Section 1 - Multiple Choice Questions

45% of The Exam

45 Questions - 1 Hour (1 Hour 30 Minutes for 1.5x extended time accommodation)

• 23-25 Reading Questions (Analysis)

• 20-22 Writing Questions (Revision)

Section 2 - Free Response Question

55% of The Exam

3 Questions (Essays) - 2 hours and 15 minutes (~ 3 hours and 20 minutes for 1.5x extended time accommodation)

• Synthesis

• Rhetorical Analysis

• Argument

Synthesis Essay

You will receive 6-7 sources, either texts or visuals, and you have to use at least 3 of them.

Organize this essay by supporting reason. 1 paragraph per supporting reason.

Example prompts:

• Take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that television has had a positive impact on presidential elections.

• Develop your position on the extend to which rewilding initiatives are worthwhile for urban areas to pursue

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

You will receive a passage in which you must analyze the rhetorical choices in the passage and how they contribute to the authors overall purpose.

Organize this essay based on shifts in the passage. 1 paragraph per shift.

Example Prompts

• Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey her message about her expectations and hope for young people in the United States.

Argument Essay

You will receive a prompt and must argue a position on that prompt. There is often a quote creating a claim and you argue whether you agree to disagree. The quote itself often isn’t important, and DO NOT use it as evidence. The idea behind the quote is important

Organize this essay based on supporting reasons for your argument. 1 paragraph per supporting reason. (X idea is unethical because [reason], [reason], and [reason])

Example Prompts

• In a 2016 interview published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Maxine Hong Kingston, an award-winning writer famous for her novels depicting the experiences of Chinese immigrants in the United States, stated: “I think that individual voices are not as strong as a community of voices. If we can make a community of voices, then we can speak more truth.”

  Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Kingston’s claim about the importance of creating a community of voices is valid.

• In a 2018 interview about the importance of collaboration, then United States Representative Carlos Curbelo stated: “If you’re trying to convince someone that they need to get involved in an issue or perhaps change their thinking on an issue, trying to scare them is not always effective and can actually sow1 resentment.”

  Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Curbelo’s claim about persuading others is valid.

Advice for the Complexity Point

Address a counterargument and refute it. Be specific on the argument and who is arguing it, “some may argue” is not sufficient. Using one of the sources as an example/explanation of the counterargument can be even better.

Address the Rhetorical Situation. From my understanding, this means the context of the argument. What caused this to be a debate? What factors may influence the reasons certain people may take a certain position? Generalizations like “Since the dawn of time” or “as long as anyone can remember” are not sufficient, be specific about the development of this debate.

Discuss the nuance of an issue. Is there really a “correct answer?” Is there information that is currently not know that may shed light on this issue? (Ex: scientific information)