1. T IPS FOR THE M ULTIPLE C HOICE P ORTION OF THE AP E NGLISH L ANGUAGE T EST

2. S TRUCTURE OF M ULTIPLE C HOICE 1 hour to answer between 50 and 55 questions Four to Five prose passages. Works of nonfiction and can be from different time periods, of different styles, and of different purposes. They tend to fit this pattern: One with footnotes One pre-20 th century One modern One from international or diverse passage

3. T HE P ASSAGES These are NOT easy readings. They are college- level readings. You will be expected to: follow sophisticated syntax; respond to diction; be comfortable with upper-level vocabulary; be familiar with rhetorical terminology; make inferences; be sensitive to irony and tone; recognize components of organization and style; be familiar with modes of discourse and rhetorical strategies; and recognize how information contained in citations contributes to the author’s purpose.

4. T HE P ASSAGES THE GOOD NEWS IS... the selection is self- contained. If it is about the Irish Potato Famine, you will NOT be at a disadvantage if you know nothing about Irish history. Frequently, there will be biblical references in a selection. This is especially true of works from an earlier time period. You are expected to be aware of basic allusions to biblical and mythological works often found in literary texts, but the passage will never require you to have any particular religious background.

5. T HE P ASSAGES DO NOT LET THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PASSAGE THROW YOU. Strong analytical skills will work on any passage. Active Reading What is the writer doing? How are they doing it? Why is the writer doing this?

6. T HE Q UESTIONS Words and/or phrases in context Using the indicated portion of the text, what does the word or phrase mean? Main idea or writer’s purpose Which answer best summarizes or defines the text? Terms Vocabulary in context, rhetorical terms, literary devices (and why they are being used) Function Why is the writer making the choices that they are? Organization Why is the passage organized the way it is?

7. T HE D ISTRACTORS The test will present several valid options in response to a challenging and appropriate question. 5 answer choices Usually, at least three could be argued correct Only one is correct These questions are designed to separate the knowledgeable, perceptive, and thoughtful reader from the superficial and impulsive one.

8. T HE Q UESTIONS Multiple-choice scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers, and no points are awarded for unanswered questions. Students are encouraged to answer all multiple-choice questions. On any questions students do not know the answer, students should eliminate as many choices as they can, and then select the best answer among the remaining choices.

9. P RACTICE T EST For this review, you will tackle ONE passage from a released college board test. You will have 15 minutes (more on why after the practice).

10. S CORES AND S CORING

11. S CORING Multiple choice is 45% of your score Free-Response (Essays) are 55% of your score These essays are scored by holistic rubric You receive a score out of 9 Upper Level Essays= 6 or higher Lower Level Essays=4 or lower For more on the essays, attend the next 3 review sessions: Thurs., April 23 Rhetorical Analysis Thurs., April 30 Synthesis Thurs., May 7 Argument

12. Q UESTION : I S M Y AP S CORE G OOD E NOUGH ? Students who take the AP exam will get a score ranging from 1 to 5. The College Board defines the numbers as follows: 5 - Extremely well qualified to receive college credit 4 - Well qualified to receive college credit 3 - Qualified to receive college credit 2 - Possibly qualified to receive college credit 1 - No recommendation to receive college credit

13. Q UESTION : I S M Y AP S CORE G OOD E NOUGH ? The five-point scale, probably not coincidentally, can also be thought of in terms of letter grades: 5 - "A" 4 - "B" 3 - "C" 2 - "D" 1 - "F"

14. Q UESTION : I S M Y AP S CORE G OOD E NOUGH ? Although the College Board defines a 2 as "possibly qualified" to receive college credit, almost no college will accept a score of 2. I only consider you to have “passed” the test if you score a 3 or higher. In fact, most selective colleges will not accept a 3 for college credit. Although, a 3 is described as “very helpful” for college acceptance. In the majority of cases, a student who scores a 4 or 5 will receive college credit.

15. T IPS AND T RICKS

16. Work the Clock To ensure you finish the entire m/c section, scan the number of questions and divide the number by two, e.g., 54 questions for 60 minutes; 27 questions in 30 minutes. OR, divide the 60 minutes by the number of passages. Four passages means 15 minutes per passage. THEN WORK THE CLOCK Follow the timeline that you set 15 minutes per passage

17. A CTIVE R EADING Underline words, phrases, or sentences that might be important. Write copiously on the passage Look for patterns, motifs, repetition, and/or contrasts. What you underline is not as important as the process because the process increases focus and improves comprehension. You cannot afford to waste time with several readings of each passage, so focus and comprehension are critical!

18. Y OU DON ’ T UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE PASSAGE This one works for some students, not all! Before reading the passage, scan the questions first but not the answers, since four of the five answers are wrong. You MAY get an idea of what the passage is about by using this technique.

19. H ARD Q UESTIONS & E LIMINATING A NSWERS Read each question and anticipate what the answer might be before looking at the answers. This helps you focus on the question. Eliminate any answer choices that do not match with your “short answer.”

20. W ORK SMOOTHLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE TEST Remember that this section always presents combination of easy, medium, and hard questions for each passage. The questions generally follow the chronology of the passage rather than transition from easiest to hardest or vice versa. Since they all count the same, get credit for the easy and medium answers first!

21. Q UESTION T YPE : M EANING OR F UNCTION OF A W ORD OR P ART OF A S ENTENCE When the question: refers to a part of the sentence and asks for the meaning of a word or phrase in context what a word refers to how a word functions, Go back to the beginning of the sentence or even to the previous sentence and read completely to the end of the sentence to comprehend the meaning. ESPECIALLY important for “antecedent” questions! Antecedent=the noun a pronoun refers to

22. G UESSING … No penalty for guessing on multiple choice questions now! That means choose which questions to answer and which ones to skip. Return to the skipped ones if time allows. If you can eliminate answer choices, guess Each time you see a zero on in item number (10, 20, 30, etc.), double-check to ensure you are on the write spot on your Scantron form.

23. I N THE L AST F IVE MINUTES … Scan the remaining questions and look for either the shortest questions of the questions that direct you to a specific line or lines. Look for questions that contain the answer without requiring you to refer to the text. Some students suggest having a go to “guess answer.” Remember you are not penalized for guessing or wrong answers I would TRY to eliminate an answer choice FIRST.

24. S LEEPING AND S TARING AROUND THE ROOM Sleeping…Really? If you need a tip, go to sleep the night before. NOT during the test. The test starts at 8:00 am. Staring around the room…See PASSIVE reading except think passive living. You will not be able to score if you aren’t actively engage with the test.

25. P ASSAGE P RACTICE #2 Apply the tips we discussed. You have 15 minutes with the passage and questions.

26. D EBRIEF Debrief the passage

27. D URING D EBRIEF Understand WHY your wrong answers are wrong. Understand HOW you came to correct answers The process is more important than the answer (You will NOT see this question again, but you will see questions like it.) Develop an action plan…How will you tackle multiple choice from here on out??