I am taking AP Lit in May and there also happens to be a Lit subject test as well in May. Are the tests similar? I brought a prep book for both and I’m not sure on how to prep for both. My teacher is one of the most inadequate teachers I’ve encountered.
My understanding has always been that the SAT Subject Tests are more basic than the AP tests. The AP test has FRQs and M/C but the SAT Subject Test is only M/C.
Different people excel at different tests. Personally I did a lot better on the SAT subject (790) than the Ap (4). If you write well under pressure the AP has material that is more simple and less broad in scope however, if you can’t write well constructed essays under time constraints the SAT subject is easier. For both a good teacher can make a huge difference. To compensate for lack of proper education I would advise to try to read as many books which appear on the AP reading list on you’re own. Also, have you taken the SATs? The lit subject test is considered to be similar to a harder version of the CR section. If you did not perform well on the CR section of the SAT than lit would be quite difficult.
My kids tell me that the material is not exactly the same. So after taking the AP exam of subject X in early May, they use the rest of the month of May to then study the SAT Subject prep book for subject X – just in time to take the SAT Subject test in early June. When my kid didn’t do this for one of the subjects, he was unhappily surprised.