How to use this section
Section II of Practice Exam 2 contains the three free-response tasks of the digital AP English Language exam: a synthesis essay, a rhetorical analysis essay, and an argument essay. You will write all three in 2 hours and 15 minutes, which includes a 15-minute reading period. The suggested writing time is about 40 minutes per essay. Work all three in one sitting, with a timer and no notes, so the result tells you how you will perform on test day.
Timing plan
- Reading period (15 minutes): read the synthesis prompt and all six sources, mark what each source contributes, and decide on a position. Spend any leftover time skimming the other two prompts.
- Synthesis (about 40 minutes): use at least three sources, and tie every piece of evidence to your own line of reasoning.
- Rhetorical analysis (about 40 minutes): read the passage once for its claim and audience, once for the choices the speaker makes, and then write about how those choices serve the argument.
- Argument (about 40 minutes): take a position, choose specific evidence from your own knowledge, and explain it.
The 6-point rubric
Each response is scored on the same task-specific 6-point rubric: Thesis 1, Evidence and Commentary 4, Sophistication 1. The rows are scored independently.
- Row A, Thesis: a defensible position that answers the actual task. A restatement of the prompt or a summary does not earn the point.
- Row B, Evidence and Commentary: specific evidence and consistent explanation of how it supports your line of reasoning. Synthesis requires at least three provided sources for a score of 2 or higher. In rhetorical analysis, a 3 needs commentary that explains how at least one rhetorical choice contributes to the writer's argument, purpose, or message, and a 4 requires that standard consistently with multiple choices explained.
- Row C, Sophistication: a sustained, well-supported understanding of the rhetorical situation or argument, such as a real tension explored throughout, implications or limitations, effective rhetorical choices, or a consistently vivid and persuasive style. An isolated 'complex' sentence is not enough.
Practice-source note
The sources in the synthesis packet and the passage in the rhetorical analysis task are author-created simulations for exam practice. Read and cite them exactly as provided; do not treat them as independently verified real-world evidence.
After you finish
Score each essay row by row using the rubric and the scoring guidance shown after you submit each question, and name the exact row that limited each essay. Then record the number for each task: Synthesis out of 6, Rhetorical Analysis out of 6, and Argument out of 6. For fully worked models of a strong response to each task type, return to Chapters 24, 29, and 34. Because AP cut points vary by exam form and year, the book does not offer an official conversion from these practice scores to a 1 to 5 score.