find them, and don't fall into the trap. Always pick the 100% right answer, and nothing below it.
- Find the questions that you know and crank them out. Don't waste your time on the questions that make you go back and read multiple lines at the beginning, save them for the end, and get the easy ones out of the way first.
- Don't spend too much time on any specific question. If you feel like you know it, answer it. If you don't, come back to it later after you've gone through the other questions because you might have a different opinion of it when you come back.
- Be quick, but don't hurry. I mentioned not taking too much time, but you also do not want to rush yourself and second guess your answers.
- Read the passage once to get an idea, then again for comprehension. You must do this quickly to stay on time with the rest of your test, but if you read the passage at least twice before going into the answers, your understanding is much deeper of the text.
- Reread parts of the passage and read thoroughly through every question. The people who make these test are clever, so see every answer at least once and don't be afraid to go back to reread.
- Annotate the passages. Make the paper full of your thoughts along the sides of the page, on the passage, or anywhere. It will help when you go back to look at the passage for rereading.
- NEVER LEAVE A QUESTION BLANK! College Board does not penalize for guessing anymore, so if you have absolute no idea what the question is asking or you are running out of time, fill in the letter of the day.
Another monster to conquer: Free Response Section
Below is a video I found very helpful about the free response portion of the test.
f, after watching the video, the author addressed many different tactics and techniques for the free response section. Just from some of the many things included:
However, reading the passage is just the first part of the problem. When finished, you must make sure you are organized and ready with a plan to attack the essay. Never go in unprepared; be able to write your paper in your mind before you even write your first sentence. During the essay, make sure to use college level vocabulary, integrate cited evidence, and always refer back to your claim.
Lastly, for the open ended essay, make sure you have AT LEAST two pieces of literature that you can go back to and know like they are the back of your hand. You must know the author, main characters name, themes, and be able to push the plot analytically rather than just summarize. It is huge in your text when you can say "the main reason the author did this, is to show that he-- the protagonist-- needed to go on a quest to fulfill his character and prove his belonging in this unknown world." Now, obviously you wouldn't use any pronouns, but it is incredibly impressive when you can cite evidence from a book in the open ended essay. This will also push your analysis throughout the entire paper, and allow you to have a fantastic grasp on your essay.
- Knowing what the prompt is asking for
- Know the author's name and the title
- Annotate the passage
- Thread any themes or similarities throughout the text that you can find.
- Notice the syntax, tone, and diction.
However, reading the passage is just the first part of the problem. When finished, you must make sure you are organized and ready with a plan to attack the essay. Never go in unprepared; be able to write your paper in your mind before you even write your first sentence. During the essay, make sure to use college level vocabulary, integrate cited evidence, and always refer back to your claim.
Lastly, for the open ended essay, make sure you have AT LEAST two pieces of literature that you can go back to and know like they are the back of your hand. You must know the author, main characters name, themes, and be able to push the plot analytically rather than just summarize. It is huge in your text when you can say "the main reason the author did this, is to show that he-- the protagonist-- needed to go on a quest to fulfill his character and prove his belonging in this unknown world." Now, obviously you wouldn't use any pronouns, but it is incredibly impressive when you can cite evidence from a book in the open ended essay. This will also push your analysis throughout the entire paper, and allow you to have a fantastic grasp on your essay.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/161988917823665147/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-kite-runner/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/cuckoo/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BqcxXpnn6o
https://www.learnerator.com/blog/ap-english-literature-tips/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/the-kite-runner/
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/cuckoo/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BqcxXpnn6o
https://www.learnerator.com/blog/ap-english-literature-tips/