Cliffsnotes AP English Language and Composition, 4th Edition

This book has to be the most concise, straightforward review out there. I was a freshman when I took AP English online, and I know that without this book, I would not have gotten a 5 on the AP exam! The sample tests are realistic and great preparation for the actual exam. Simply put...the creators of this book have realized that AP review does not need to be lengthy or intimidating; it needs to be effective. I strongly, strongly recommend CiffsAP for English Language and Composition! No other brand does it better!

I had a really bad experience with my AP Lang class; the teacher never did anything relevant to the AP exam, and all we did was read novels and put together scrapbooks that somehow related to the books. When May arrived, I knew that I was in trouble, and I borrowed this book from my library, and I absolutely attribute my 5 on the exam to it. The practice questions are extremely similar to the real thing, and the explanations are in the right line of thinking that you have to bring the exam in order to do well, and that's all that this exam is about, just how you think. The essay samples are also really well evaluated, and the book offers a glossary on literary terms that you'll have to know. The book is good for quick preparation (I literally had a little over a week with this book) and long-term practice (which is what I wish I had done instead of freaking out a week beforehand). This is definitely the book to get!

I used the the first edition of this book with my students for years and the newly-updated edition is even better than before! VERY practical advice and REAL examples from the author's students, so it's not some adult trying to be a teenager. Don't let the Cliff's title fool you--this is quality instruction from an experienced educator!

This book is definitely the only book necessary for the AP English Language and Composition exam. Especially important for the multiple choice section of the exam, is knowledge of literary term definitions. This book has a short section devoted to clear and coherent definitions of such terms. The other part of the exam consists of writing three essays. While a book cannot teach how to write, this book does an excellent job of helping the test-taker understand what the essay question is asking, and how to answer it. Each essay question is followed by sample essays, and explanations of how each was scored. This book is absolutely essential for the exam, and it helped me get a 5.

This book was a requirement for my AP Class last year. Throughout the year, my class worked with the book as our main tool for studying for the AP Exam. Although the sample tests are not EXACTLY like the real test, they are the closest questions in terms of type and difficulty than any other review book out there, including Barrons and the like. I highly recommend this book if you are taking the AP Eng. Lang & Comp test. Purchasing other review books in addition to this would be helpful, but purchasing any other review book INSTEAD of this one is a mistake.