ap lang essay 1

Tackling the AP English Language and Composition essays: part 1

So, what are the three AP Lang Essays? The College Board shares a lot of general information about these essays on its website, as well as a large number of excellent sample essays. I suggest you take the time to review all of that material, here. But here’s my primer:

On the AP Lang Exam, there are three essays to write, all in a row (during the second half of the exam, after an initial multiple-choice portion). They are:

• The Synthesis Essay: You’ll be given a general topic or question for debate (like: should public libraries continue to exist? Or: is eminent domain just?). Multiple short sources taking positions on that topic will follow the prompt. You will then be asked to write your own, short essay taking a position on the topic, citing at least three of the sources that you read.
• The Rhetoric Essay: You’ll be given a short, rhetorically interesting passage, either taking a position on a topic, telling a story, or performing some other function. You will then be asked to write a short essay analyzing this passage’s use of language/rhetorical approach.
• The Argument Essay: You will be given some position, usually stated in some brief excerpt from an author’s work. For example, you might be given an excerpt from Proust that suggests that people often regret their choices, or an excerpt from Eleanor Roosevelt praising the virtue of courage. You will then be asked to take your own position on the topic. This time, you won’t be given sources to help you make your arguments; all of your arguments must come from your own brain. 

The scoring rubric for each essay is roughly similar, with six possible points awarded: there is one point for argument, four points for evidence and analysis, and one point for “sophistication.” What this means is that, in brief, you need to do three things on every essay to get a perfect score: 

• Have an argument.
• Back up your argument with evidence and analyze how that evidence supports your argument.
• Have an ineffable, excellent quality to your writing, a sort of dexterity of mind and language, for which the scorers have reserved one, sacred point. 

You can’t really control whether or not you can achieve #3, and a lot of that will be based on your prior level of experience writing/reading; but you can control whether or not you achieve #1-2. So, a high score is totally within your power! The TLDR version of this post is: make a clear argument and back it up with concrete, analyzed evidence. But, of course, that’s not as easy as it looks, and I have many more thoughts on how to actually achieve it, and achieve it well...

The six major components of successfully writing a timed essay on an exam are:

• Organizing your time
• Reading and Annotating
• Outlining Part 1: Thesis
• Outlining Part 2: Structure
• Writing Part 1: Paragraphs (Intro, Evidence, Analysis, Conclusion)
• Writing Part 2: Sentence by Sentence

#1 Organizing your time

On the AP Lang exam, you get a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes to write your three essays. This time is split into chunks. First, there is a 15 minute “reading period”; next, there is a 2 hour “writing period.” What this seems to imply is that the exam would like you to read all of the questions and their supplemental texts (the Synthesis Essay question and texts, the Rhetoric Essay question and passage, the Argument Essay question and short question blurb) in the 15 minute reading period, and then proceed to write the essays, in response, in the two hour writing period. This, however, is obviously an insane approach. For one thing, it’s kind of impossible: no one could keep the details of three different essay questions and associated readings together in their head all at once. For another, it’s really time inefficient: if you read all the material for all three essays first, you’re going to have to go back to it, a lot, each time you start to write a new essay, to jog your memory. Basically, no one in their right mind would (or does) advise this approach. And even the College Board seems to know it makes no sense, because they allow you to continue reading and referring to the questions and texts after the reading period. 

What you should do instead? Simply treat the whole 2 hours and 15 minutes as a single time block. Divide it into three units of 45 minutes. Then, read and answer each of the three questions one after the other, giving 45 minutes to each. Start with the Synthesis Essay, followed by the Rhetoric Essay, and then the Argument Essay. 

Your process should look like this: during the 15 minute reading period, begin work on the Synthesis Essay by reading the question and texts and planning that essay. Then, when the 2-hour timer starts, devote the first 30 minutes to actually writing that essay. Next, spend 45 minutes reading the Rhetoric Essay question and passage, and writing the Rhetoric Essay. Finally, spend the last 45 minutes reading the Argument Essay question/blurb and then writing the Argument Essay. The Argument Essay should actually take you less time than the first two, which means you should end up with 5-10 minutes to proofread your other essays. That said, I advise that you leave time at the end of each 45-minute block to check over each individual essay. 

Now let’s talk about the Rhetoric Essay in particular. How should you organize your 45 minutes here? I suggest mapping out your time roughly like this: take about ten minutes to read the passage, take notes, and brainstorm; then, take about five minutes to make an outline for your essay; next, take about twenty to twenty-five minutes to write. Leave an extra five to seven minutes at the end to re-read and edit your work. As you practice, you might notice that slightly different divisions of time work best for you – feel free to be flexible! You don’t have to stick to your timetable exactly . BUT you should try to stick to a version of this timetable so that you have enough time for each of the steps. How? Watch the clock!

#2 Reading and Annotating

The Rhetoric Essay asks you to analyze the language or rhetoric that a passage uses to achieve its ends. In your first ten minutes of reading, you should be keeping an eye out for two things: 

• What is this passage trying to achieve? Is it trying to persuade the reader of an argument (often the case)? Is it trying to entertain the reader with a story (sometimes the case)? Is it trying to make the reader laugh? Is it trying to make the reader think? Identify the passage’s main purpose.
• What rhetorical methods or devices does the passage use to achieve its aims? What exactly is it doing to achieve its aims? Yes, you should be watching out for rhetorical devices that already have fancy names, like “allusion” or “alliteration,” but you should also be using your OWN language/descriptive powers to identify the passage’s methods. You might, for example, note things like: “makes argument largely through anecdote” or “addresses counterarguments” or “lists so many absurd situations that they start to feel normal.” Try to identify not just rhetorical methods the passage uses, but also the central ones it uses.

To achieve this, I suggest proceeding as follows: read one paragraph. Once you’re done, stop, reflect, and note (in the margins) the most important rhetorical devices the passage used to achieve its aims (as far as you understand them thus far). Do this for each paragraph you read. Once you’re done, you should have a handy list in the margin of rhetorical tactics the passage uses. Which ones, looking back, seem to come up the most frequently? Which ones, even if they don’t come up frequently, seem particularly central to the passage’s aims? The tactics you identify will soon play a role in your essay’s thesis. 

Next, you’ll be ready to write an outline for your essay, mapping out (as best you can) its thesis and structure. In the next blog post , we’ll begin with that step. 

Related Content

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

Ultimate Guide to the AP English Language and Composition Exam

Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications.

See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.

The AP Language and Composition exam is one of the most popular exams taken year after year. In fact, in 2019, over 10% of the more than five million students who took AP exams took the Language and Composition test. AP Lang is most often taken by high school juniors, many of whom go on to take the AP English Literature exam their senior year. Plenty of seniors and even sophomores take this test too though, contributing to its popularity. If you’re planning to take the AP Language and Composition exam, whether you have taken the class or self-studied, look no further. Here’s our complete guide to the AP Lang exam, full of expert tips and free study resources.

