Do I need to have read specific books before starting?

No specific reading list is required to begin. Lessons work with excerpts provided within the course, and the analytical skills practiced apply to whatever full-length works a student's own class may be studying.

How is this different from AP English Language and Composition?

AP English Literature and Composition focuses on interpreting fiction, poetry, and drama, while AP English Language and Composition focuses on analyzing nonfiction and building rhetorical arguments. The two exams test different reading and writing skills.

How much writing practice is included?

The course includes both short, focused analytical exercises and full-length timed essay practice, so students can build interpretive skills gradually before working under exam conditions.

AP Exam Preparation

AP English Literature and Composition

High school students preparing for the AP English Literature and Composition exam.

AP English Literature and Composition asks students to read fiction, poetry, and drama closely and write essays that interpret how literary elements create meaning. This course organizes lessons around the major skills the exam requires: analyzing character, structure, and figurative language, and building arguments supported by specific textual evidence. Lessons work through excerpts from a range of literary styles and periods so students practice applying the same analytical habits to unfamiliar texts. Writing practice builds gradually from short analytical responses to full essays.

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Suitability: Typically taken in grade 12, for students age 13 and older.
Delivery format: 100% online, self-paced with scheduled live webinars
Modules: 7
Practice activities: Included
Mock examinations: Included
Instructor webinars: Included

Course modules

Each lesson pairs a literary excerpt with guided questions that model how to move from observation to interpretation, then asks students to practice that same process on a new passage. Students work through lessons at their own pace and can revisit any excerpt or concept as needed.

Close reading of prose fiction

Analyzing character, narration, and structure in fiction excerpts.

Poetry analysis

Interpreting how word choice, imagery, and form contribute to meaning in poems.

Drama and literary structure

Examining plot, conflict, and character development within dramatic texts.

Literary argument essays

Constructing a defensible interpretive thesis supported by specific textual evidence.

Figurative language and tone

Identifying devices such as symbolism, imagery, and tone and explaining their effect.

Comparative and thematic analysis

Connecting themes and techniques across different texts and literary periods.

Essay planning and revision

Organizing evidence, refining thesis statements, and tightening analytical writing.

Practice format

Practice activities include short passage-based analysis exercises and essay-planning templates, giving students structured ways to build an interpretation before writing a full response.

Mock exam format

Mock examinations are structured to reflect the general format and pacing of the real AP English Literature and Composition exam, including multiple-choice passage questions and timed literary analysis essays.

Webinar format

Weekly live webinars led by an AP English Literature Instructor walk through sample passages and essay strategies, with opportunities for students to ask questions about specific texts.

Written questions

Students can submit questions about a text, an essay, or general course material through the platform at any time and receive responses through private platform messages, without needing to appear on camera.