PO3 - Lesson: AP Exam Multiple Choice Details
The AP English Literature Exam: Multiple Choice Section
The AP English Literature and Composition Exam
In May, AP English Literature students from around the world complete the AP English Literature and Composition Exam. This is a challenging exam that assesses your ability to dissect texts.
Let’s take a look at the multiple-choice section of the exam in detail.
The Multiple Choice Section
This section of the exam makes up 45% of your AP English Literature Exam score. It consists of 55 multiple-choice questions that should be completed within 1 hour. Of these 55 questions, you will see the following:
- 5 sets of questions with 8–13 questions per set.
- Each set is preceded by a passage of prose fiction, drama, or poetry of varying difficulty.
- The multiple-choice section will always include at least 2 prose fiction passages (this may include drama) and at least 2 poetry passages.
The modules throughout this course will help you hone the skills needed to do well on the multiple-choice section of the exam!
Comparing Traditional Multiple Choice with AP
The table below lays out some of the main differences between traditional multiple-choice exams and the AP multiple-choice exam.
| Type of Test | Traditional Multiple Choice | AP Multiple Choice |
|---|---|---|
| Question Type | Content-based | Skill based |
| Time Limit | Variable | 1 hour |
| Number of Questions | Variable | 55 questions |
| Weight of Section | 100% | 45% |
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