AP English Language and Composition Changes for 2020
About 580,000 students take the AP English Language and Composition exam each year.
It is THE most popular of all the Advanced Placement exams.
That means that the greatest number of students will be affected by changes to the exam, going
into effect May 2020.
But folks — do not be intimidated by these changes.
We are here to guide you, and I’ve got a spoiler alert.
They’re actually kind of better for you.
Here’s what I mean...
First, let’s talk about what ISN’T changing.
There are still two sections — a multiple-choice section, worth 45% of your score, and a free-response
section, worth that remaining 55%.
What WILL be changing are the number and type of questions in the multiple-choice section,
and the scoring rubric for the free-response section.
But those changes are good news!
In both cases, the changes make the test — and its scoring — more predictable, so that
your preparation will be EASIER, not harder.
Let’s really drill down here.
Students who took this exam last year had one hour to tackle anywhere from 52 to 55
multiple-choice questions.
Those questions were entirely focused on rhetorical analysis, and were presented in 4 sets, each
around a lengthy stimulus passage.
Plus, the distribution of different question types could vary, so what you were going to
get was unpredictable.
For you lucky folks taking the exam starting in 2020, you'll have that same amount of time
— about an hour — to complete just 45 questions.
That's as many as 10 fewer questions in the same amount of time!
Luxuriate in all that time.
Well, kind of.
Now, you'll get those questions in 5 sets, each with a short stimulus passage.
And you'll know exactly which types of questions you can expect.
There will be two Reading sets.
Each set will contain a non-fiction passage and from 11 to 14 questions with a total of
23 to 25 questions.
These will be very similar to the multiple choice questions on past versions of the test,
but the vocabulary-in-context and identification questions are now gone, so you'll just have
to prepare for questions on rhetorical analysis.
The other three sets will be Writing sets.
This is the part that's TOTALLY new.
These won't involve any writing on your end.
Instead you'll be asked to, as the College Board says, "read like a writer."
What does that even mean?
Well, each set will have a passage designed to be the first draft of a student essay.
The questions will ask you to make edits based on the author's purpose.
Just make sure to select the answer choice that best accomplishes the goal given in the
question.
If you’ve taken the SAT or ACT, you’ll notice that these questions are similar to
some questions you saw in Writing and Language or English.
As with those tests, focus on the author’s purpose and the goal explicitly stated in
the question.
Now, for the free-response questions, you’ll still have 2 hours and 15 minutes (that 15
minutes is a reading period) to answer 1 synthesis question, 1 rhetorical analysis question,
and 1 argument question.
Quick refresher —
SYNTHESIS — In the Synthesis Essay, you'll need to use material from at least 3 sources
to support own position on the topic.
Have you done essays in which you use examples to support your position on topic?
Of course you have!
And here, you don't even need to remember your examples.
They're given to you.
You can totally handle this!
Here’s the skinny: You’ll get 6 or 7 sources pertaining to a particular topic, and — in
a nutshell — you’ll have to SYNTHESIZE them while also making an argument.
Two of your sources will be visual, and at least one of those will be quantitative.
The rest will be text-based, about 500 words apiece.
(That’s equivalent to 2 double-spaced pages; no big deal!)
In your essay, you’ll need to synthesize material from at least 3 of the sources and
advance your own position on the topic.
You’ve probably done that dozens of times for other assignments.
You can totally handle this.
Next is RHETORICAL ANALYSIS — For this, you’ll get just 1 nonfiction passage of
about 600 to 800 words (that’s 3 double-spaced pages).
You’ll then be asked to write an essay analyzing the writer’s rhetorical choices.
You don't need to worry about picking a side here.
That's not the point.
The point to show that you understand how the author built the argument.
You'll pull the argument apartment apart, then put it back together again.
You’ve been doing this in all of your writing — now’s the time to show off your skills!
And, if you’ve taken the SAT, you’ve already done a very similar exercise with the SAT
Essay.
Finally, you’ll have your ARGUMENT essay — Now that you’ve shown you know how an
argument is made, you’ll get to make one of your own.
This is a lot like the Synthesis essay, but you'll have to use your own evidence to build
your own argument.
Again, you've done this before.
You know how to do this.
We know there are lots of writerly types watching this.
For you guys, this should be fun!
And the takeaway for everyone is this — none of these are essay question types are new,
folks.
What is new is how you’ll be scored.
Students who took the 2019 AP English Language and Composition exam were scored using HOLISTIC
rubrics.
Starting in 2020, students are being scored using ANALYTIC rubrics.
What’s the difference?
Well, here’s another change in your favor.
It used to be that essays were graded on a holistic scale — from 0 to 9.
Now, there is a new analytic rubric ranging from 0 to 6.
It might seem like you have less wiggle room for error, but actually, the new rubric provides
great clarity for how to snag each and every one of those 6 points.
The first point is for your thesis.
How do you earn that?
Just have a clear and defensible thesis!
That's it!
First point done.
The next 4 points are for evidence and commentary.
You get 2 of those 4 points just for using the bare minimum number of pieces of evidence
required.
If you consistently explain your line of reasoning and tie that to your evidence, you get the
other 2 points.
Voila!
The final point is based on “sophistication.”
I know, what does "sophistication" even mean?
Well, it means you've shown a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation.
If you have, that's your final point.
6 out of 6, right there!
Here’s the bottom line, folks: With no mysteries about what you’re getting, you can know
exactly how to prepare.
And we are here to help.
We at The Princeton Review have released an all-new, fully updated Cracking the AP English
Language and Composition guidebook, now available wherever books are sold.
In addition to full-length practice tests and content review chapters, this book will
guide you through the strategies for the multiple-choice question types and all three essays.
With this book, you have what you need to go into this exam ready to earn your 5.
Folks, thanks for watching.
Be sure to subscribe to our channel for all the latest updates on how your AP exams are
changing.
You’ve got this.