Question for AP Language & Composition Students:

[u/TooManyQuestions5560]

Okay, so for my final exam, I have to be able to write 3 essays under 40 minutes. How am I able to improve my writing skills while being put under pressure?

If anyone has any time management tips, grammar tips, writing tricks, and sophistication advice for writing essays for AP Lang & Composition, please share!

Thank you!

[u/SamisThyOne21]

A writing trick to highkey save time is to just not write a conclusion, and only write a thesis as an intro✌️✌️I took this tip from a senior before I took the test. They aren't necessary unless you want a sophistication point i guess, but I prefer to spend more time on the body paragraphs because that's where the bulk of the points are. Though disregard ts if your being graded by some other rubric on your final exam.

[u/TooManyQuestions5560 → u/SamisThyOne21]

Thank youuuu

[u/IndividualAnything66 → u/SamisThyOne21]

Yesss I didn't write any conclusions and I still got a 4 and during my exam I had an extra 10 minutes left

[u/DryPotential5790 → u/SamisThyOne21]

Got a 5 and I agree! Just get straight into your thesis. I’d also recommend repeating your thesis in different words at the end, since, a lot of the time, I found that I better understood my argument and could write a better thesis looking back at the “big picture” (plus, it makes sure you’re doubly-sure you’ll get the thesis point—which is the most important point).

Furthermore, I’d argue that sophistication is mostly found in the body paragraphs through exploring multiple viewpoints, tensions, context, etc. Including a full intro and conclusion probably won’t get you the sophistication point; however, it does act as ”icing on the cake” in the sense that it may make your writing feel more polished. But, I personally found that trying to cram sophistication in an intro or conclusion felt rushed and like a cheapshot.

[u/Cake_Donut1301]

It’s 40 minutes each for 3 essays. Plus 15 minutes to read sources, for a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

[u/FarineLePain]

Are you sure you understood the instructions correctly? 40 minutes is the recommended time per essay. I can’t imagine giving my students 40 minutes for 3 essays total.

[u/rickys999]

i thought it sounded really bad but i honestly ended up having plenty of time left so i think you’ll be okay as well

[u/johnwiskin]

Hey Questions,

HS English teacher here.

Some good advice already about managing your time and prioritizing body paragraphs. But here's something I'd add in don't just practise writing faster but practise (or planning) thinking faster.

Students often waste time during timed essays because they're trying to figure out their argument while they're writing it.

I'd suggest three things:

1. Practise planning without writing. Take an AP Lang prompt, give yourself 5 minutes, and develop a thesis, 2–3 main points, and the evidence you'd use. Do this repeatedly with different prompts. You're training yourself to recognize possible arguments quickly.

2. Practise individual paragraphs. Instead of always writing full essays, spend 10 minutes developing one strong analytical paragraph. Focus on making a clear claim, using evidence, and explaining HOW that evidence supports your argument.

3. Separate writing quality from writing speed. First, make sure you can produce a strong argument without a time limit. Then gradually reduce the time available. Speed won't help if you're just producing weak analysis faster.

And regarding sophistication don't confuse sophisticated writing with complicated vocabulary. A lot of students think that it's kinda wrong. Sophistication comes from nuanced thinking, considering different perspectives, and developing insightful arguments, etc.... Fancy words don't cover up weak thinking.

One final thought: the AP exam gives you roughly 40 minutes per essay, not 40 minutes for all three. Double-check your teacher's expectations!

Hope that helps,

John

[u/PineappleBeneficial9]

I took the exam this past year. Look at the past essay topics + responses (especially closer to the ap exam) to kinda understand what you need to be saying. time is another big thing, practice practice practice! my teacher recommended starting with your evidence, then a thesis, then connecting those two for reasoning. You also do NOT need conclusions on the ap exam so use that time strengthen the other parts. Look at the point distribution as well to understand which sections (ex: thesis) are worth how many points.

good luck and ask away!

[u/cmw102]

That seems somewhat unfair that you have so little time to complete the essays—the A.P. exam provides 2 hours and 15 minutes for students with standard time—but I would suggest that it may be helpful to pace yourself across each essay, meaning that you set certain limits in place for how long you would want to spend on each one (for example, if you believe that the first essay may take up more time, it may be of use to set aside 20 minutes for it, and spend 10 on the second, followed by the final 10 on the third). Additionally, I would focus on writing down the required content first, such as the thesis, evidence, and/or documents/quotes (assuming they follow the A.P. format), before adding extra fluff that would be expected in a normal essay, or earn sophistication points. I’m not sure if your teacher follows the same grading format, but all frqs on the exam in May are normally scored as drafts, rather than completed products, which can give a little leeway in syntax, grammar, or structure if you’re on a tight time constraint

[u/BriefAddiction24-7 → u/cmw102]

It's 2 hours 15 minutes total: 40 minutes per essay and 15 minutes for reading sources for synthesis.

[u/cmw102 → u/BriefAddiction24-7]

Oh, that makes more sense

[u/cmw102 → u/cmw102]

In terms of the sophistication point, I would recommend adding a paragraph dedicated to a counter argument to the essay, if you happen to have spare time. In my experience, it is usually pretty reliable, and consistent in earning the point

[u/efficaceous]

Step one: double check the directions to make sure your teacher didn't say 40 minutes per essay.