When is the AP Language and Composition Exam?

On Wednesday, May 6, at 8 am, the College Board will hold the 2020 AP Language and Composition exam. For a comprehensive listing of all the AP exam times and AP score distributions from 2019, check out our post 2020 AP Exam Schedule: Everything You Need to Know .    

About the AP Language and Composition Exam

The AP Language and Composition exam is based primarily on the study of rhetoric, wherein an author attempts to persuade, inform, or motivate an audience using established techniques. The College Board encourages students who are interested in studying and writing various kinds of analytic or persuasive essays on nonliterary topics to take this course. It tests students on their reading comprehension, rhetorical analysis, synthesis of information, and written argumentation.

Big Ideas: The AP Language and Composition exam is built on a foundation of four big ideas. Big ideas are threads that run throughout the AP Language and Composition course that are vital for making connections and developing a deeper understanding of concepts found within it. The four big ideas are: 

• Rhetorical Situation: Understanding what an author is communicating, how they convey that message, and what the impact of their rhetorical strategies are.
• Claims and Evidence: Making claims and justifying them, while acknowledging or responding to opposing arguments. 
• Reasoning and Organization: Guiding a reader’s understanding of text through its organization and the development of its argument. 
• Style: The stylistic choices writers make and their impact. 

Course Skills: Along with exploring and connecting concepts with big ideas, students will develop eight course skills—four sets of two paired reading and writing skills—necessary for analyzing and composing arguments. The course skills and the weight they’re given on the multiple-choice section of the AP Language and Composition exam are: 

  About the AP Language and Composition Exam Content

The Language and Composition exam is one of the longer AP exams, clocking in at 3 hours and 15 minutes from start to finish. The Language and Composition exam is structured in two sections—one featuring multiple-choice, the other free-response questions. 

Section 1: Multiple Choice 

1 hour | 45 questions | 45% of score

There have been some changes to the AP Language and Composition Exam for 2020. The first section remains one hour long and is still worth 45% of your score, but the number of questions has shrunk from 52-55 to 45. The variance in types of questions asked is also now more clearly defined—questions are now presented in 5 sets with 23-25 reading questions (reading and analyzing nonfiction texts) and 20-22 writing questions (“read like a writer” and consider revisions to stimulus texts), both of which will use shorter stimuli than previous exams. Below is the structure of the multiple-choice section of the AP Language and Composition exam. 

Sample of a multiple-choice reading question: 

Sample multiple-choice writing question: 

Section 2: Free Response

2 hour 15 minutes | 3 questions | 55% of score

The second section takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete and consists of 3 free response questions worth 55% of your score. These prompts are each of a different type: one synthesis question, one passage analysis, and one argumentative essay.

Synthesis Question: The synthesis question asks students to consider a scenario and then formulate a response to a specific element of it using at least three accompanying sources for support. Sources used in the essay need to be cited to be considered legitimate.  

Sample synthesis free response question: 

Analysis Question: The analysis question asks students to read a short passage and analyze and discuss various devices used by the author, such as strategies, argumentative techniques, or motivations. 

Sample analysis free response question: 

Argument Question: The argument question gives a position in the form of an assertion from a documented source and asks students to form their own argument to defend, challenge, or qualify it using supporting evidence. 

Sample argument free response question: 

The format of the free response section is unchanged this year; however, the scoring has shifted from a holistic rubric to an analytic rubric. The new rubric hasn’t been released, but you can gain insight into what type of answers the College Board is looking for by reading the sample free response questions found in the AP Language and Composition Course and Exam Description . 

AP Language and Composition Score Distribution, Average Score, and Passing Rate

In 2019, 54.3% of the students who took the AP English Language and Composition exam received a score of 3 or higher. Only 9.9% of students who took the exam achieved the top score of 5, and 14.5% of students who took the exam scored a 1. That said, students take the course seriously and prepare diligently will often find that the test is not as difficult as the results indicate.

 If you’re curious about other score distributions, see our post Easiest and Hardest AP Exams .

Best Ways to Study for the AP Language and Composition Exam

Step 1: assess your skills.

Take a practice test to assess your initial knowledge. Though the College Board AP Language and Composition website provides a number of sample test questions, it does not provide a complete sample test. You can find a practice test in many of the official study guides, and some even include a diagnostic test to act as your initial assessment. Varsity Tutors offers a handful of free AP Language and Composition diagnostic tests on its website. You’ll also find a free practice exam from College Countdown to use for your assessment. 

Once you have taken some kind of formative assessment, score it to identify your areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. It can be helpful to have a teacher or friend score your free-response essays, as these are a bit more subjective than the multiple-choice section. With an accurate formative assessment, you’ll have a better idea of where to focus your studying efforts.

Step 2: Know Your Material

In the case of AP English Language and Composition, this means focusing on your reading and writing skills.

When reading, make sure to preview important elements such as the title, author’s name, and any other information available like the table of contents or introduction. As you read, make sure to stop periodically to consider the main ideas and the way the author supports them. Underline important evidence as you go. Reread complex or important sentences.      

One consultant to the College Board writes about the “SOAPSTone” approach to reading, which is an acronym for a series of questions that students should ask themselves when analyzing a 

piece of prose. The questions are:

• Who is the Speaker?
• What is the Occasion?
• Who is the Audience?
• What is the Purpose?
• What is the Subject?
• What is the Tone?

For more about using this technique, read about it on the College Board website .

Writing high-quality free-response essays takes practice and time. Make sure to organize your ideas using a rough outline before you begin writing. Use direct evidence from the text to support your ideas, and quote judiciously with correct citations. As you’re writing, be aware of rhetorical elements and use them effectively.

For more specific information about the test, consider using a formal study guide, such as Barron’s AP English Language and Composition, 7th Edition or the Princeton Review’s Cracking the AP English Language & Composition Exam 2020, Premium Edition . 

Alternatively, there are many online study resources available. Some AP teachers have even published their own study guides or review sheets online, like this AP Lang guide by Mrs. Smith at Pinnacle High School.

Another way to study is to use one of the recently-developed apps for AP exams. These are a great way to get practice questions in while on-the-go. Make sure you read reviews before choosing one, as their quality varies widely. This AP Lang app by Varsity Tutors has decent reviews, and might be worth checking out.

Step 3: Practice Multiple-Choice Questions

Once you have your theory down, test it out by practicing multiple-choice questions. You can find these in most study guides or through online searches. Here are some AP Lang practice questions and tests , and more are available in the College Board’s course description .

