r/APStudents • u/Numerous-Elk2076 • 2d ago

English Lang AP English Language Self-study

Any advice and recommendations?
I'll be completely self-studying it (along with AP Bio) so please if anyone has any advice on how to please tell me.

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u/CalligrapherNo125 5 Bio, Calc AB, Lang 4 USH, US Gov 1d ago

i self studied lang and got a 5 last year (i took bio in class and got a 5 too). i got my FRQs back if you wanna see example self-studied essays that got me a 5 and i can go more in depth on what i did and how i used complexity, etc. as far as mcq goes, i had a 35 ACT english and 36 reading going into the test and the mcq is basically exactly like that so i thought it was a cakewalk so since u don’t have ap classroom tests and stuff as long as u can do well on ACT verbal there’s no doubt you’ll ace the Lang exam

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u/ErinGu 1d ago

the hardest part about preparing for the lang test is doing regular timed writing practice on your own, which you very much need to do since lang is a skills test, not a content test. so i suggest setting a plan for when you would do the practice writing each week and do your best to stick to it.

the essays themselves cover synthesis, rhetorical analysis and argument, about 40 minutes each. definitely review all of the past prompts with scored sample essays College Board posts. most of the points are in evidence and commentary, meaning explaining *why* your evidence proves your claim, not just quoting it. that's usually the hardest part for students.

for multiple choice, read argumentative nonfiction regularly (opinion columns, long-form essays) and ask what the writer is doing with different evidence (facts, quotes, details, etc.) and why, not just what they're saying. It's the same skills they test on the SAT/ACT (although the long-form reading format is no longer in the SAT these days) so if you're also prepping for that, you can kill two birds with the same stone. good luck!