AP® English Literature and Composition Score Calculator

Swiftly and accurately compute your AP English Literature and Composition exam score with examples.com’s intuitive score calculator.

How AP English Literature and Composition Scores Are Calculated

The AP English Literature and Composition score is calculated based on a combination of multiple-choice and free-response sections. Here’s how each part contributes to the final score:

Multiple-Choice Section

• Weight: 45% of the total score.
• Format: Typically 55 questions.
• Scoring: Each correct answer earns one point. There is no penalty for incorrect answers.

Free-Response Section

• Weight: 55% of the total score.
• Format: Three essays (one analysis of a prose passage, one analysis of a poetry passage, and one open-ended essay based on a specific prompt).
• Scoring: Each essay is scored on a scale of 0 to 6 by experienced AP readers. The total points from all three essays are summed and converted to a scaled score.

Composite Score

• The multiple-choice and free-response scores are combined to form a composite score. This score is then converted to the AP’s 5-point scale.
• AP Score Scale:
  • 5: Extremely well qualified
  • 4: Well qualified
  • 3: Qualified
  • 2: Possibly qualified
  • 1: No recommendation

Example Calculation

Multiple-Choice Section

• Suppose a student correctly answers 40 out of 55 questions. The multiple-choice score would be: Multiple-Choice Score=4055×100≈72.73%\text{Multiple-Choice Score} = \frac{40}{55} \times 100 \approx 72.73\%Multiple-Choice Score=5540​×100≈72.73%

Free-Response Section

• If the student’s essays received scores of 5, 4, and 6, the total free-response score would be: Total Essay Score=5+4+6=15\text{Total Essay Score} = 5 + 4 + 6 = 15Total Essay Score=5+4+6=15

Composite Score

• The multiple-choice and free-response scores are converted to a composite score out of 150. Let’s assume the conversion factor is such that the multiple-choice section contributes 67.5 points and the free-response section contributes 82.5 points.
• Using the percentages:Multiple-Choice Contribution=72.73%×67.5≈49.13\text{Multiple-Choice Contribution} = 72.73\% \times 67.5 \approx 49.13Multiple-Choice Contribution=72.73%×67.5≈49.13 Free-Response Contribution=1518×82.5≈68.75\text{Free-Response Contribution} = \frac{15}{18} \times 82.5 \approx 68.75Free-Response Contribution=1815​×82.5≈68.75
• The composite score would be:Composite Score=49.13+68.75=117.88\text{Composite Score} = 49.13 + 68.75 = 117.88Composite Score=49.13+68.75=117.88

Final AP Score

• The composite score is then mapped to the AP 5-point scale. For example, a composite score of 117.88 might correspond to an AP score of 4.

Summary

The AP English Literature and Composition score is calculated through a combination of multiple-choice and essay scores. The multiple-choice section contributes 45%, while the free-response section contributes 55% to the final composite score, which is then converted to the AP’s 5-point scale.