Try to keep track of which areas are still tripping you up, and go back over this theory again. Keep in mind, the key to answering questions correctly is understanding the passage, so practice active reading skills as you tackle the multiple-choice questions. This includes underlining, mouthing words, and circling key points. Remember, the answer will always be found in the text.

Step 4: Practice Free-Response Essays

As indicated on your exam, it is recommended that you spend 15 minutes reading the question, analyzing, and evaluating the sources, and 40 minutes writing your response. Try to stick to this timeline when practicing your free-response essays to see if it works for you. You do not have to follow it on exam day, but having a good idea of how much time it typically takes for you to plan and write will be an advantage.

As you tackle your open responses, identify what each is asking you to do. When asked to synthesize, you know you will be taking pieces of evidence from multiple sources to form a single argument. Use specific examples and make them stand out by explicitly stating, “For example…” or “As Source C indicates in paragraph 3…” Also, be sure to cite your sources appropriately while writing.

When writing an analysis of rhetorical strategies used, first consider the elements of SOAPSTone as discussed above. Also consider the five canons of rhetoric . This means thinking about the author’s invention, arrangement, and style. Memory and delivery are obviously less apparent in written pieces, but their roles in a speech are still important. As you read, try to underline specific places that highlight relevant examples.   

Finally, when writing your own persuasive argument, support your ideas with concrete examples from current events, literature, etc. Try to vary your sources to build credibility and address counterpoints to craft an even stronger response.

As you prepare for the writing portion of your exam, be sure to review how your free responses will be scored. The College Board supplies free response questions and authentic scored student responses with written explanations dating back to 1999; these are an invaluable tool for this exercise.

Step 5: Take Another Practice Test

Take another practice test to evaluate the progression of your knowledge, as well as identify persistent areas of weakness. Study.com offers a free online practice AP Language and Composition exam . Over time, you should begin to notice areas in which your studying should be increased and those which you are strong in. Repeat the above steps if time permits to incrementally increase your score. 

Step 6: Exam Day Specifics

If you’re taking the AP course associated with this exam, your teacher will walk you through how to register. If you’re self-studying, check out our blog post How to Self-Register for AP Exams .

For information about what to bring to the exam, see our post What Should I Bring to My AP Exam (And What Should I Definitely Leave at Home)?

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

For more guidance about the AP exams, check out these other informative articles: 

2020 AP Exam Schedule

How Long is Each AP Exam?

Easiest and Hardest AP Exams

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

BG Sofia-Capital

Recently viewed courses

Recently viewed.

Find Your Dream School

This site uses various technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy, for personalization, measuring website use/performance, and targeted advertising, which may include storing and sharing information about your site visit with third parties. By continuing to use this website you consent to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

   COVID-19 Update: To help students through this crisis, The Princeton Review will continue our "Enroll with Confidence" refund policies. For full details, please click here.

Enter your email to unlock an extra $25 off an SAT or ACT program!

By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., guide to the ap english language and composition exam.

Can you apply the rhetorical triangle to a piece of writing? Are you able to argue a position? The AP ® English Language and Composition exam tests topics and skills discussed in your Advanced Placement English Language course. If you score high enough, your AP English Language score could earn you college credit!

Check out our AP English Language Guide for what you need to know about the exam:

• Exam Overview
• Sections and Question Types
• How to Prepare

What’s on the AP English Language & Composition Exam?

The College Board is very detailed in what they require your AP teacher to cover in his or her AP English Language & Composition course. The exam tests your abilities to understand how authors use rhetoric and language to convey their purpose. Students are also expected to apply these techniques to their own writing and research projects. Some of the major skills tested include the ability to:

• Identify an author’s purpose and intended audience
• Recognize rhetorical devices and strategies in an author’s work
• Demonstrate understanding of citations in research papers
• Apply these skills and techniques to their own writing
• Create and organize an argument defended with evidence and reasoning
• Plan, write, and revise cogent, well-written essays

Check out our line of AP guides  for a comprehensive content review.

AP English Language Sections & Question Types

The AP English Language & Composition exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long and consists of two sections: a multiple-choice section and a free response section.

Read More: Review for the exam with our  AP English Language Crash Course 

Multiple-Choice

For AP English Language multiple-choice questions, you are presented with two Reading Passages and three Writing passages. The two Reading passages are nonfiction passages taken from all sorts of works. The idea is to get you to focus on rhetorical devices, figures of speech and intended purposes, under rigid time constraints and with material you haven’t seen before. The three Writing passages are student-produced essays. The idea is to get you to revise the essay that help the writer accomplish his or her goal.

Free Response

The AP English Language section contains three essay prompts: a synthesis essay, a rhetorical analysis essay, and an argument essay.

• Synthesis essay: You’ll be given a scenario and tasked with writing a response using at least three of six or seven short accompanying sources for support.
• Rhetorical analysis essay: Asks you to analyze the techniques an author uses, and discuss how they contribute to the author’s purpose.
• Argument essay: Presents a claim or assertion in the prompt and then asks you to argue a position based on your own knowledge, experience, or reading.

How to Interpret AP English Language Scores

AP scores are reported from 1 to 5. Colleges are generally looking for a 4 or 5 on the AP English Language exam, but some may grant AP credit for a 3. Each test is curved so scores vary from year to year. Here’s how AP English Lang students scored on the May 2022 test:

Source: College Board

How can I prepare?

AP classes are great, but for many students they’re not enough! For a thorough review of AP English Language content and strategy, pick the AP prep option that works best for your goals and learning style.

• AP Exams  

Explore Colleges For You

Connect with our featured colleges to find schools that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.

Career Quiz

Take our short quiz to learn which is the right career for you.

Get Started on Athletic Scholarships & Recruiting!

Join athletes who were discovered, recruited & often received scholarships after connecting with NCSA's 42,000 strong network of coaches.

Best 389 Colleges

165,000 students rate everything from their professors to their campus social scene.

SAT Prep Courses

1400+ course, act prep courses, free sat practice test & events,  1-800-2review, free digital sat prep try our self-paced plus program - for free, get a 14 day trial.

Free MCAT Practice Test

I already know my score.

MCAT Self-Paced 14-Day Free Trial

Enrollment Advisor

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 1

1-877-LEARN-30

Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM ET

Sat-Sun 9AM-8PM ET

Student Support

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 2

Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM ET

Sat-Sun 8:30AM-5PM ET

Partnerships

• Teach or Tutor for Us

College Readiness

International

Advertising

Affiliate/Other

• Enrollment Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility
• Cigna Medical Transparency in Coverage

Register Book

Local Offices: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM

• SAT Subject Tests

Academic Subjects

• Social Studies

Find the Right College

• College Rankings
• College Advice
• Applying to College
• Financial Aid

School & District Partnerships

• Professional Development
• Advice Articles
• Private Tutoring
• Mobile Apps
• Local Offices
• International Offices
• Work for Us
• Affiliate Program
• Partner with Us
• Advertise with Us
• International Partnerships
• Our Guarantees
• Accessibility – Canada

Privacy Policy | CA Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | Your Opt-Out Rights | Terms of Use | Site Map

©2024 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University

TPR Education, LLC (doing business as “The Princeton Review”) is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, a firm owned by Chinese nationals with a principal place of business in Hong Kong, China.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, expert guide to the ap language and composition exam.

