You have four weeks until the AP English Literature exam. This plan builds from foundations (literary terminology) to fluency (timed essays) across four progressive weeks.
Time per day: 60-90 minutes. Two essay-writing days per week. By week 4, you'll have written 8+ complete FRQ essays.
Week 1: Literary devices and close-reading foundations
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poetry sound (alliteration, meter) | Poetry imagery (metaphor, symbol) | Prose narration (POV, voice) | Prose character (direct/indirect) | Drama structure (conflict, irony) | FRQ 1 practice (poetry) + self-grade | Review device glossary |
| 60 min drill | 60 min drill | 60 min drill | 60 min drill | 60 min drill | 50 min essay | 30 min glossary |
Monday: Poetry sound (60 min)
- Read: alliteration, assonance, meter, iambic pentameter, enjambment, caesura
- Practice: Annotate a 12-16 line poem; mark sound devices; answer 10 MCQs
- Output: Device glossary (you'll build this all month)
Tuesday: Poetry imagery (60 min)
- Read: metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, symbol
- Practice: Compare two poems on the same theme (love, death, nature); find one device in each; answer 10 MCQs
- Add to glossary
Wednesday: Prose narration (60 min)
- Read: point of view (1st person, 3rd limited, omniscient, unreliable), voice, stream of consciousness
- Practice: Read a prose passage; identify POV; find one moment of indirect characterization; answer 10 MCQs
- Add to glossary
Thursday: Prose character (60 min)
- Read: static vs. dynamic, motivation, foil, archetype
- Practice: Compare two characters from different passages; trace how each is revealed indirectly; answer 10 MCQs
- Add to glossary
Friday: Drama structure (60 min)
- Read: dramatic irony, tragic flaw, soliloquy, act/scene structure, rising action, climax
- Practice: Read a dramatic excerpt; identify one example of dramatic irony; answer 10 MCQs
- Add to glossary
Saturday: FRQ 1 practice (50 min essay)
- Write a complete poetry analysis essay (40 min)
- Self-grade against rubric (10 min)
- Score goal: 3-4 points (you're just learning)
Sunday: Glossary review (30 min)
- Skim all devices from the week; quiz yourself on 20 terms
- Prepare for week 2
Week 2: Multiple-choice mastery and first prose essay
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCQ passage 1 (poetry) | MCQ passage 2 (poetry) | MCQ passage 3 (prose) | MCQ passage 4 (prose) | MCQ passage 5 (drama) | FRQ 2 practice (prose) + grade | Reflect on MCQ patterns |
| 60 min | 60 min | 60 min | 60 min | 60 min | 50 min | 30 min |
Monday–Friday: Full-passage MCQ drills
- Each day: read 1 passage, answer all questions (8-13 questions), check answers, review one wrong answer
- Mark patterns: What trap answer types do you fall for? (Too broad, too specific, uses passage words deceptively, misreads tone)
Saturday: FRQ 2 practice (50 min)
- Write a prose analysis essay (40 min)
- Grade using rubric (10 min)
- Score goal: 4-5 points
Sunday: Reflection (30 min)
- How many MCQs are you getting right? Aim for 70%+ on passages you review carefully
- Which wrong answers do you choose most? Jot a personal trap note (e.g., "I choose the answer that sounds literary even if it doesn't match the passage")
Week 3: Essay writing fluency and open argument practice
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works to know: 3 novels (read summaries) | Works to know: 2 plays (read summaries) | MCQ full section (33 Q, 30 min) | MCQ full section (22 Q, 30 min) | Thesis writing workshop (60 min) | Full mock: 3 FRQs timed | Grade & revise |
| 60 min | 60 min | 30 min | 30 min | 60 min | 120 min | 60 min |
Monday & Tuesday: Memorize works
- Read summaries of The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Beloved (Mon)
- Read summaries of The Crucible, Hamlet (Tue)
- For each: one key theme, one symbolic element, one memorable scene
- Build a one-page reference card (character names, plot arc, symbols)
Wednesday & Thursday: MCQ sections
- Practice full 55-question section on Wed morning (60 min); check answers
- Practice full 55-question section on Thu morning (60 min); check answers
- Track your performance: moving toward 70%?
Friday: Thesis writing workshop (60 min)
- Weak thesis: "In The Great Gatsby, Daisy represents the American Dream."
- Strong thesis: "Fitzgerald uses Daisy Buchanan not as an ideal but as a symbol of the American Dream's moral corruption—her careless beauty masks a hollow, destructive character."
- Write 5 theses for different works/prompts; get feedback from teacher or peer if possible
- Understand: specificity, device, effect, and argument
Saturday: Full mock (120 min)
- Complete exam: 55 MCQs (60 min) + all 3 FRQs (120 min)
- Write under timed conditions
Sunday: Grading & revision (60 min)
- Grade all three FRQs against rubric
- Rewrite the weakest one
- Compare original to revision: What improved?
Week 4: Timed practice, last essays, and review
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence + commentary drills (60 min) | FRQ 1 timed essay + grade | FRQ 2 timed essay + grade | FRQ 3 timed essay + grade | Full mock exam (180 min) | Last-minute review + sleep | EXAM DAY |
| 60 min | 60 min | 60 min | 60 min | 180 min | 45 min | Test |
Monday: Evidence + commentary drills (60 min)
- Read three short passages (1-2 pages each)
- For each, write one body paragraph: quote + device + effect + connection to theme
- Practice clarity and concision; each paragraph should be 4-6 sentences max
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: FRQ essays (3 × 60 min)
- Tuesday: FRQ 1 poetry (40 min essay + 10 min grade + 10 min notes)
- Wednesday: FRQ 2 prose (40 min essay + 10 min grade + 10 min notes)
- Thursday: FRQ 3 open essay on a memorized work (40 min essay + 10 min grade + 10 min notes)
- For each: score goal is now 5-6 points
Friday: Full mock (180 min)
- 60 min MCQ + 120 min all 3 FRQs
- Simulate exam conditions: same room, no phone, timer, full focus
- Grade same day or next morning
Saturday: Final review (45 min)
- Skim the last-minute review: devices, thesis templates, common traps
- Review your personal trap notes (the specific mistakes you make)
- Get 8-9 hours of sleep
Sunday: Exam day
- Eat breakfast, bring ID and calculator (for timing)
- Trust your preparation — you've written essays all month
Score targets by week
- Week 1: 2-4 points per essay (you're learning patterns)
- Week 2: 3-5 points per essay (device knowledge solidifying)
- Week 3: 4-5.5 points per essay (fluency building)
- Week 4: 5-6 points per essay (ready)
If you hit 5-6 point essays consistently by week 4, your exam performance will earn a 4-5 on the AP.
Need more guidance? See FRQ practice patterns and works to know cold.