Customer Reviews

5 Steps to a 5 AP English Language, Second Edition (5 Steps to a 5 on the Ap English Language Exam)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used this book this summer in a prep course our district has designed to give students a boost going into AP Language and Composition as their first AP course. I found Part III, the comprehensive review, to be most helpful in preparing students to use the skills needed for analysis, argument, and synthesis. AP exam multiple-choice questions are easy to find, but I like that this book offers something more: a comprehensive overview of the essays and the literary/rhetorical terms and a clear outline of the body of knowledge needed to approach the exam successfully. I also trust Murphy and Rankin as experienced AP teachers and exam readers. My students were not bored, and went into their AP courses feeling confident.

The book was basically helpful though it wasn't enough in and of itself to get me a five.
Pros:
It made me feel more comfortable and got me used to the organization and structure of the exam, as it was jam-packed with "strategies." It also had a practice test with real past exam questions.
Cons:
Students should read this book with previous knowledge of most of these subjects. It teaches you how to approach the questions and how to answer the questions they give, but it still leaves you drawing a blank on the actual exam questions which you've never seen before.

I got a 5 on the exam, but I did outside preparation.

Conclusion: Good as a source, but not as the only studying vehicle.

I have to say that I bought this book knowing NOTHING about the AP Language course. I had a teacher who had taught one year previously and who had told me I had a 40/60 chance of PASSING the exam. Meaning...40% that I would get a 3 and 60% that I would get a 2 or a 1. However, I used 5 Steps for the essay portion and saw really, realistically, what an 8 or a 9 essay could look like in the time allotted. I didn't go through the readings too much but I did note that there was not a lot of archaic prose included which concerned me a bit. Though I did successfully learn how to annotate from this book which helped me through.

However, in following this book and writing 3 prompts from it, comparing it to student samples (high range and mid range essays), and evaluating myself, I am happy to say that I was awarded a grade of 5 by the CollegeBoard this year for the AP Language and Composition exam.
The book can feel overly simplistic at times however concepts are explained and are crystal clear. I also recommend the 5 Steps to a 5 How to Write an Essay for AP English as it includes methods of analyzing and deconstructing a prompt further.

I owe it to 5 Steps for my 5 - truly.

Wow this IS WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! These are the reasons why you should get this product:
1. It is very easy to understand the concepts
2. The book has pre-test to see where you are now and a post-test to see where you would be after going over the lessons
3. The book is broken down into how much time you have to study from 6months until the AP exam to "Oh my goodness I only have a week!!!"
4. The book explains how to narrow your choices down and which ones are dead give aways
5. The book is light weight and can be carried anywhere
6. I used it and got a 5 on the AP exam

i got the book march 22nd, while it was supposed to arrive between march 24th and april 8th. Awesome, right? And the book, supposed to be "Used - very good" as condition, was kind of brand new!!I mean, i got this book for half price and nobody ever wrote on it!! Great job! :DD

As I haven't taken the English language AP exam yet (i'm a high-school junior), I don't know how effective this workbook is compared to the difficulty of the test, but I looked through it and started working on it a little, and it's very neat (and thin)..

My mom got me this book for my birthday instead of Halo ODST. I was mad, but when I picked it up, it turned to be extremely useful. It has an incredible summary on the back of the book. 2 minutes before the test, I read it and skimmed the book. I ended up with a 6. They actually gave me an extra point because of my meticulous writing and perfect multiple choice. I now teach English at my local community college. I went from a 17 year old kid playing video games, to an 18 year old professor of English. If I can do it, you can do it too.




PS. I just ordered the book, looking forward to reading it. This is the English book right?