Advanced Placement (AP)

With the 2023 AP English Language and Composition exam happening on Tuesday, May 9, it's time to make sure that you're familiar with all aspects of the exam. In this article, I'll give a brief overview of the test, do a deeper dive on each of the sections, discuss how the exam is scored, offer some strategies for studying, and finally wrap up with some essential exam day tips.

Exam Overview

The AP Language and Composition exam tests your rhetorical and composition skills. Essentially, how do authors construct effective arguments in their writing? What tools do they use? How can you use those tools to craft effective writing yourself? That is the essence of rhetorical analysis.

The exam has two parts: the first section is an hour-long, 45 question multiple-choice section. It includes five sets of questions, each based on a passage or passages. In this section, there will be 23-25 rhetorical analysis questions which test your rhetorical skills. There will also be 20-22 writing questions which require you to consider revisions to the texts you're shown.

The second section is free response. It starts with a 15-minute reading period, and then you'll have 120 minutes to write three analytical essays:

• One essay where you synthesize several provided texts to create an argument
• One essay where you analyze a nonfiction passage for its rhetorical construction
• One essay where you create an original argument in response to a prompt.

You will have about 40 minutes to write each essay, but no one will prompt you to move from essay to essay—you can structure the 120 minutes as you wish.

In the next sections I'll go over each section of the exam more closely—first multiple choice, and then free response.

The AP English Language and Composition Multiple-Choice

The multiple-choice section tests you on two main areas. The first is how well you can read and understand nonfiction passages for their use of rhetorical devices and tools. The second is how well you can "think like a writer" and make revisions to texts in composition questions.

You will be presented with five passages, about which you will receive a small amount of orienting information, e.g. "This passage is excerpted from a collection of essays on boating" or "This passage is excerpted from an essay written in 19th-century Haiti." Each passage will be followed by a set of questions.

There are, in general, eight question types you can expect to encounter on the multiple-choice section of the exam. I've taken my examples from the sample questions in the " Course and Exam Description ."

Magic eight-ball says there are eight types of multiple-choice questions!

Type 1: Reading Comprehension

These questions are focused on verifying that you understood what a certain part of the passage was saying on a concrete, literal level. You can identify these questions from phrases like "according to" "refers," etc. The best way to succeed on these questions is to go back and re-read the part of the passage referred to very carefully.

Type 2: Implication

These questions take reading comprehension one step further—they are primarily focused on what the author is implying without directly coming out and saying it. These questions will have a correct answer, though, based on evidence from the passage. Which interpretation offered in the answers does the passage most support? You can identify questions like these from words like "best supported," ‘"implies," "suggests," "inferred," and so on.

Type 3: Overall Passage and Author Questions

These questions ask about overall elements of the passage or the author, such as the author's attitude on the issue discussed, the purpose of the passage, the passage's overarching style, the audience for the passage, and so on.

You can identify these questions because they won't refer back to a specific moment in the text. For these questions, you'll need to think of the passage from a "bird's-eye view" and consider what all of the small details together are combining to say.

Type 4: Relationships Between Parts of the Text

Some questions will ask you to describe the relationship between two parts of the text, whether they are paragraphs or specific lines. You can identify these because they will usually explicitly ask about the relationship between two identified parts of the text, although sometimes they will instead ask about a relationship implicitly, by saying something like "compared to the rest of the passage."

Type 5: Interpretation of Imagery/Figurative Language

These questions will ask you about the deeper meaning or implication of figurative language or imagery that is used in the text. Essentially, why did the author choose to use this simile or this metaphor? What is s/he trying to accomplish?

You can generally identify questions like this because the question will specifically reference a moment of figurative language in the text. However, it might not be immediately apparent that the phrase being referenced is figurative, so you may need to go back and look at it in the passage to be sure of what kind of question you are facing.

Type 6: Purpose of Part of the Text

Still other questions will ask you to identify what purpose a particular part of the text serves in the author's larger argument. What is the author trying to accomplish with the particular moment in the text identified in the question?

You can identify these questions because they will generally explicitly ask what purpose a certain part of the text serves. You may also see words or phrases like "serves to" or "function."

Type 7: Rhetorical Strategy

These questions will ask you to identify a rhetorical strategy used by the author. They will often specifically use the phrase "rhetorical strategy," although sometimes you will be able to identify them instead through the answer choices, which offer different rhetorical strategies as possibilities.

Type 8: Composition

This is the newest question type, first seen in the 2019/2020 school year. For these questions, the student will need to act as though they are the writer and think through different choices writers need to make when writing or revising text.

These questions can involve changing the order of sentences or paragraphs, adding or omitting information to strengthen an argument or improve clarity, making changes to draw reader attention, and other composition-based choices.

Some very important stylish effects going on here.

The AP English Language and Composition Free Response

The free response section has a 15-minute reading period. After that time, you will have 120 minutes to write three essays that address three distinct tasks.

Because the first essay involves reading sources, it is suggested that you use the entire 15-minute reading period to read the sources and plan the first essay. However, you may want to glance at the other questions during the reading period so that ideas can percolate in the back of your mind as you work on the first essay.

Essay One: Synthesis

For this essay, you will be briefly oriented on an issue and then given anywhere from six to seven sources that provide various perspectives and information on the issue. You will then need to write an argumentative essay with support from the documents.

If this sounds a lot like a DBQ , as on the history AP exams, that's because it is! However, this essay is much more argumentative in nature—your goal is to persuade, not merely interpret the documents.

Example (documents not included, see 2022 free response questions ):

Essay Two: Rhetorical Analysis

In the second essay, you'll be presented with an excerpt from a nonfiction piece that advances an argument and asked to write an essay analyzing the rhetorical strategies used to construct the passage's argument. You will also be given some orienting information—where the passage was excerpted from, who wrote it, its approximate date, where it was published (if at all), and to whom it was directed.

Example (excerpt not included, see 2022 free response questions ):

Essay Three: Argument

In the third essay, you will be presented with an issue and asked to write a persuasive essay taking a position on the issue. You will need to support your position with evidence from your "reading, experience, and observations."

This doesn't look like a very well-constructed argument.

How The AP Language and Composition Exam Is Scored

The multiple-choice section of the exam is worth 45% of your score, and the free-response section is worth the other 55%. So each of the three free-response essays is worth about 18% of your score.

