Hi,
So I had been in prep English throughout my entire high school career. I took prep English in the first semester of my senior year and I could not stand the teacher. So, in search of a more competent teacher and in hopes of preparing for university-level English I switched into AP English Lit for my second (current) semester.
I am seeking advice in whether I should take the AP Lit exam? So far, the only book I have read this entire school year is Heart of Darkness and I am also wondering if it is crucial to have read many books before to be successful on the exam. English is also not my strong suit, hence why I only took prep before, but if I have the chance of passing the exam with a 4 with my lack of AP/honors English knowledge, taking the test may be something of interest to me.
I will also be taking the AP Stats, AP Gov, AP Econ, and AP Bio exams, so you can see what else I have to balance in studying for testing month in May.
Please leave any suggestions and advice; I will greatly appreciate it 
There’s no downside to taking it unless your time is too precious or the fee is onerous. @CoughingClouds
Essay Question #3 on the AP Lit exam requires you to answer a prompt about a general theme, like deception or family relationships, by explaining its presence and significance in a novel or play with “literary merit” of your choosing. The test will list some examples of books you might choose (but don’t have to) under the prompt.
Heart of Darkness is regularly listed and an excellent book to write about. However, you should probably also read and study at least 1-2 more books before the test, in case the prompt does not fit Heart of Darkness (you could try to make it fit, but your essay might suffer for it). The Great Gatsby, for example, is relatively short, enjoyable, rich in symbolism and themes, and often listed on the AP test – you can apply it to practically any and every prompt. King Lear is a play that has been listed A LOT by the College Board over the years.
If you do decide to take the AP test, some ways to be successful are to answer a lot (a LOT) of multiple choice questions for practice and to at least analyze a LOT of free response Q1 and Q2 prompts, even if you don’t write the essay for all of them. You should also practice both sections timed, and perhaps ask your AP Lit teacher to grade your essays on the AP 0-9 scale. Of course, you’ll probably work on multiple choice and free response in class and read and analyze literature that you can use for Q3, but if not, you can do that on your own too.
If you don’t mind dropping the money to take it, do it. It will definitely be harder though since you don’t have much experience with how ap English works. You also will have more trouble than others on the third essay because you haven’t been exposed to much.