AP English Language and Composition is a course in the study of rhetoric taken in high school.
The College Board advises that students choosing AP English Language and Composition be interested in studying and writing various kinds of analytic or persuasive essays on non-fiction topics, while students choosing AP English Literature and Composition be interested in studying literature of various periods and mediums (fiction, poetry, drama) and using this wide reading knowledge in discussions of literary topics.
[1] The AP English Language and Composition exam is typically administered on a Tuesday morning in the second week of May.
The questions assess students ability to understand rhetorical situations, claims and evidence, reasoning and organization, and style.
[3] The Free-Response section of the test consists of three prompts, each of a different type: synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument.
[4] With the introduction of the synthesis essay in 2007, the College Board allotted 15 additional minutes to the free-response exam portion to allow students to read and annotate the three prompts, as well as the passages and sources provided.
The prompt may mention specific techniques or purposes, but some leeway of discussion is left to the student.
[5] Students generally receive their scores by mail in mid-July of the year they took the test.
These questions are based on at least one passage which is a published work, including footnotes or a bibliography.