AP English Language and Composition

What Students Learn

Students read nonfiction, analyze audience and purpose, and examine how writers organize arguments and choose language. Writing practice includes synthesis and rhetorical analysis, with students developing their own claims through evidence and explanation.

Unit Learning Focus

The units and learning focuses below follow the official AP course framework.

Unit 1: Rhetorical situation and claims and evidence

Unit 2: Rhetorical analysis and use of evidence

Unit 3: Claims and evidence and argument organization

Unit 4: Rhetorical situation and development of arguments

Unit 5: Reasoning and organization and style

Unit 6: Claims and evidence and language choices

Unit 7: Rhetorical situation, evidence, and style

Unit 8: Rhetorical situation and use of style

Unit 9: Refining claims and evidence

AP Assessment

The AP exam includes 45 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, worth 45%, assessing reading analysis and revision decisions. Free response consists of three essays in 135 minutes, including 15 minutes of reading time, worth 55%. Students write a synthesis essay and a rhetorical analysis, followed by an argument essay. Scoring considers the thesis and explanation of evidence, alongside sophistication of analysis.

References (2026–2027): College Board course framework; assessment information