Practice Test 2 - AP English Language and Composition

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

Read the following AP English Language–style argumentative passage, then answer the question. Colleges should reinstate standardized test requirements for admission. For years, universities claimed test-optional policies would broaden access, but the result has been confusion and, ironically, less transparency. Grades are not comparable across schools: an A in one district can reflect a completely different level of rigor than an A in another. A standardized exam, while imperfect, gives admissions offices a common reference point. Test scores also protect students from the hidden biases of "holistic" review. When applications lean heavily on essays, extracurriculars, and recommendation letters, students with expensive coaching and more free time gain an advantage. A test is a single Saturday morning, not a four-year performance of polish. Requiring it would discourage the arms race of résumé building and make admissions more straightforward. Critics insist tests are biased, yet abandoning them does not eliminate bias—it simply moves it into less measurable categories. If colleges truly want fairness, they should use tools that are consistent and comparable, not vague impressions. Reinstating test requirements would improve clarity, reduce subjectivity, and strengthen public trust in admissions. Which revision would best broaden the argument without diluting the author's position? Revise the sentence "A test is a single Saturday morning, not a four-year performance of polish."
Read the following passage and answer the question. A company I worked for announced "Unlimited Vacation," and the press release promised freedom and trust. After a year, however, most employees took fewer days off than before. That outcome is not mysterious: when time off has no explicit allotment, employees lose a clear signal of what is permitted. In the absence of a number, workers infer that the real limit is whatever the most anxious teammate will tolerate, because no one wants to be the person who "abuses" a benefit. The policy shifts vacation from a right into a negotiation, and negotiations are easier for the powerful than for the new hire. If leadership truly wants rest, it should set a minimum—say, three weeks—and require managers to schedule it. Paradoxically, a boundary can create more freedom than a slogan, because it turns permission into expectation. "Unlimited" sounds generous, but structure is what makes generosity usable. The author's reasoning supports the thesis by…
What is the main flaw in 'The study says so; therefore, the claim is true'?
Read the paragraph below from an argumentative essay about local journalism. Claim: Cities should fund nonprofit local newsrooms because they increase civic participation. Paragraph: After a nonprofit newsroom launched in one mid-sized city, the county election office reported that turnout in municipal primaries increased from 18% to 24% over two election cycles. The newsroom also published a weekly voter guide summarizing candidates' positions and explaining ballot measures in plain language. More people voted after the newsroom started publishing guides. Which sentence would most effectively be added after the bolded sentence to connect the evidence to the paragraph's claim? Bolded sentence: More people voted after the newsroom started publishing guides. Choose the best addition.
Read the following excerpt from a media critic: The streaming platform insists its newest "community guidelines" are designed to protect creators, but the document reads less like a shield than a net. Under the heading "harmful content," the rules collect everything from explicit threats to "insufficient context," a category so hazy it could swallow satire, news, or a teenager's bad joke. The company promises "consistent enforcement," yet its own transparency report is a curated scrapbook: glossy percentages, no case studies, and a footnote that quietly exempts "partner accounts." When a policy is written to be interpreted, and interpreted by the same people whose profits depend on it, the word "safety" begins to sound like branding. The word hazy helps establish a tone of…
Read the following excerpt from a workplace memo: Our company keeps announcing "new values" the way some people buy new planners in January: with the hope that a fresh cover will produce fresh habits. But values don't work like stationery. They work more like a thermostat than a poster—quietly setting the temperature of everyday decisions. When the thermostat is set low, no amount of motivational wallpaper will make the room warm; you have to adjust the system that actually controls heat. If we want collaboration, we must change what we reward, what we measure, and what we promote, not merely what we print in the lobby. Otherwise, we'll keep wondering why employees act like the incentives we gave them instead of the slogans we wrote. The comparison to a thermostat helps the author…
A newsletter column argues that households should reduce single-use plastics by choosing refillable products and buying in bulk. One sentence is difficult to follow because of excessive commas and a muddled list. Draft excerpt: The author emphasizes that small changes become meaningful when repeated weekly. To cut plastic, shoppers can bring jars, and cloth bags, and buy soap tablets, and refill detergent, at stores that offer bulk bins. Which revision best improves clarity while preserving original meaning?
Read the following excerpt from an internal newsletter at a manufacturing plant, where the safety director argues for pausing production for two hours each month for safety training and equipment checks. "I know the pressure we feel when orders stack up. Every minute the line is down, we picture an angry customer and a thinner bonus. But the last three 'minor' incidents weren't minor to the people who went home with stitches, sprains, and weeks of lost wages. When we skip inspections to 'save time,' we borrow against the next shift's hands and backs. A scheduled two-hour pause each month—training, lockout/tagout refreshers, and machine checks—will reduce unplanned stoppages that cost far more than a planned one. We pride ourselves on being professionals. Professionals don't gamble with predictable risks; they manage them." Which assumption about the audience underlies the author's argument?
A science teacher writes an article for parents defending the use of productive struggle in math class. The teacher cites class data showing that after switching from immediate answer keys to "hint ladders," the percentage of students who revised incorrect work rose from 28% to 61%. The teacher compares giving answers too quickly to "spotting a rock climber every inch of the wall: safe, yes, but you never build the grip," arguing that carefully calibrated challenge develops independence. Which explanation best accounts for the effectiveness of the comparison? A. The comparison is effective because it equates math mistakes with physical danger, proving that students should never be allowed to fail. B. The author's comparison works primarily by showing that teachers should remove all support, since climbers climb without help. C. The comparison is effective because it illustrates how excessive assistance can prevent skill development, supporting the claim that guided struggle strengthens students' problem-solving capacity. D. The comparison works primarily by claiming that grip strength is the same as mathematical ability, so athletic students will automatically excel.
