<p>My son is not currently in any AP Eng class but he is taking a 1 semester Advanced Comp class. His teacher said that although the class is not designated AP, it does cover much of what is tested.</p>
<p>He's not a great writer...and English is not his best subject although he did get 29 on ACT English portion (8 on writing). He is an avid reader so perhaps he could do well with AP Lit? </p>
<p>The goal is to get a "4" on either AP Lit or AP Lang. Any advice as to whether he should take both tests in the hopes of getting at least a 4 on one of them or should he only take one of the two - and focus on self-studying for that one AP test? Is one considered easier than the other?</p>
<p>What grade is your son in? Personally, I took AP Lit junior year and AP Lang senior year. Lang is more equivalent to the sort of writing and composition he will be doing in college classes. Both of the classes require lots of outside reading, Lit especially. If he is a junior and he only has one more year of high school, I would recommend Language unless he feels comfortable taking both. His Composition background will definitely help him in Lang, which is more creative/original writing-intensive than Lit.
If he is a sophomore/freshman, however, by all means take both, one after the other. What’s the worst that could happen?</p>
<p>In terms of college credit, each university is different. At Binghamton, for example, Language gets you elective credit and Literature actually fulfills a gen ed requirement, although from what I understand that is by no means a universal standard.</p>
<p>I received a 5 on Literature last year and have maintained a high 90s average this year in Language, so if you ever have any questions about either of the courses, or about AP in general, please feel free to send me a personal message!</p>
<p>Sorry…I didn’t state that clearly. He is a senior and needs a 4 on either the AP Lit or AP Lang test. He does not have the opportunity to take any more classes - just trying to figure out which of the two tests he should try to take. He needs a 4 on one or the other to place out of freshman comp at UA.</p>
<p>Oh, you mean self-study, got it. Well in that case I would recommend Language. Get a good review book or two, and concentrate on how to write each of the three essays (Analysis, Synthesis, and Argument). Practice tests always help for the MC, too.</p>