As on other APs, your raw score will be converted to a scaled score of 1-5. This exam has a relatively low 5 rate. Only 10% of test takers received a 5 in 2022 , although 56% of students received a score of 3 or higher.

In terms of how the raw score is obtained, the multiple-choice section is similar to other AP multiple-choice sections: you receive a point for every question you answer correctly, and there is no penalty for guessing.

The grading rubrics for the free-response questions were revamped in 2019. They are scored using analytic rubrics instead of holistic rubrics. For each free-response question, you will be given a score from 0-6. The rubrics assess three major areas:

#1: Thesis (0 to 1 points): Is there a thesis, and does it properly respond to the prompt?

#2: Evidence and Commentary (0 to 4 points): Does the essay include supporting evidence and analysis that is relevant, specific, well organized, and supports the thesis?

#3: Sophistication (0 to 1 points): Is the essay well-crafted and does it show a sufficiently nuanced understanding of the prompt?

Each scoring rubric broadly assesses these three factors. However, each task is also different in nature, so the rubrics do have some differences. I'll go over each rubric—and what it really means—for you here.

Synthesis Essay Rubrics

EVIDENCE AND COMMENTARY

SOPHISTICATION

Time to synthesize this dough into some cookies.

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Rubrics

Examine your texts closely!

Argumentative Essay Rubrics

The best kind of frenzy is a puppy frenzy!

AP English Language Prep Tips

Unlike its cousin, the AP English Literature and Composition exam, the AP Language and Composition exam (and course) have very little to do with fiction or poetry. So some students used to more traditional English classes may be somewhat at a loss as to what to do to prepare.

Luckily for you, I have a whole slate of preparation tips for you!

Read Nonfiction—In a Smart Way

A major thing you can do to prepare for the AP Lang and Comp exam is to read nonfiction— particularly nonfiction that argues a position , whether explicitly (like an op-ed) or implicitly (like many memoirs and personal essays). Read a variety of non-fiction genres and topics, and pay attention to the following:

• What is the author's argument?
• What evidence do they use to support their position?
• What rhetorical techniques and strategies do they use to build their argument?
• Are they persuasive? What counterarguments can you identify? Do they address them?

Thinking about these questions with all the reading you do will help you hone your rhetorical analysis skills.

Learn Rhetorical Terms and Strategies

Of course, if you're going to be analyzing the nonfiction works you read for their rhetorical techniques and strategies, you need to know what those are! You should learn a robust stable of rhetorical terms from your teacher, but here's my guide to the most important AP Language and Composition terms .

• We've compiled a list of 20 rhetorical devices you should know.
• A heroic individual from Riverside schools in Ohio uploaded this aggressively comprehensive list of rhetorical terms with examples. It's 27 pages long, and you definitely shouldn't expect to know all of these for the exam, but it's a useful resource for learning some new terms.
• Another great resource for learning about rhetorical analysis and how rhetorical devices are actually used is the YouTube Channel Teach Argument , which has videos rhetorically analyzing everything from Taylor Swift music videos to Super Bowl commercials. It's a fun way to think about rhetorical devices and get familiar with argumentative structures.
• Finally, a great book—which you might already use in your class—is " They Say, I Say. " This book provides an overview of rhetoric specifically for academic purposes, which will serve you well for AP preparation and beyond.

You also need to practice argumentative and persuasive writing. In particular, you should practice the writing styles that will be tested on the exam: synthesizing your own argument based on multiple outside sources, rhetorically analyzing another piece of writing in-depth, and creating a completely original argument based on your own evidence and experience.

You should be doing lots of writing assignments in your AP class to prepare, but thoughtful, additional writing will help. You don't necessarily need to turn all of the practice writing you do into polished pieces, either—just writing for yourself, while trying to address some of these tasks, will give you a low-pressure way to try out different rhetorical structures and argumentative moves, as well as practicing things like organization and developing your own writing style.

Not the most auspicious start to an argumentative essay.

Practice for the Exam

Finally, you'll need to practice specifically for the exam format. There are sample multiple-choice questions in the " AP Course and Exam Description ," and old free-response questions on the College Board website.

Unfortunately, the College Board hasn't officially released any complete exams from previous years for the AP English Language and Composition exam, but you might be able to find some that teachers have uploaded to school websites and so on by Googling "AP Language complete released exams." I also have a guide to AP Language and Composition practice tests .

Once you're prepped and ready to go, how can you do your best on the test?

AP Language and Composition Test Day Tips

Here are four key tips for test-day success.

You are one hundred percent success!

Interact With the Text

When you are reading passages, both on the multiple-choice section and for the first two free-response questions, interact with the text! Mark it up for things that seem important, devices you notice, the author's argument, and anything else that seems important to the rhetorical construction of the text. This will help you engage with the text and make it easier to answer questions or write an essay about the passage.

Think About Every Text's Overarching Purpose and Argument

Similarly, with every passage you read, consider the author's overarching purpose and argument. If you can confidently figure out what the author's primary assertion is, it will be easier to trace how all of the other aspects of the text play into the author's main point.

Plan Your Essays

The single most important thing you can do for yourself on the free-response section of the AP English Language exam is to spend a few minutes planning and outlining your essays before you start to write them.

Unlike on some other exams, where the content is the most important aspect of the essay, on the AP Language Exam, organization, a well-developed argument, and strong evidence are all critical to strong essay scores. An outline will help you with all of these things. You'll be able to make sure each part of your argument is logical, has sufficient evidence, and that your paragraphs are arranged in a way that is clear and flows well.

Anticipate and Address Counterarguments

Another thing you can do to give your free responses an extra boost is to identify counterarguments to your position and address them within your essay. This not only helps shore up your own position, but it's also a fairly sophisticated move in a timed essay that will win you kudos with AP graders.

Address counterarguments properly or they might get returned to sender!

Key Takeaways

The AP Language and Composition exam tests your rhetorical skills. The exam has two sections.

The first section is an hour-long, 45 question multiple-choice test based on the rhetorical techniques and composition choices.

The second section is a two-hour free-response section (with a 15-minute initial reading period) with three essay questions: one where you must synthesize given sources to make an original argument, one where you must rhetorically analyze a given passage, and one where you must create a wholly original argument about an issue with no outside sources given.

You'll receive one point for every correct answer on the multiple-choice section of the exam, which is worth 45% of your score. The free-response section is worth 55% of your score. For each free-response question, you'll get a score based on a rubric from 0-6. Your total raw score will be converted to a scaled score from 1-5.

Here are some test prep strategies for AP Lang:

#1 : Read nonfiction with an eye for rhetoric #2 : Learn rhetorical strategies and techniques #3 : Practice writing to deploy rhetorical skills #4 : Practice for the exam!

