Official information about the AP Literature & Composition exam (click here)

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9 Steps for Earning a 9 on the Q1 Poetry Essay

1. Write on the prompt! Circle/underline key elements you must address.
2. Make a little map of what you will discuss. Make sure you hit everything the prompt wants you to hit.
3. For your introduction, build it around a thesis that clearly & fully addresses the question presented in the prompt. Do NOT write a long, flowery hook. A quick (yet punchy or unique) hook is enough. DO include the author’s name and the title of the poem in the intro.
4. Write on the passage! Circle/underline details you want to use.
5. In your body paragraphs, use LOTS of short quotations from the poem to support your thesis. You want to point to specific poetic devices/elements to back up your interpretation of the poem.
6. Try to use the literary terms mentioned in the prompt, but you may also bring up others if they are relevant and help you build your argument.
7. Don’t expect your claims and evidence to speak for themselves! You must “comment” on the literary elements & quotes you’ve presented to the reader. Explain and discuss your interpretation in depth. If your reasoning and analysis are super clear and thorough, your score will be higher.
8. Stay focused on the poem. You can broaden out a bit at the end and make more general, big-picture statements, but try to cut down on those sorts of statements in your body paragraphs.
9. The conclusion should not be super long. A brief yet powerful “clincher” line or two at the end is great. Consider tying the subject of the essay to some larger significance or link it to the real world.

9 Steps for Earning a 9 on the Q2 Prose Essay

1. Write on the prompt! Circle/underline key elements you must address.
2. Make a little map of what you will discuss. Make sure you hit everything the prompt wants you to hit.
3. For your introduction, build it around a thesis that clearly & fully addresses the question presented in the prompt. Do NOT write a long, flowery hook. A quick (yet punchy or unique) hook is enough. DO include the author’s name and the title of the poem in the intro.
4. Write on the passage! Circle/underline details you want to use.
5. In your body paragraphs, use LOTS of short quotations from the passage to support your thesis. You want to point to specific literary devices/elements to back up your interpretation of the passage.
6. Try to use the literary terms mentioned in the prompt, but you may also bring up others if they are relevant and help you build your argument.
7. Don’t expect your claims and evidence to speak for themselves! You must “comment” on the literary elements & quotes you’ve presented to the reader. Explain and discuss your interpretation in depth. If your reasoning and analysis are super clear and thorough, your score will be higher.
8. Stay focused on the passage. You can broaden out a bit at the end and make more general, big-picture statements, but try to cut down on those sorts of statements in your body paragraphs.
9. The conclusion should not be super long. A brief yet powerful “clincher” line or two at the end is great. Consider tying the subject of the essay to some larger significance or link it to the real world.