AP English Language & Composition
45% MC + 55% FRQ across 45 multiple choice and 3 essays (Synthesis, Rhetorical Analysis, Argument). Focus is non-fiction prose and rhetorical strategies.
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AP English Score Calculators
Project your AP score for either AP English exam. Both calculators use the latest section weights and historical composite cutoffs to map your raw performance to a 1-5 prediction.
AP English Literature & Composition
45% MC + 55% FRQ across 55 multiple choice and 3 essays (Poetry Analysis, Prose Analysis, Literary Argument). Focus is fiction, poetry, and drama.
Open calculatorPicking between AP Lang and AP Lit
See the full AP Lang vs AP Lit comparison. The short version: AP Lang focuses on non-fiction — analyzing rhetoric, argument, and style in essays, speeches, and articles. AP Lit focuses on fiction, poetry, and drama — close reading literary texts and writing about theme, character, and form. Lang is generally considered a stepping stone (often taken in 11th grade) and Lit a capstone (often taken in 12th). Both have nearly identical exam formats: 45 minutes of multiple choice, 2 hours and 15 minutes for three essays.
How AP English exams are scored
Each exam uses a composite of multiple choice (45%) and three essays (55% combined, ~18.33% each). Essays are graded by trained AP readers against a 6-point rubric (Thesis, Evidence & Commentary, Sophistication). Multiple choice tests close-reading skills on short passages. Cutoffs aren't officially published but are well-estimated from released scoring worksheets — both exams need approximately a 72% composite for a 5, with a 3 around 42%.
Tips for both exams
The single highest-leverage thing to practice is writing a defensible thesis. Both exams reward a clear, arguable claim that's directly responsive to the prompt. Vague or descriptive theses cap your score at a 2 on the rubric regardless of how well-written the rest of the essay is. Practice rubric-aware writing with released FRQ prompts — College Board publishes them every year with sample student essays at every score point.