Success on AP Multiple Choice

1
Success on AP Multiple Choice

• Effective reading and analysis of selections
• Manage your time well
• Take only educated guesses
• Pace yourself correctly

2
Set Priorities

• Quickly scan the passages do the easier ones
  first and save the harder ones for last. You do
  NOT have to do the passages in the order they
  come. (Just be certain to record your answers in
  the correct spot.)
• Remember, you only have 1 hour. Give yourself
  11-14 minutes for each passage and its questions
  (depending on whether there are four or five
  selections)

3
Question Types

• Main Idea
• Rhetoric - syntax, point of view, or figurative
  language.
• Mode you must understand narration, exposition,
  description, and persuasion and be able to know
  why and author uses a particular one

• Definition vocab. Questions use context clues
  reread the sentence and substitute the
  possibilities (You also need to read the
  surrounding sentences!)
• Tone or purpose (tone writers attitude toward
  subject and audience purpose the effect the
  author wants to have upon the audience)

4
Types of MC Questions (cont.)

• Tone or purpose (cont.)
• Tone is conveyed through diction
• You may also encounter a question about the
  purpose of a footnote. Read the footnote
  carefully and answer accordingly. (This is
  another reason why you MUST learn the basics of
  MLA/APA citation!)

5
Types of MC Questions (cont.)

• Form questions form is the method of
  organization the writer uses. Some will use only
  one form, some multiple forms. Look for
  compare/contrast cause/effect/ order of
  importance logical sequence of events spatial
  order etc.
• Misc. Questions on English grammar, punctuation,
  mechanics, or terminology.
• Misc. Questions on culture facts that are a
  part of our civilization and that well-educated
  people should know.

6
Attacking the MC Section

• Begin with what you think is the easiest passage
  to read and understand
• Skim the passage you have chosen. Then, re-read
  the selection carefully. (Do NOT skip confusing
  sentences!)
• Look for the topic sentence or thesis statement.
  Often it is near the beginning but you may find
  it elsewhere or even simply implied and not
  stated.

7
Attacking the MC (cont.)

• As you read, mark significant words or sentences.
  (But dont spend a lot of time on this you only
  have 11-14 min. total!)
• As you read, observe organizational patterns.
• Mentally paraphrase the passage. (Practice during
  this course by writing out paraphrases of
  passages.)
• Recall what you can about the author, literary
  form, and historical period.

8
Attacking the MC (cont.)

• Main idea questions the correct choice must be
  entirely true and contain the most relevant
  information.
• When asked to make judgments about what is
  inferred or implied, find clues in the text to
  support your answer.
• Word meanings substitute the choices pay close
  attention to context.
• Tone or purpose pay close attention to diction

9
Attacking the MC (cont.)

• Reread lines, sentences, or paragraphs that are
  identified in the questions!!
• If you understand the passage, answer the
  questions in order.
• If the passage is giving you problems, answer the
  easy questions and come back to the difficult
  ones. (Do NOT spend an inordinate amount of time
  on one question!)

10
Attacking the MC (cont.)

• Read the question stem carefully. Read ALL the
  answer choices. Choice the most inclusive answer
  or the generalization.
• If one answer seems to contradict the other
  answers you have given about the passage, rethink
  that answer.
• Narrow the choices and make an intelligent guess
• Beware of the not/except question because you may
  forget what you are looking for.

11
Educated Guessing

• Ignore answers that are obviously wrong.
• Discard choices in which part of the answer is
  incorrect.
• Eliminate any response that has anything wrong
  about it.
• Trust yourself. Choose the answer you think is
  right. DO NOT overthink the question!

12
Making Educated Guesses
Answer Choice Reason to Eliminate
Too narrow Too small a section of the selection covered
Too broad A wider area than the selection is covered
Irrelevant Nothing to do with passage relevant to passage but not to question
Illogical Not supported by facts in passage not supported by cited passage from selection
Incorrect Distortion of the facts contradiction of the facts
Not/except Answers that correctly represent the selection
13
Works Cited

• Moran, Margaret and Holder Frances. Petersons
  Master AP English Language and Composition, 2nd
  ed. PetersonNew Jersey, 2007.
• abts.cornerstone.edu Picture of student