AP English Language and Composition Study Guide
AP Lang is built around three recurring skills — reading rhetorically, analyzing an author's choices, and writing an evidence-based argument — that show up across nine units of non-fiction reading and all three FRQs (synthesis, rhetorical analysis, argument). Vocabulary of rhetorical devices matters less than being able to explain the effect of a choice.
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AP English Language and Composition Score CalculatorUnit Breakdown
Unit 1: Unit 1: Claims and Evidence
Reading and writing about claims, evidence, and reasoning in nonfiction texts.
Unit 2: Unit 2: Purpose and Rhetorical Situation
Analyzing how audience, purpose, and context shape a text.
Unit 3: Unit 3: Structure and Organization
How organizational choices contribute to a text's meaning and effect.
Unit 4: Unit 4: Figurative Language and Rhetorical Devices
Analyzing word choice, comparisons, and other rhetorical techniques.
Unit 5: Units 5-9
The same core skills applied to increasingly complex texts and student writing across the remainder of the course.
Unit topics reflect College Board's published Course and Exam Description at a high level — always check the current CED for exact skill weighting, since College Board revises these periodically.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Identifying a rhetorical device by name without explaining its effect on the audience — naming alone earns little to no credit.
- In the synthesis essay, summarizing each source in turn instead of synthesizing them into a single original argument.
- Writing a thesis that's too broad or purely descriptive ("this essay will discuss...") instead of a specific, defensible claim.
- Running out of time on the argument essay because too much time was spent on the synthesis essay — practice all three essays under real timing.
What's Next
Once you've worked through these units, check the AP English Language and Composition exam format and score curve to see how MCQ and FRQ points combine into your final score, or review 2027 exam dates and registration deadlines.