Here are some test-day success tips:

#1 : Interact with each passage you encounter! #2 : Consider every text's overarching purpose and argument. #3 : Keep track of time #4 : Plan your essays #5 : Identify and address counterarguments in your essays.

With all of this knowledge, you're ready to slay the AP English Language and Composition beast!

Noble knight, prepare to slay the AP dragon!

What's Next?

Want more AP Lang review? We have a complete collection of released AP Language practice tests , as well as a list of the AP Lang terms you need to know and a guide to the multiple choice section .

Taking the AP Literature exam? Check out our ultimate guide to the AP English Literature test and our list of AP Literature practice tests .

Taking other AP exams? See our Ultimate Guides to AP World History , AP US History , AP Chemistry , AP Biology , AP World History , and AP Human Geography .

Need more AP prep guidance? Check out how to study for AP exams and how to find AP practice tests .

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Find what you need to study

2024 AP English Language and Composition Exam Guide

12 min read • august 18, 2023

Attend a live cram event

Review all units live with expert teachers & students

Your guide to the 2024 AP English Language and Composition exam

We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We created a study plan to help you crush your AP English Language and Composition exam. This guide will continue to update with information about the 2024 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you do your best on test day.  Unlock Cram Mode  for access to our cram events—students who have successfully passed their AP exams will answer your questions and guide your last-minute studying LIVE! And don't miss out on unlimited access to our database of thousands of practice questions.

Format of the 2024 AP English Language and Composition exam

This year, all AP exams will cover all units and essay types. The 2024 AP English Language and Composition exam format will be:

Section I: Multiple Choice - 45% of your score

45 questions in 1 hour

Section II: Free Response Section - 55% of your score

2 hours and 15 minutes for:

1 synthesis essay

1 rhetorical analysis essay

1 argument essay

Scoring Rubric for the 2024 AP Lang Essays

Synthesis Essay

1 point for a defensible thesis that responds to the prompt

Evidence and Commentary

Max of 4 points for providing evidence from at least 3 sources that support the line of reasoning AND commentary that explains and analyzes the evidence

Sophistication

1 point any of the following:

Creating a nuanced argument

Showing the limitations of the argument

Making effective rhetorical choices

Employing a style that is vivid and persuasive

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

1 point for a defensible thesis that analyzes rhetorical choices

Max of 4 points for providing specific evidence AND consistently explaining how the evidence relates to the line of reasoning AND showing how the rhetorical choices contribute to the author's message .

1 point for any of the following:

Explaining the significance of the rhetorical choices ( rhetorical situation )

Explaining the complexities of the passage and their purpose

Argument Essay

1 point for a defensible thesis

Max of 4 points for providing specific evidence AND consistently explaining the relevance of that evidence .

Crafting a nuanced argument by identifying complexities

Explaining the limitations of the argument by placing it in a broader context

Making rhetorical choices to improve the argument

Check out our study plan below to find resources and tools to prepare for your AP English Language and Composition exam.

When is the 2024 AP English Language and Composition Exam and How Do I Take It?

How should i prepare for the ap lang exam.

First, take stock of your progress in the course so far. What areas have you excelled and which sections need more focus? Download the AP English Language Cheatsheet PDF - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses!

Build your study plan to review every unit and question type, but focus most on the areas that need the most improvement and practice. We’ve put together this plan to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam

Practice essays are your best friends! The more essays you write, the more automatic the process will come, and the easier the AP exam will be!

Try some of the past exam questions here

We've put together the study plan found below to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam. Pay special attention to the units that you need the most improvement in.

Study, practice, and review for test day with other students during our live cram sessions via  Cram Mode . Cram live streams will teach, review, and practice important topics from AP courses, college admission tests, and college admission topics. These streams are hosted by experienced students who know what you need to succeed.

Pre-Work: Set Up Your Study Environment

Before you begin studying, take some time to get organized.

🖥 Create a study space.

Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space. 

📚 Organize your study materials.

Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also, create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!

📅 Plan designated times for studying.

The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.

🏆 Decide on an accountability plan.

How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First, set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused!

2024 AP Lang Study Guide

🚧 unit 1 foundations of rhetoric: analysis of the rhetorical situation and claims ., big takeaways:.

Unit 1 is an introductory unit that lays the foundations for the reading skills associated with how to understand and analyze complex texts. Skills here include identifying the ASPECTS of a text, analyzing the claim given and the evidence used to support that claim, and determining the function of the “chunks” in the argument. Because the content in this unit is very foundational, it is looped throughout the rest of the course instruction.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

Unit 1 Overview: Claims , Reasoning , and Evidence

1.1 Identifying the purpose and intended audience of a text

1.2 Examining how evidence supports a claim

1.3 Developing paragraphs as part of an effective argument

🎥 Watch these videos:

College Board’s Instructional Video: Overview of The Rhetorical Situation .

Fiveable’s How to Read Like an AP Student .

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statements  

Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraphs

✍️ Practice:

Use the Fiveable ASPECTS Guidesheet to help you break down a complex text.

🗺 Can you identify these rhetorical devices?

You won’t be asked to name drop on the exam, but it can be helpful to use devices when discussing strategies. Try this Quizlet to help prepare.

Unit 2 Foundations of Argument: Analysis of an author’s choices in appeals and evidence

Unit 2 is an introductory unit that builds onto the foundations of rhetorical ASPECTS and moves toward planning and writing your own arguments. This unit focuses on the relationships between subject, speaker, and message, including examination of the structure and purpose of the given argument. The unit then moves into the developing thesis statements and building your own arguments with a clear line of reasoning .

Unit 2 Overview: Organizing Information for a Specific Audience

2.1 Analyzing audience and its relationship to the purpose of an argument

2.2 Building an argument with relevant and strategic evidence

2.3 Developing thesis statements

2.4 Developing structure and integrating evidence to reflect a line of reasoning

College Board’s Instructional Video: Identify Rhetorical Situation in a Pre 20th Century Text .

Fiveable’s video on How to Find Rhetorical Devices  

📰 Check out these articles:

Here’s a list of recommended rhetorical devices with definitions and examples!

Use the Fiveable Rhetorical Precis Guidesheet to help you break down a complex text.

🗺 Can you identify these elements of practical argument?

You won’t be asked to name drop of the exam, but it can be helpful to use devices when discussing strategies. Try this Quizlet to help prepare.

👥 Unit 3 Confluence: Synthesis of multiple sources in argumentation

Unit 3 approaches multiple perspectives in argument through the lens of synthesis (that’s FRQ 1). In this study, you learn to identify effective and faulty reasoning while integrating a variety of evidence from credible resources that is properly cited in an original text.

