AP English Literature is one of the most popular Advanced Placement courses. The exam covers important literary works from a range of genres, periods and cultures. The test has a one-hour multiple-choice section and a two-hour free-response writing section. In 2011, nearly 368,000 students took the exam and earned a mean score of 2.81. Many colleges and universities have a composition and/or literature requirement, so a high score on the AP English Literature exam will often fulfill one of these requirements.
The chart below provides some representative data from a variety of colleges and universities. This information is meant to provide a general overview of the scoring and placement information related to the AP English Literature exam. For schools not listed below, you'll need to look on the college's website or contact the appropriate Registrar's office to get AP placement information.
The distribution of scores for the AP English Literature exam is as follows (2011 test administration):
- 5 - 8.4%
- 4 - 17.8%
- 3 - 31%
- 2 - 32.1%
- 1 - 10.7%
For more information on AP classes and exams, check out these articles:
To learn more specific information about the AP English Literature exam, be sure to visit the official College Board website.| AP English Literature Scores and Placement | ||
| College | Score Needed | Placement Credit |
| Hamilton College | 4 or 5 | Placement into some 200-level courses; 2 credits for score of 5 and B- or higher in a 200-level course |
| Grinnell College | 5 | ENG 120 |
| LSU | 3, 4 or 5 | ENGL 1001 (3 credits) for a 3; ENGL 1001 and 2025 or 2027 or 2029 or 2123 (6 credits) for a 4; ENGL 1001, 2025 or 2027 or 2029 or 2123, and 2000 (9 credits) for a 5 |
| Mississippi State University | 3, 4 or 5 | EN 1103 (3 credits) for a 3; EN 1103 and 1113 (6 credits) for a 4 or 5 |
| Notre Dame | 4 or 5 | First Year Composition 13100 (3 credits) |
| Reed College | 4 or 5 | 1 credit; no placement |
| Stanford University | - | No credit for AP English Literature |
| Truman State University | 3, 4 or 5 | ENG 111 Introduction to the Short Story (3 credits) |
| UCLA (School of Letters and Science) | 3, 4 or 5 | 8 credits and entry writing requirement for a 3; 8 credits, entry writing requirement and English Comp Writing I requirement for a 4 or 5 |
| Yale University | 5 | 2 credits; ENGL 114a or b, 115a or b, 116b, 117b |
