What is AP English?

Published

20 June 2026

Contents

You're picking next year's classes, and you see "AP English" on the list. Maybe your teacher is nudging you towards it. Maybe you've heard it would boost your college application. Either way, you want to know what you'd actually be signing up for before you commit.

AP English is made up of two separate courses: AP English Language and Composition, and AP English Literature and Composition. Both are year-long classes run by the College Board, ending in a May exam. They may sound similar, but they cover very different ground.

Key Takeaways

AP English is two separate College Board courses: AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang) and AP English Literature and Composition (AP Lit).
AP Lang focuses on rhetoric and non-fiction; AP Lit focuses on fiction, poetry, and close textual analysis.
Many US universities award credit or advanced placement for strong AP scores, though policies vary by institution. UK universities including Russell Group institutions increasingly accept AP scores too.
AP Lang has a lower pass rate, so it's statistically the harder of the two. Most students take one, but you can take both.

AP English at a glance

"AP" stands for Advanced Placement. It's a US programme run by the College Board, giving high school students a chance to take university-level classes and exams while they're still at school. Score well, and many universities will award you credit, meaning you can skip equivalent first-year classes when you arrive.

So, when asking "what is AP English?", the honest answer is that it depends which one you mean.

The College Board offers two distinct AP English courses, each with its own exam, focus, and skill set:

AP English Language and Composition (opens in a new tab) (often called AP Lang)
AP English Literature and Composition (opens in a new tab) (often called AP Lit)

You can take one or both, usually in different years. Most schools offer AP Lang in 11th grade and AP Lit in 12th, though this varies. International students at US-curriculum schools take them too, and they're recognised by universities around the world.

AP English Language and Composition explained

AP Lang is the rhetoric course. You'll read non-fiction texts (essays, speeches, articles, letters) and learn to dismantle how writers build arguments. The course wants you to notice elements such as word choice, structure, audience, evidence, tone.

The exam (opens in a new tab) is 3 hours and 15 minutes long. You'll face 45 multiple-choice questions in the first hour, then three essays in the remaining 2 hours and 15 minutes:

Synthesis essay – read several sources, then build your own argument using them
Rhetorical analysis essay – break down how an author achieves their purpose
Argument essay – defend, challenge, or qualify a claim using evidence

About 56% of students (opens in a new tab) passed AP Lang in 2023, which makes it one of the trickier humanities APs. The skills you build are useful across the board, though. Clear thinking, evidence-handling, and arguing on the page underpin university essays in subjects such as history, politics, sociology, and economics.

AP English Literature and Composition explained

AP Lit is the close-reading course. You'll read fiction, poetry, and drama (novels, short stories, sonnets, plays) and learn to analyse what makes literature work at the sentence level.

The exam (opens in a new tab) runs for 3 hours. Section one is 55 multiple-choice questions in an hour. Section two is three essays in 2 hours:

Poetry analysis essay – analyse a poem you've never seen
Prose analysis essay – analyse a prose passage you've never seen
Open-ended literary argument – argue an interpretation of a novel or play you've studied, working from memory with no text in front of you

The pass rate is higher than AP Lang at around 77% (opens in a new tab), but the work is denser. You'll read more, you'll memorise more, and you'll write from memory in that final essay. AP Lit suits students heading into English, comparative literature, or other humanities-led degrees.

AP Lang vs AP Lit: which one should you take?

If you're choosing one over the other, focus on what you actually enjoy reading. AP Lang rewards students who like current affairs writing, such as opinion columns, speeches, journalism, and essays. AP Lit rewards students who light up when reading novels and poems and want to explore how they're constructed.

Here's a quick comparison:

	AP English Language	AP English Literature
Texts	Non-fiction, speeches, essays	Fiction, poetry, drama
Core skill	Rhetorical analysis	Close literary analysis
Reading volume	Moderate	Heavy
2023 pass rate	56%	77%
Best for	Future law, journalism, social sciences students	Future English and humanities students

A few practical considerations. AP Lang is statistically harder, but AP Lit demands more memorisation. Neither is "easy." If your school offers both, you'll usually take Lang first in 11th grade and Lit in 12th, because Lang sets up the analytical skills that make Lit easier. Taking both at once is possible but heavy. Most students space them out.

For a deeper breakdown of the differences, our AP English Language vs Literature guide walks through each section side by side.

How AP English fits into university applications

For US universities, a 4 or 5 on either exam usually earns credit for first-year English. That can save you tuition money and let you skip into more advanced classes. Some schools accept a 3 for credit, others want a 5, so always check each college's individual AP credit policy (opens in a new tab).

UK universities increasingly accept AP scores in place of or alongside A Levels. Many Russell Group universities accept AP scores as part of their entry requirements, often asking for three AP scores at grades 4 or 5, though requirements vary by institution and course. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and LSE typically expect 5s. UCL and most other research universities accept a mix of 4s and 5s.

AP English Literature and AP English Language cover many of the same analytical skills developed in A Level English courses, although AP qualifications are structured differently from A Levels. It carries similar weight in admissions, though UK universities sometimes ask for specific AP score combinations, so it's worth checking each course page.

If you're juggling AP and IB, our guide to whether you can take IB and AP at the same time covers what's manageable and what isn't.

Where AP English is taught and how to prepare

Most students take AP English at a US high school, but it is also available in international schools that follow the US curriculum. A growing number of UK schools also offer AP alongside A Levels. You can even self-study and sit the exam as an independent candidate.

Preparation looks the same whichever course you're taking. Read widely and read closely. AP Lit students should build a personal text bank, with two or three novels and a few poems you know inside out for the open-ended essay. AP Lang students should read opinion writing from a range of viewpoints to develop their rhetorical ears.

Practise timed essays from early on in the course. Both exams hinge on writing clearly under pressure, so aim for at least one timed essay a week from January onwards. Use past papers too. The College Board releases free-response questions from previous years, and you can check your answers against released scoring guidelines.

For the full content breakdown and topic-by-topic prep advice, our AP English Language and Composition Topics guide goes deeper. If you're juggling exam prep alongside other subjects, how to make an AP study schedule and how to self-study AP exam are good places to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AP English hard?

It depends which one. AP Lang sits among the tougher humanities APs, with a 55% pass rate in 2023. AP Lit has a higher pass rate at around 72%, but a heavier reading load and a final essay you'll write from memory. The skills are demanding either way, but they're skills you can build with consistent practice.

Should I take AP English Language or AP English Literature?

Take AP Lang if you want a skill set that transfers into law, journalism, politics, or social sciences. Take AP Lit if you love reading novels and poetry and you're heading into English or another humanities degree. If you have no strong preference, AP Lang is the safer pick because the analytical writing skills carry further.

Can you take both AP English Language and AP English Literature?

Yes. Most US students who take both will do AP Lang in 11th grade and AP Lit in 12th. Many schools recommend taking them in separate years, because of the significant workload. If you're self-studying, you can sit both exams in the same May testing window, but plan for serious prep time on each.

Do UK universities accept AP English scores?

Yes. Russell Group universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, LSE, and UCL accept AP scores for undergraduate entry, usually asking for three APs at 4 or 5. AP English Literature is the closer analogue to A Level English Literature, while AP English Language maps onto A Level English Language and Literature. Check each university's AP credit and entry-requirements pages before applying, because requirements vary by course.

Whichever course you choose, AP English rewards consistent practice and clear, structured writing. Save My Exams has AP English Language and Composition revision content, past-paper practice, and examiner-written notes to help you walk into May prepared.

Start improving your grades today.