AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang): complete guide to the exam, units and skills

AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang) is a College Board course in rhetoric and argument: reading non-fiction closely and writing evidence-based arguments. Unlike content courses, its nine units are a progression of skills rather than topics. This page is the index for our AP Lang content: below is a map of the exam, the big ideas and skills, and the study approach, with links to the dot-point pages we have published.

The exam at a glance

The AP Lang exam is scored 1 to 5 and has two sections:

• Section I. 45 multiple choice questions (1 hour), split between reading questions (analyzing non-fiction passages) and writing questions (revising and editing). This section is 45 percent of the score.
• Section II. Three free-response essays (2 hours 15 minutes, including a 15-minute reading period): the synthesis essay, the rhetorical analysis essay, and the argument essay. This section is 55 percent of the score.

The three essays

Each essay is scored on the same 6-point rubric (1 thesis, 4 evidence and commentary, 1 sophistication), so practice them separately but apply the same rubric discipline.

1. Synthesis essay (Question 1). Develop a position on an issue using several provided sources, integrating evidence from at least three of them.
2. Rhetorical analysis essay (Question 2). Analyze the rhetorical choices a writer makes in a non-fiction passage to achieve a purpose for an audience.
3. Argument essay (Question 3). Argue your own defensible position on an idea, using your own evidence and reasoning.

The four big ideas and skills

The course is organized around four big ideas, each a skill category that the units develop:

1. Rhetorical Situation (RHS). Writers make choices based on the exigence, audience, writer, purpose, context, and message.
2. Claims and Evidence (CLE). Writers make claims and support them with relevant evidence and the reasoning (commentary) that justifies the claim.
3. Reasoning and Organization (REO). Writers build a line of reasoning and choose methods of development to organize it.
4. Style (STL). Writers make strategic stylistic choices - diction, syntax, tone - that suit the rhetorical situation.

The nine units

AP Lang runs through nine skill-progression units; each revisits the big ideas at greater depth:

• Unit 1: Rhetorical Situation and Claims.
• Unit 2: Claims and Thesis Statements.
• Unit 3: Perspectives and How Arguments Relate.
• Unit 4: How Writers Develop Arguments, Introductions, and Conclusions.
• Unit 5: Developing Complex Arguments.
• Unit 6: Methods of Development and Complexity.
• Unit 7: Position, Perspective, and Bias.
• Unit 8: Stylistic Choices and Sophistication.
• Unit 9: Synthesizing Sources and Refining Arguments.

How to study AP Lang

1. Learn skills, not facts. The exam tests reading and writing skills, so practice the moves, not memorized content.
2. Read non-fiction widely and practice reading the rhetorical situation quickly.
3. Drill the three essays separately against the shared 6-point rubric.
4. Write commentary that explains effect, not labels: the upper half of every rubric rewards reasoning.
5. Use released exams from AP Central to practice timing and wording.

Unit 1 (Rhetorical Situation and Claims): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 1, one page per teachable skill:

• The Rhetorical Situation
• Analyzing Purpose and Audience
• Identifying Claims
• Evidence and Relevance
• Commentary: Linking Evidence to Claim
• Developing a Defensible Claim
• Building an Argument Paragraph
• Foundations of the Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Unit 2 (Claims and Thesis Statements): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 2, one page per teachable skill:

• Analyzing Audience Beliefs and Values
• Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
• The Overarching Thesis
• Qualifying and Developing Claims
• Writing a Defensible Thesis Statement
• The Line of Reasoning
• Methods of Development
• Commentary and the Claim-Evidence Chain

Unit 3 (Perspectives and How Arguments Relate): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 3, one page per teachable skill:

• Interpreting Perspective and Bias
• Identifying and Avoiding Flawed Reasoning
• Introducing and Integrating Evidence
• Using Sufficient Evidence
• Attributing and Citing Sources
• Narration and Cause-Effect Development
• Comparing Arguments and Perspectives

Unit 4 (How Writers Develop Arguments, Introductions, and Conclusions): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 4, one page per teachable skill:

• Connecting Thesis and Line of Reasoning
• Developing Introductions
• Developing Conclusions
• Using Transitions
• Comparison as a Method of Development
• Word Choice and Diction
• Figurative Comparisons and Analogy

Unit 5 (Developing Complex Arguments): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 5, one page per teachable skill:

• Counterarguments and Concession
• Refutation and Rebuttal
• Qualifying and Conceding a Claim
• Foundations of the Argument Essay
• Developing a Complex Line of Reasoning
• Commentary that Explains Significance
• The Sophistication Point

Unit 6 (Methods of Development and Complexity): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 6, one page per teachable skill:

• Definition and Description as Development
• Exemplification and Illustration
• Classification and Division
• Process and Causal Analysis
• Choosing and Combining Methods
• The Structure of a Complex Argument

Unit 7 (Position, Perspective, and Bias): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 7, one page per teachable skill:

• Position and Perspective
• Detecting Bias and Assumptions
• Tone and Attitude
• Evaluating Source Credibility
• Conveying Your Own Perspective
• Foundations of the Synthesis Essay

Unit 8 (Stylistic Choices and Sophistication): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 8, one page per teachable skill:

• Syntax and Sentence Structure
• Rhetorical Devices and Schemes
• Irony and Figurative Language
• Imagery and Concrete Language
• Controlling Emphasis and Punctuation
• Sustaining a Persuasive Style

Unit 9 (Synthesizing Sources and Refining Arguments): the dot points

Our coverage of Unit 9, one page per teachable skill:

• Integrating Multiple Sources
• The Conversation Among Sources
• Revising for Coherence
• Editing Grammar and Conventions
• Strengthening Commentary in Revision
• Timed Essay Strategy

Deep-dive guides

• How to write the AP Lang rhetorical analysis essay, a full walkthrough of the 6-point rubric and a worked plan.

For the official Course and Exam Description

The College Board publishes the full AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam Description, past free-response questions, and scoring guidelines at AP Central. Always study from the current CED and the College Board's own released exams, because the units, skills, and rubrics are set by the board.