AP English Language Score and College Credit Information

English Language and Composition is one of the most popular Advanced Placement subjects with over half a million students taking the exam each year. College credit and placement varies significantly from school to school, but many colleges will award writing or humanities credit if students do well on the AP English Language exam.

About the AP English Language and Composition Course and Exam

The AP English Language and Composition course covers a broad range of reading and writing activities. The end goal is to develop a student's ability to become critical and responsive readers of a wide range of texts, and to strengthen a student's skill both with Standard Written English and different generic and rhetorical forms. On an even broader level, the course is designed to develop essential skills for thoughtful engagement in civic life.

Some of the more specific outcomes of the course include learning to...

• analyze and interpret both written texts and visual images to understand what the work is saying, how it says it, and why the author or artist created the work.
• use different rhetorical and writing strategies that are matched to the purpose of a piece of writing.
• make and sustain an original argument grounded in careful reading, research, and use of personal experience.
• evaluate research sources for their credibility.
• integrate and cite secondary sources properly in a piece of writing.
• practice writing as a process that involves drafting, revision, and editing.
• write in ways that are appropriate for a specific audience.

The AP English Language exam consists of a one-hour multiple choice section and a two-hour and fifteen-minute free-response writing section.

AP English Language and Composition Score Information

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AP English Literature and Composition Course and Exam Information

By Allen Grove

In 2018, 580,043 students took the exam. 57.2% of test-takers received a score of a 3 or higher and the possibility of receiving college credit or placement. The reality, however, is that many schools want to see a 4 or higher, and only 28.4% of students scored in this upper range. 

The AP English Language exam had a mean score of 2.83, and the scores were distributed as follows:

The College Board has released preliminary score percentages for the 2019 exam, but keep in mind that these numbers may change slightly as late exam scores are entered.

If your test score is on the lower end of the range, realize that you typically don't need to report AP exam scores to colleges. Unlike the SAT and ACT, AP exam scores tend to be self reported and there is no penalty for not including them.

College Credit and Placement for AP English Language and Composition

The table below presents some representative data from a variety of colleges and universities. This information is meant to provide a sampling of the scoring and placement information related to the AP English Language exam. AP placement guidelines change frequently at colleges, so you'll want to check with the Registrar to get the most up-to-date information.

Many colleges and universities have a writing requirement, and a high score on the AP English Language exam will sometimes fulfill that requirement. Two of the schools in the table—Stanford and Reed—do not give any credit for the exam regardless of your test score.

AP English Language Scores and Placement

A Final Word About AP English Language and Composition

Even if you are applying to a university like Stanford that does not accept the Advanced Placement English Language exam for credit, the course still has value. For one, you'll develop important skills that will help you with writing in all of your college classes. Also, when you apply to colleges, the rigor of your high school classes is an important factor in the admissions equation. Nothing predicts future college success better than earning high grades in challenging college preparatory classes such as AP English Language.

To learn more specific information about the AP English Language and Composition class and exam, be sure to visit the official College Board website.