The AP Program
The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a way for students to take
college-level courses and to earn college credit while still in high
school. The AP Program was established
by the College Board in 1955. The
College Board has stated that it is “committed to providing access to AP Exams
for homeschooled students and students whose schools do not offer AP courses”
(“Welcome to the AP Program,” www.collegeboard.com,
2008). The College Board does not
require students to take an AP course prior to taking an AP exam. These exams are intended primarily for
students in the third or fourth year
of high school who plan on continuing their educations at a post-secondary
level. With 37 courses and exams across
22 subject areas, the AP attempts to offer something for everyone. The only
requirements are a strong curiosity about the subject you plan to study and the
willingness to work hard.
AP ENGLISH EMPHASIS IN OXFORD TUTORIALS
The AP exams which are most directly related to the Oxford tutorials are the
exams in English and Latin. There are
two AP English exams, one entitled “English Language and Composition;” the
other is “English Literature and Composition.”
The first is considered a more basic and general exam which covers a
wide range of literature; the second is considered a more advanced exam which
focuses upon imaginative literure (poetry, fiction and drama). There are also two Latin exams, one entitled
“Latin Literature,” the other “Latin: Vergil.”
However, Latin Literature exam will be discontinued after May 2009. Unfortunately the exam in World History has a
postmodern, relativistic and sociological emphasis. For example, the current instructions for the
exam state: “The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater
understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction
with different types of human societies.”
This faddish orientation makes the exam of little use.
Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, Oxford Tutorials will be attempting
to assist students in preparing for the AP exams in English and Latin. The following information will introduce
current expectations of the AP English exam in Language and Composition. Although the College Board doesn’t mandate
any specific curriculum, they do offer curricular guidelines and resource
requirements. The following is an
overview of those guidelines and requirements.
AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION EXPECTATIONS
GUIDELINES & REQUIREMENTS
A. General Guidelines
1. Wide range of reading experience
in different genres and disciplines including
the arts and sciences.
2. Familarity with the basic purposes of
writing and different methods for
appealing to different audiences.
3. Skills in argumentation,
summarizing and citing secondary source material.
4. Experience in discussing and
evaluating other ideas and points of view.
5. Practice in self-criticism and in
writing and rewriting their own ideas to improve
their writing skills.
B. More Specific Recommendations
1. Ability to distinguish and
evaluate primary and secondary sources, to synthesize
these sources in an original essay, and to
cite sources using professional
literary conventions (e.g. MLA-
Modern Language Association; or UC Press-
Chicago Manual of Style).
2. Ability to write for a variety of
purposes (e.g. argumentative; narrative; expository;
analytical; persuasive).
3. Ability to identify and evaluate a
variety of literary genres (e.g. poetry and prose;
essays; fiction; drama).
4. Mastery of a wide range of
vocabulary “used appropriately and effectively”
5. Familiarity with a wide range of
representative authors and genres (e.g.
autobiographers and diarists; biographers
and historians; cultural and literary
critics; essayists and fiction writers; journalists;
political writers; science and
nature writers)
6. Mastery of the stages involved in
the writing process (e.g. inquiry; research;
drafting; revising; editing;
review; re-writing; etc.)
7. Mastery of English grammar and famiiliarity
with a wide range of grammatical
conventions and stylistic elements. The AP exam assumes that student is
familiar with a wide range of
literary devices and is able to evaluate how
different authors utilize them
in distinctive ways for different purposes.
*** PLEASE SEE: “Literary Terms”
and “Literature Glossary” ***
AP TEST & PREPARATION SCHEDULE.
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Course Calendar |
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Spring before starting an AP course |
Well ahead of time, you need to start thinking about what AP
courses you might want to take. Learn more about the AP Program on this Web
site. Discuss your AP plans with your parents, teachers, and AP Coordinator. |
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Summer |
Some AP teachers require that you complete work (like summer
reading) during the summer months to prepare for their course. For example,
for AP English you may be given a reading list. Make sure you complete these
assignments, so that you're up to speed when the class begins. |
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January |
Talk to your AP teachers and/or AP Coordinator about taking the
exams. Contact the disabilities (SSD) coordinator at your school if you will
need testing accommodations. |
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February 22, 2008 |
Deadline for submitting complete disability documentation for
students with disabilities whose SSD Eligibility Forms require Documentation
Review. |
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March 1, 2008 |
Deadline for homeschooled students and students whose schools do
not offer AP to contact AP Services for a list of local AP Coordinators at
whose schools they could arrange to test. |
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March 7, 2008 |
Deadline for submitting complete student Eligibility Forms for
students with disabilities using the School Verification Process. |
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March 15, 2008 |
Deadline for homeschooled students and students whose schools do
not offer AP to contact AP Coordinators identified by AP Services. |
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May 5-9 and May 12-16, 2008 |
Exam dates |
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May 21-23, 2008 |
Late-testing dates |
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June 15, 2008 |
Deadline for receipt of requests for grade withholding, grade
cancellation, or a change in college grade report recipient. |
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Early-Mid July |
AP Grade Reports released to designated colleges, students, and
their high schools. |
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July 1, 2008 |
Grades by Phone available for current year's administration. |
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September |
Scholar Award and International Diploma notifications sent to
schools and students. |
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September 15, 2008 |
Deadline for ordering free-response booklets. |
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October 31, 2008 |
Deadline for requesting Multiple-Choice Rescore Service |
EXAM COSTS
AP Tests- $84; AP grade reports cost $15. The College Board's College
Scholarship Service Profile (CSS), a college financial aid application meant to
help students pay for college, also requires a fee. For the 2008-09 school
year, the price is $25 for the first report sent, and an additional $16 for
each additional college.
REGISTRATION
Students can register to take the exams and find testing dates and local test
centers at: http://www.collegeboard.com/