AP English Literature study plan

AP English Literature · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Section I: Multiple Choice

Annotate two prose passages per session to identify speaker, tone, and central contrast
Classify every multiple-choice question stem you encounter by skill type (diction, structure, tone, inference)
Define 20 high-frequency literary terms and match each to a concrete example from a passage you read
Time yourself on a 12-question prose passage set and record your accuracy by skill type

A skill-type accuracy log covering three full prose multiple-choice passages, with error categories labeled

Week 2

Analyze how syntax and punctuation shape meaning in four poetry passages
Distinguish literal statement from figurative implication in each stanza you read
Practice eliminating answer choices that overreach or misattribute the speaker's attitude
Write one-sentence justifications for the correct answer on 20 poetry questions

Twenty written justifications tying each correct poetry answer to specific textual evidence

Week 3

Compare two passages on a shared theme and articulate the shift in perspective between them
Draft a defensible thesis for a poetry prompt in under 10 minutes
Select three pieces of quoted evidence per thesis and explain how each supports the claim
Review scoring guidelines to identify what separates upper- from mid-range analysis

Three timed thesis-plus-evidence outlines for poetry free-response prompts

Week 4

Compose a full poetry analysis essay in 40 minutes without notes
Integrate short quotations smoothly rather than dropping them in as standalone sentences
Revise one essay to cut plot summary and replace it with interpretive commentary
Self-score your essay against the analytic rubric and name your two weakest criteria

One complete timed poetry essay plus a marked-up revision and self-scored rubric

Week 5

Write a prose analysis essay that addresses how a passage's structure produces its effect
Practice opening paragraphs that state a complex, arguable claim rather than a summary
Build commentary that connects each device to meaning rather than merely naming it
Complete a timed 40-minute prose essay and annotate every sentence that is summary rather than analysis

One timed prose analysis essay with a self-audit marking each summary-versus-analysis sentence

Week 6

Construct a defensible thesis for an open-response prompt using a work you know deeply
Prepare detailed evidence from two literary works, including specific scenes and quotations
Adapt a single work to three different open-prompt framings to test flexibility
Draft and time a full open-response essay in 40 minutes

An evidence sheet for two works plus one timed open-response essay

Week 7

Complete a full timed multiple-choice section and analyze every miss by skill type
Write all three free-response essays back-to-back under exam time limits
Identify recurring errors across both sections and rank them by frequency
Rehearse a 5-minute planning routine you can reuse for any free-response prompt

A full mock exam (both sections) with a ranked error-pattern report

Week 8

Re-drill your top three error patterns until accuracy improves on targeted practice
Refine a reusable essay template for planning, thesis, and commentary
Complete one final timed section of each type at exam pace
Finalize a test-day pacing plan with time checkpoints for each section

A one-page test-day pacing and strategy sheet plus a final timed practice set with before-and-after accuracy

Week 2: Score at least 70% on a timed prose-and-poetry multiple-choice set and show error categories logged for every miss

Week 4: Produce a 40-minute poetry essay that earns upper-half self-scoring on thesis and evidence, with no more than two summary sentences

Week 6: Complete a timed open-response essay with a clearly defensible thesis and at least three integrated quotations

Week 7: Finish a full mock exam within time limits and identify the three most frequent error types across both sections

Week 8: Demonstrate measurable accuracy gains on targeted drills and complete a final timed set at exam pace with a written pacing plan