You have one week until the AP English Literature exam. This plan prioritizes daily essay writing combined with targeted close-reading drills. You'll write four complete FRQ essays across the week and grade them against the official rubric.
Time commitment: 5-6 hours per day, including reading, practice, and revision.
Daily structure overview
| Day | Genre focus | MCQ drill | Essay assignment | Grading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Poetry, sound devices | 12-15 questions on 1-2 poems | (No essay — drills only) | N/A |
| Tue | Poetry, figurative language | 12-15 questions on 1-2 poems | FRQ 1 timed (40 min) | Self-grade vs. rubric |
| Wed | Prose, character & POV | 12-15 questions on 1 passage | (No essay — drills only) | N/A |
| Thu | Prose, setting & conflict | 12-15 questions on 1 passage | FRQ 2 timed (40 min) | Self-grade vs. rubric |
| Fri | Drama, structure & irony | 12-15 questions on 1 passage | (No essay — drills only) | N/A |
| Sat | Full-length mock | 55 questions, 60 min | All 3 FRQs timed (2 hrs) | Full feedback |
| Sun | Review & revise | None | Rewrite lowest-scoring FRQ | Compare to original |
Monday: Poetry sound devices (90 min drill + 60 min instruction)
Instruction (60 min)
- Meter, iambic pentameter, trochaic meter — what they sound like and why they matter
- Enjambment (line break creates surprise or emphasis) vs. end-stop (line break = natural pause)
- Alliteration (repeated initial consonant), assonance (repeated vowel sound), consonance (repeated consonant in middle or end)
- Rhyme scheme, slant rhyme, internal rhyme
- Caesura (slash mark ||, indicates pause; often marks a tonal or thematic shift)
Practice (90 min)
- Read a poem from released exams; annotate sound devices in margins
- Answer 12-15 MCQs on that poem; check answers
- Read a second poem; repeat
- Reflection: Which sound devices did questions test most? Meter, rhyme, or enjambment?
💡 Tip: Sound devices always serve a purpose. If the poem shifts from iambic pentameter to chaotic stress, ask: what is the speaker feeling at this moment?
Tuesday: Poetry FRQ 1 + figurative language deep-dive (60 min instruction + 50 min essay)
Instruction (60 min)
- Metaphor vs. simile vs. personification — know the difference cold
- Allusion — how it works (reference to something outside the poem), why it matters (it compresses meaning)
- Symbol — how an object becomes a symbol (repeated mention, thematic weight, emotional resonance)
- Irony: verbal (speaker says opposite of meaning), situational (outcome contradicts expectation), dramatic (reader knows what character doesn't)
Essay: FRQ 1 (40 min + 10 min quick self-grade)
- Prompt: Analyze how the poet uses figurative language to develop a theme
- Write a complete essay (intro + 2 body paragraphs + conclusion)
- Mark one body paragraph: does it name the device + explain the effect + connect to theme? If no, you lost points.
- Grade using FRQ rubric: thesis (1), evidence + commentary (4), sophistication (1)
Wednesday: Prose characterization & point of view (90 min drill + 60 min instruction)
Instruction (60 min)
- Direct characterization (author states traits) vs. indirect (shown through action, dialogue, appearance, relationships)
- First-person narrator (I/we) — limited perspective, often biased
- Third-person limited — stuck in one character's head
- Third-person omniscient — rare; god's-eye view
- Unreliable narrator — speaker's perception misleads reader (Poe, Kerouac, Nabokov use this)
Practice (90 min)
- Read a prose passage (300-400 words); identify the narrator's POV
- Highlight one indirect characterization detail (what action reveals about character, not what author tells you)
- Answer 12-15 MCQs; check answers
- Repeat with second passage
Thursday: Prose FRQ 2 + conflict & setting (60 min instruction + 50 min essay)
Instruction (60 min)
- Internal conflict (character vs. self) and external conflict (character vs. other, society, nature, fate)
- Setting: does it reflect character emotion (pathetic fallacy), reveal class/power dynamics, or constrain action?
- Foreshadowing — early hint that prepares reader for later event; always purposeful
- Structure: linear narrative vs. flashback vs. frame narrative vs. fragmented
Essay: FRQ 2 (40 min + 10 min quick self-grade)
- Prompt: Analyze how the author uses a literary technique (characterization, conflict, setting, structure) to convey meaning in this passage
- Write complete essay
- Grade using FRQ rubric
⚠️ Common mistake: Recount the plot ("The character learns a lesson") instead of analyzing technique ("The author's use of internal monologue reveals the character's painful self-awareness moment by moment").
Friday: Drama, structure & irony (90 min drill + 60 min instruction)
Instruction (60 min)
- Drama on the AP exam: usually Shakespeare or modern drama (Miller, Williams, Hansberry)
- Dramatic irony (audience knows something character doesn't) — creates tension and tragic effect
- Tragic flaw (hamartia) — the character's fatal weakness that leads to downfall
- Soliloquy vs. aside — direct address reveals inner thoughts
- Acts and scenes — how structure controls pacing and revelation
Practice (90 min)
- Read an extract from a play (often a key moment of decision or revelation)
- Identify whose perspective we're in and what they don't know (dramatic irony)
- Answer 12-15 MCQs; check answers
- Repeat with second extract
Saturday: Full-length mock exam (2 hrs 60 min essay + 60 min MCQ)
Morning: Timed section (60 min)
- 55 multiple-choice questions, no breaks
- Use released exam or Barron's practice test
- Mark questions you guessed on; review after
Afternoon: All 3 FRQs (120 min)
- FRQ 1: poetry analysis (40 min)
- FRQ 2: prose analysis (40 min)
- FRQ 3: open literary argument (40 min)
- Write under exam conditions (no phone, timer running, one seating)
Evening: Full grading session (90 min)
- Grade all three essays against official rubrics
- Calculate total: (# of MCQ correct × 1.09) + (total FRQ points × 3.24) out of 120
- Approximate conversion to 1-5 scale in review guide
Sunday: Revision & reflection (90 min)
- Rewrite your lowest-scoring FRQ (usually the one with the weakest thesis or thinnest commentary)
- Compare revised version to original — did you add more specific textual evidence? Did you name literary devices more precisely?
- Review notes from the week: which FRQ pattern tripped you up most? Which literary device questions appeared most often?
Pacing reminders
- 60 min MCQ = ~1 min per question. If a question takes 2 min, skip it and come back.
- 40 min FRQ = intro (3 min) + first body (12 min) + second body (12 min) + conclusion (5 min) + proofread (8 min). Write fast.
- Words per FRQ essay: aim for 350-500 words. Length doesn't equal points; specific evidence does.
If you're stuck mid-week
- Tired of essays? Do MCQ drills instead; it's different cognitive work.
- Your thesis feels weak? Write three alternate versions before you settle on one.
- Running out of time? Skip the second draft; focus on the first-draft fluency in Friday's drill.
You're building essay endurance and close-reading speed. By Saturday, your brain will have written enough practice essays to feel automatic on exam day.
Ready to go? Start Monday with poetry sound devices.