What would I need to do in order to self study for an AP English exam?

Question

I am still in high school, but I am taking English 101 and English 102 at a college whose credits are no likely to transfer. (This is why I am interested in taking the AP English Exam).

1. Because I am taking these courses, which AP exam would be easier to self study -- the AP English Literature and Compostion Exam, or the AP English Language and Compostion Exam?

2. What should I do in order to teach myself the material? (Besides by a review book)

Thanks in advanced for any answers,

stev

Answer 1

I did the AP Language exam and in my opinion, it's not very difficult. There was a multiple choice section and for that it's basically reading comprehension and terms. The terms you should memorize from the review book (things like 'metaphor', 'periodic sentence', 'allegory', 'allusion', etc). You should learn about the types of essays (Analysis, Argument, Synthesis...) and how to best write each one. I'd ask your English teacher about that.

Answer 2

Composition is a large part of the AP English exam; something for which there is no real rehearsal.  You need a knowledgeable  coach who can critique some essays.

As for studying for the comp part, you might try to imagine the topics and mentally write those essays. Review essay components: Intro, Thesis sentence, Topic sentence, Transition, Coherence, Spelling, Literary tools (metaphor, parody, etc), conclusion. Good luck!!

On the lit side, be sure you can distinguish popular authors by style. ("Which of these might have been written by Hemingway?" or "Which of the following authors may have composed the following?")

Answer 3

The AP Language and Composition may be the easier of the two to self-teach, but at the end of the day, they're both about the same because they test the same nature of material.  You might even want to consider taking both.  Or check what the AP credit policy is at the colleges you're interested in to decide between the two.  Besides a review book, your college course is probably enough to have the material down.  Besides some terminology that you'll get from the review book, those AP tests are more a test of skill sets than actual facts.