Unit 3 Overview: Perspectives and How Arguments Relate

3.1 Interpreting character description and perspective

3.2 Identifying and avoiding flawed lines of reasoning

3.3 Introducing and integrating sources and evidence

3.4 Using sufficient evidence for an argument

3.5 Attributing and citing references

3.6 Developing parts of a text with cause-effect and narrative methods

Fiveable’s Introduction into Synthesis Essays and How to Begin Your Argument

College Board’s Instructional Video: Complexity in Argument .

🗺 Can you identify these elements of synthesis?

👀 Unit 4 Reasoning : Analysis of argument from introduction to conclusion

Unit 4 includes a greater depth of focus on the writing of effective arguments -- the line of reasoning created in the introduction, built with modes of discourse, and strengthened in the conclusion. An important note about these skills of argumentation is that they build toward all parts of every FRQ. 

Unit 4 Overview: How writers develop arguments, intros, and conclusion

4.1 Developing and connecting thesis statements and lines of reasoning

4.2 Developing introductions and conclusions

4.3 Adjusting an argument to address new evidence

College Board’s Instructional Video: Understanding a Line of Reasoning .

Fiveable’s Effective Annotations .

Try Fiveable’s Guide to LOR Body Paragraphs .

🗺 Can you identify the rhetorical modes?

You won’t be asked to name drop them on the exam, but it can be helpful to use devices when discussing strategies. Try this Quizlet to help prepare.

🧐 Unit 5 Commentary and Analysis: Analysis of complex argument and intentional rhetoric

In Unit 5, the skills look at the minutiae involved in argumentation: development of the line of reasoning that produces strong commentary and maintains the primary claim through all parts of the writing. To achieve these goals, this unit includes a focus on transitions , modifiers , and qualifications for argumentative perspective .  

Unit 5 Overview

5.1 Maintaining ideas throughout an argument

5.2 Developing commentary throughout paragraphs

5.3 Using modifiers to qualify an argument and convey perspective

5.4 Using transitions

Fiveable’s video on How to Improve Analysis Part 1 and Part 2

As well as how to Embed Quotes into Body Paragraphs  

Rhetorical Analysis Body Paragraphs  

Synthesis Essay Body Paragraphs  

Argument Essay Body Paragraphs

Tara Seale’s adaptation for Creating a Line of Reasoning .

🏃‍♂️ Unit 6 Rhetorical Risks: Analysis of multiple perspectives , bias , and shifts with new evidence

In Unit 6, you will notice a direct link building on the ideas of Unit 3 as this instruction looks at position and perspectives while synthesizing information strategically to support a claim.  For greater depth, this unit moves to modify a current argument to include new evidence .

Unit 6 Overview: Position, Perspective , and Bias

6.1 Incorporating multiple perspectives strategically into an argument

6.2 Recognizing and accounting for bias

6.3 Adjusting an argument to new evidence

6.4 Analyzing tone and shifts in tone

College Board’s Instructional Video: Creating a Nuanced Argument .

Fiveable’s video on Tracking an Author’s Argument  

🚀 Unit 7 Complex Argumentation: Analysis of effective arguments, including concession and refutation

The skills of Unit 7 are about putting all units of study together to look at the complexity of a given argument and the effectiveness of the pieces built into that argument.  Though many teachers will have addressed counterarguments, concessions, and refutations before reaching this unit, those skills are highly scrutinized in this segment of learning.

Unit 7 Overview: Successful and Unsuccessful Arguments

7.1 Examining complexities in issues

7.2 Considering how words, phrases, and clauses can modify and limit an argument

7.3 Examining how counterargument or alternative perspectives affect an argument

7.4 Exploring how sentence development affects an argument

Fiveable’s video on Arguments and Counterarguments  

College Board’s Instructional Video: How Argument Demonstrates Understanding .

Check your progress with Fiveable’s AP Language Skills Matrix .

📝 Unit 8 Style: Analysis of how style influences the audience movement

Unit 8 covers how to understand the influence style has on the audience , and the purpose behind each decision. By analyzing these various tactics, students are able to understand the author’s audience , and how to effectively persuade them. Style is an important part in connecting the rest of the course and understanding how the rhetorical choices and devices are used to accomplish a purpose .

Unit 8 Overview: Stylistic Choices

8.1 Choosing comparisons based on an audience

8.2 Considering how sentence development and word choice affect how the writer is perceived by an audience

8.3 Considering how all choices made in an argument affect the audience

8.4 Considering how style affects an argument

Fiveable’s Analysis of the Mindset of the Audience

College Board’s Instructional video: Analyzing and Understanding the Audience

College Board’s explanation of Elements and Context for Style  

Review this quizlet on Elements of Style for more practice.

✏️ Unit 9 Craft: Creation of your own complex argument with synthesis and rhetoric

The final unit of AP Language and Composition covers how to effectively form your own arguments by acknowledging and understanding complexities to create a nuanced and sophisticated argument. It focuses on your ability to comprehend and connect multiple sources to create a well reasoned, and detailed argument as well as how to add in your own rhetorical devices and choices to make your writing more persuasive and effective.

Unit 9 Overview: Developing a Complex Argument

9.1 Strategically conceding, rebutting, or refuting information

9.2 Crafting an argument through stylistic choices like word choice and description

Fiveable’s video on Creating your own Synthesis Arguments

College Board’s video on Complexities within Arguments and How to Create a Nuanced Argument

Key Terms to Review ( 38 )

Argument Structure

Author's Message

Cause-Effect Method

Comparisons

Conclusions

Counterargument

Introductions

Line of Reasoning

Multiple Perspectives

Narrative Method

Objective Reasoning

Perspective

Qualifications

Rhetorical Choices

Rhetorical Situation

Sentence Development

Stylistic Choices

Subjective Reasoning

Textual Evidence

Thesis Development

Thesis Statement

Tone Shifts

Transitions

Word Choice

Stay Connected

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: 10 Best Materia, Ranked

• Choose and level up Materia wisely for optimal party performance in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
• Spells from Materia are key to hitting the enemy's weaknesses.
• Some passive Materia are very useful for making up for a character's weakness.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has many different Materia types to choose from and equip, but only a limited number of Materia slots of each character's weapons and armor. While better Materia can be found throughout the game, most Materia will take lots of AP to grind and level up to get stronger.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Best Party Composition

Most Materia even equipped early in the game won't unlock the final level and its tier-three spell until the end of the game. It's important for players to pick out the best Materia early and start leveling it up to make sure it reaches those upper levels before the final boss.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Released February 29, 2024

Developer(s) Square Enix

Percentage MP Boost

• Equip on spell-casters like Aerith and Yuffie.
• Can use multiple low-level ones to add up to 30%.

The MP Up Materia is a basic boost that increases that character's MP based on the level of the Materia. While not all characters will rely on spells the entire time, having multiple elemental spells on each character can help hit an enemy's weakness.

