AP English Language and Composition

Makeup test date and times

Date: June 5

Hawaii Time: 6 a.m.
Alaska Time: 8 a.m.
Pacific Time: 9 a.m.
Mountain Time: 10 a.m.
Central Time: 11 a.m.
Eastern Time: 12 p.m.
See more time zones

Exam conflicts

If you have two makeup exams at the same time, you’ll be able to take one in the makeup testing window and the other in the final exception testing window in late June.

Exam timing

On exam day, you'll click on the link in your e-ticket 30 minutes before the start time for your exam and fill in some information.

A timer will show how much time remains until the start of the exam.

Once the exam starts, the exam question will automatically appear, and another timer will start counting down.

Your timer will show 50 minutes. You should take 45 minutes to read the question and work on your response, and 5 minutes to submit it. When the timer gets to 5 minutes, an alert will show. Stop working at that time and begin to submit your response.

What to have ready on exam day

Required

  • e-ticket email (you’ll receive this two days before your exam)
  • Completed Exam Day Checklist, including AP ID
  • Device: laptop, tablet, smartphone, desktop computer
  • Browser: Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Safari, or Edge
  • Internet or cellular connection
  • Assistive technology and devices (if applicable, for students approved to test with accommodations)

Recommended for students typing responses

Permitted

  • Your class notes or study guides
  • Textbooks and other classroom resources
  • Previous assignments or assessments

Question

Question 1 (45 mins.)

% of exam weight (rounded)

100%

Question name

Rhetorical Analysis

Question description

This question presents students with a passage of nonfiction prose of approximately 600–800 words. Students are asked to write an essay that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices. This question assesses students’ ability to do the following:

  • Respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices.
  • Select and use evidence to support a line of reasoning.
  • Explain how the evidence supports a line of reasoning.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
  • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating an argument.

Corresponding free-response question (FRQ) type in the course and exam description binder

The single question on the 2020 AP English Language and Composition Exam is a Rhetorical Analysis question, which is FRQ 2 on a traditional AP Exam and in the CED. It is referred to as Question 1 because the 2020 exam has just that one question.

What’s covered

Units eligible for 2020 exam: Units 1−7

Units not included in 2020 exam: Units 8−9

Sample Question for the 2020 exam

Download an example question (.pdf/496 KB) similar to what you'll see on the 2020 AP English Language and Composition Exam.

Resources