AP® English

Two AP® Exams. One Course. One Year.

Most programs make students choose: AP® Language one year, AP® Literature the next. That’s two years and two courses to earn both credits. We do it in one — and it’s College Board approved. Our AP® English course prepares students for both the AP® English Language and Composition exam and the AP® English Literature and Composition exam in a single 30-week course. Students can take both exams at the end of the year, earning up to 12 college credits instead of 6. And here’s what surprises most families: it’s not twice the work. The daily workload is 1.5–2 hours, or about 8–10 hours per week — the same as any single AP® English course. The difference is in how the material is taught, not how much there is.

How It Works

AP® Language and AP® Literature aren’t as separate as most programs treat them. Literary analysis and rhetorical analysis are two lenses on the same texts — and when you teach them together, students develop a deeper, more connected understanding of both.

Here’s an example. In our Political Literature unit, students spend three weeks immersed in a single rich topic:

• They read The Crucible by Arthur Miller, analyzing its literary elements — character, allegory, theme, dramatic structure (AP® Lit)
• Then they dig into the historical context: McCarthyism. They read a speech by Joseph McCarthy and Edward R. Murrow’s famous response, analyzing each for rhetorical techniques and comparing their persuasive effectiveness (AP® Lang)
• They analyze six political cartoons by Herb Block, examining visual rhetoric and presenting their analysis in discussion with classmates (AP® Lang)
• Then they return to The Crucible with new eyes — exploring how Miller uses rhetoric and politics within the play itself, with film clips for visual analysis
• Throughout, students connect everything to How to Read Literature Like a Professor and Everything’s an Argument — building a framework they’ll use all year

By the end of three weeks, students haven’t just checked boxes for two separate exams. They’ve developed a genuine depth of understanding — of McCarthyism, of political rhetoric, of how literature responds to its moment in history — that a split-course approach simply can’t match.

Every unit works this way. Literature and rhetoric are woven together throughout the year, with texts chosen specifically to serve both exams. Students practice every essay style that appears on both AP® exams at least five times over the course of the year, and they complete two full practice exams.

What Makes This Different from Other AP® English Classes

• Two exams, one course, same workload. 8–10 hours per week — not 16–20. The pedagogy is smarter, not heavier.
• College Board approved. This isn’t a workaround. The College Board verifies that combination courses meet the standards for both exams.
• Daily coach engagement. Like all Write from the Heart annual classes, students work inside an interactive classroom with a coach present every day — not a weekly lecture.
• Peer discussion and collaboration. Students engage with each other’s analysis in discussion boards and peer workshops throughout every unit.
• Practice that builds real readiness. Every AP® essay style is practiced repeatedly throughout the year. By exam time, students have written each type at least five times. Two full practice exams — one for Language, one for Literature — ensure students know exactly what to expect.

Your Student’s Instructor

Our instructor, Veldorah Rice, has extensive training and accreditations in AP® English instruction, including specialized training through UCLA and La Roche College in both AP® English Literature and Composition and AP® English Language and Composition.