Due to the MP cost of a spell, even at a low level, it's always useful to have a boost in everyone's MP to make sure they can cast enough spells when needed. Some healing Materia later mentioned on this list should be equipped on every character, and this MP Up Materia can make sure they have more MP to use on it.

Magnify Materia

Make spell multi-target.

• Can make offence spells hit all enemies to target multiple weaknesses.
• Can make any Healing Materia party-wide.

The Magnify Materia can be linked to any green Materia, allowing that spell to target multiple enemies or allies. This can turn a single heal spell instead into a party-wide health, which is the most effective use for this Materia.

When linked, this Materia does lower the effects of the green Materia, either healing or damaging the target less. The negation to the effects is lowered with each rank, and bonuses to the base effects of the green Materia also increase with its rank, making this Materia very useful and powerful later in the game with maxed-out Materia.

HP Up Materia

Percentage boost to hp.

• Good on any if not every character.
• Equip early to reach higher levels later on.

The HP Up is a simple Materia that increases the HP of a party member. While even the tankier party members have a lot of HP, there are many bosses and enemies in this game who have single powerful moves that can wipe out the party in a single strike.

Even the tanky characters like Barret further benefit from this Materia, as the mountain of HP he can have will eventually just make him unkillable. Later in the game, each party member will have many Materia slots, and everyone should at least have one HP Up.

Elemental Materia

Add elemental damage to basic attacks.

• Elemental affinity for either offensive or defensive use.
• Needs to be linked with an elemental Materia.

Elemental Materia links with a green elemental Materia and gives that elemental affinity to either the weapon or armor it is equipped on. When on armor, it adds elemental resistance, but on weapons, it adds elemental damage.

While difficult to know or learn beforehand, players who add the right elemental affinity to a weapon that hits an enemy or boss's weakness will deal incredible amounts of damage over time. Against more challenging bosses, this bonus can help pressure the boss much more often without relying only on spells.

Fire & Ice Materia/Lightning & Air Materia

Two for the slot of one.

• Requires much more AP to level up.
• Eventually gets access to tier-three spells.

While this is a bit of a two-for-one, the idea and best quality of each of these Materia are the same. Having one or both of these Materia can help a character use up fewer slots but still have access to more spells. While this Materia does take much longer to level up, pairing it with an AP up can help negate the bonus grinding.

Magic-focused characters such as Aerith excel are using both of these Materia, giving her access to all four elemental types without needing to equip four different Materia. In the long run, using and leveling up these Materia early on makes them much better than any individual spell Materia.

Prayer Materia

Party-wide healing for no mp.

• Does require two ATB but no MP.
• Can drag in amount healed per party member towards the middle of the game.

The Prayer Materia is a very useful healing Materia that Aerith starts out with. It is a party-wide heal that doesn't require MP and is the best of the more straightforward healing Materia in the game. It does require 2 ATB and also isn't very effective when only trying to heal one party member.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Every Weapon For Yuffie, Ranked

For longer boss fights, this Materia is the perfect clutch heal after a devastating area-of-effect attack that just about every boss has. Without the need for MP, this spell can also be used in easy random encounters while exploring and quickly heal up the entire party without using items.

A Very Powerful Damage Spell

• The single strongest magic spell to give to a magic-focused character.
• Requires a wide pool of MP to use multiple times.

Despite the versatility of other offensive-focused Materia in hitting weaknesses, Comet is still by far the most effective and devastating spells players can use in the game. It's upgraded form only deals more damage, with both hitting large groups of enemies, often finishing off random encounters.

While this Materia does require a large pool of MP to use, there are additional Materia like the Magic Efficiency Materia or just a simple MP Up Materia on the character. Even with the high cost, this spell is always a worthwhile use.

Healing Materia

Basic to high-level spells.

• Greatly heal party members in or out of combat.
• Also gets access to the Regen ability for constant healing.

The Healing Materia is the best Materia for healing in that it scales for what the player needs throughout the game when equipped early on. Early on, players won't need a massively potent healing spell and will only need to use a single ATB and a bit of MP to heal up a party member.

Later in the game, party members will have thousands of HP, and the spell Curgaga will be needed to heal for all of those points. The spells from a Healing Materia will outpace most items, and even though it naturally heals only one target, it will heal someone enough they won't need healing again for a while.

Level Up Any Materia Quickly

• Level up any Materia quicker.
• Can be mixed and matched and doesn't need to be leveled up itself.

Leveling up Materia can take time, as AP is not given to players in large amounts. The AP required to rank up a Materia differs, with the better Materia being even more difficult to rank up. With the AP-Up Materia, players will be able to level up any Matreia much faster.

While it can only be working on the Materia, it is linked to it can double the amount of AP a Materia earns. This Materia can also be linked with any other Materia, letting anything players want be ranked up faster than usual.

Access Materia

See any enemy's weakness.

• Rank two allows for all enemies in a battle to be Accessed.
• Almost required for more difficult boss fights.

While a basic Materia, this should be equipped on Cloud the entire game. As he is a required party member for almost the entire game, this Materia is a necessity in any boss fight. This Materia will tell players what the enemy's weaknesses and resistance are, along with how to pressure them.

Without this Materia, a lot of ATB and MP will be used to figure out how to fight an enemy. When other party members are being controlled in the world aside from Cloud, be sure to give them this Materia so that it can be used in every fight.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Every Weapon For Barrett, Ranked

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Search by keyword

Euro area annual inflation stable at 2.4%.

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 2.4% in April 2024, stable compared to March according to a flash estimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union .

Looking at the main components of euro area inflation, services is expected to have the highest annual rate in April (3.7%, compared with 4.0% in March), followed by food, alcohol & tobacco (2.8%, compared with 2.6% in March), non-energy industrial goods (0.9%, compared with 1.1% in March) and energy (-0.6%, compared with -1.8% in March).

Tables                                                                     

Notes for users, revisions and timetable.

The euro area inflation flash estimate is issued at the end of each reference month.

The complete set of harmonised indices of consumer prices (HICP) for the euro area, EU and Member States is released around the middle of the month following the reference month.

The next release with full data for April 2024 is scheduled for 17 May 2024.

Methods and definitions

Annual inflation is the change of the price level of consumer goods and services between the current month and the same month of the previous year. Monthly inflation is the change of the price level between the current month and the previous month.

Geographical information

The euro area consists of Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.

The euro area data refer to the country composition at a specific point in time. Changes in the composition of the euro area are incorporated using a chain index formula.

For more information

Eurostat website section on inflation

Eurostat database section on inflation

Statistics Explained article on inflation in the euro area

Eurostat metadata on inflation

Euro indicators dashboard

Release calendar for Euro indicators

European Statistics Code of Practice

Get in touch

Media requests

Eurostat Media Support

Phone: (+352) 4301 33 408

E-mail: [email protected]

Further information on data

E-mail: [email protected]

Share the release