STRATEGIES FOR THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE SECTION

The Test ► The test itself is 3 hours and 15 minutes. ► One hour for multiple choice questions on 4-5 passages – counts for 45% of the final score. ► 15 minutes to read synthesis essay sources and plan essay ► Two hours for three essay questions, includes synthesis, rhetorical analysis, and argument.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Remember… ► Plan time carefully. You have one hour for about 54 questions or about 1 question per minute. ► Survey the whole multiple choice section. Start with a passage that seems easiest to you. ► You will probably need to read and then reread each passage. One read can skim; the second should scour.

► Survey all of the questions for each passage. Answer the ones that seem easiest first. ► If you’re having trouble getting into a passage, read the questions first to get your bearings. ► If you can’t eliminate two answers, skip it. ► Make sure the number of the questions matches the number on the answer sheet. Take a second and check each number as you go along.

► Beginning with the May 2011 AP Exam administration, there was a change to the way AP Exams are now scored. Total scores on the multiple-choice section are now based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are no longer deducted for incorrect answers and, as always, no points will be awarded for unanswered questions.

FIVE BASIC TYPES OF QUESTIONS 1. Words and/or phrases in context: Using the indicated portion of the text, what does the word or phrase mean? Skill – definition. 2. Main Idea: Read the text. Which answer best summarizes or defines the text? Skill – reading comprehension, making inferences.

3. Terms: What does it mean? Reference: vocabulary within the text, rhetorical strategies, and literary devices. Skill – definition These first three types of questions are easiest. You should expect to get at least 70-80% of these questions correct.

4. Function: Why is a word used or what phrases are juxtaposed against each other? Skills – Determining author’s purpose and reading comprehension. 5. Organization: Why is the third paragraph here? Skills – Determining author’s purpose, reading comprehension, and understanding author’s purpose. Skills – Determining author’s purpose, reading comprehension, and understanding author’s purpose.

The wrong answer choices follow a pattern – Wrong answer choices “reward” a surface reading and have less depth. Remember – if part of the answer is wrong, it’s all wrong.

Exam Strategy 1 ► The multiple-choice section always presents a combination of easy, medium, and hard questions for each passage. ► These questions generally follow the chronology of the passage rather than transition from easiest to hardest or vice versa. ► They all are worth the same points. ► Choosewhich questions to answer and which ones to skip and then returning to answer if time allows.

Exam Strategy 2 ► 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, or how a word functions, it is best to 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.

Exam Strategy 3 ► If students find themselves running out of time, they can take the following approaches: ► A. Scan the remaining questions and look for either the shortest questions or the questions that direct them to a specific line or lines. These questions take less time to answer. ► B. Look for questions that contain the answer without requiring the student to refer to the text. For example, "The sea slid silently from the shore" is an example of (B) alliteration. The student would not have to go back to the passage to find the answer.

Exam Strategy 4 ► This works for some students and not for others. ► Scan the questions first but not the answers, since four out of five of them are wrong. ► Skip any questions that direct them to a specific line number, and this eliminates the majority of questions. Therefore, this strategy takes only a few seconds. ► In the few that are left, many times hints and clues about the meaning of the passage will be revealed.

Exam Strategy 5 ► Scan the number of questions and divide the number by two. For example, if there are 54 questions, and students have 60 minutes to complete the section, students should be around question 27 after 30 minutes. ► Or divide the time by the number of passages. For example, if students have four passages to read and one hour to complete the exam, they should allot 15 minutes to each passage.