Read the following embedded passage (about 200 words): Some neighbors oppose protected bike lanes because they assume the lanes "steal" business from shops by removing parking. But protected bike lanes can support local retail, especially in districts built for short trips. When our avenue installed a two-way protected lane, a university planning class surveyed 120 customers at five storefronts. Forty-three percent arrived by bike or on foot, compared with 28% before the lane, and the share arriving by car fell. Store owners initially blamed the lane for slower weekdays, yet sales-tax receipts for the corridor rose 6% in the two quarters after installation compared with the same quarters the previous year. No single number proves causation, and the avenue also added planters and new crosswalks. Still, the lane changed how people moved: cyclists stopped spontaneously because they didn't have to merge with traffic, and pedestrians lingered longer at outdoor displays. A café manager told me that the new bike rack out front fills by 9 a.m., and those customers tend to buy "one more thing" because they aren't watching a parking meter. If a street invites people to arrive easily and safely, shops gain more than they lose. Which of the following does the author use as evidence for the claim that protected bike lanes can support local retail?
Read the student's draft paragraph and answer the question. A local news story claimed that "remote work is ruining productivity," and my classmates immediately repeated it as if it were a fact. But the article mostly relied on quotes from executives who miss seeing employees at desks, not on data about completed projects. In my own experience, remote work can make it easier to focus because there's less commuting and fewer random interruptions, yet it can also blur boundaries so people answer emails late at night. For some jobs, collaboration is smoother in person; for others, online tools work fine. The real problem is that companies often treat remote work as a perk instead of a system: they don't train managers, they don't set communication norms, and they don't measure outcomes clearly. Remote work has changed society. Instead of arguing about whether remote work is "good" or "bad," employers should build policies that protect focus and well-being, such as meeting-free blocks, clear response-time expectations, and hybrid schedules based on job tasks. Which revision of the bolded thesis statement would make the argument more defensible?
Read the following excerpt and answer the question. In a community forum about wildfire preparedness, a fire chief explains: "Clearing brush around your home is like zipping up a jacket before you step into cold wind. You can't control the weather, but you can reduce how much it bites. Homes with a 30-foot defensible space were far more likely to survive last season's fires, according to the state's after-action report. People sometimes say, 'If a fire comes, nothing will help,' but that's like refusing a seatbelt because crashes are scary. Preparation doesn't guarantee safety; it improves the odds." The comparison is effective because it
Read the student essay excerpt below, then answer the question. Context: A school district is deciding whether to start classes later for high school students. The district report notes that after a nearby district shifted the start time from 7:25 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., average attendance rose from 93.1% to 95.0% and first-period failures dropped by 18%. However, the report also notes increased transportation costs due to bus scheduling. Essay excerpt: People argue about later start times like it's just about convenience, but it's really about learning and health. Teenagers' sleep cycles are different from adults', so telling them to be fully alert at 7:25 a.m. is unrealistic. The nearby district's results suggest that when students aren't exhausted, they show up more and fail less. Critics say sports and after-school jobs would become harder to schedule, and the report admits buses might cost more. Still, school is supposed to prioritize education. __________ The report shows attendance increased and first-period failures decreased after the time change. Teachers in that district said students participated more in morning discussions. Students also reported feeling less stressed and more able to focus. Even the transportation section of the report admits that the academic gains were "statistically meaningful." Which sentence would most effectively introduce the claim of this paragraph?
Read the following excerpt from an essay about arts funding in schools. The author notes that the district added two test-prep periods but cut choir and ceramics, even as attendance improved in schools with robust arts programs. The author argues that arts classes are not "extras" but anchors. We teach students to calculate, to decode, to comply; we should also teach them to imagine, to interpret, to make. The syntax of the bolded sentence is most effective because it…
Read the student's draft paragraph and answer the question. Our school is considering moving the start time from 7:20 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Teachers say first period is full of half-asleep students, and research on teenagers' circadian rhythms suggests early mornings are especially tough. Still, families worry about childcare for younger siblings, and some students rely on after-school jobs or sports schedules that would shift later. The transportation department also says later start times could require more buses, raising costs. But when a nearby district delayed its start time, it reported fewer tardies and less first-period disruption, even though it had to adjust practice times. The question isn't whether sleep matters—it's how to balance sleep with logistics. School schedules affect students. A later start time is worth adopting if the district also coordinates with community partners (sports leagues, employers, and childcare programs) to reduce the burden on families. Which revision of the bolded thesis statement would make the argument more defensible?
Read the following excerpt from an editorial about youth sports. The author notes that travel teams now start at age nine, and families report spending $3,000–$6,000 per season. The author argues that early specialization can crowd out joy. More tournaments, more trophies, more pressure—and less play. The syntax of the bolded sentence is most effective because it…
What the writer primarily hopes to accomplish with this passage is to...
A columnist argues that companies should list salary ranges in job postings to reduce inequity and wasted time for applicants and employers. One sentence needs punctuation to clarify the relationship between clauses. Draft excerpt: The author explains that applicants often complete multiple interviews only to learn the pay is far below expectations. Salary ranges won't solve every problem they will however make negotiations fairer from the start. Which change best improves readability?
Read the following excerpt from a school board op-ed and answer the question. The district's new "phones away" policy is being debated as if it were a punishment rather than a tool. Teachers report that even brief notifications derail discussions, and a student survey last spring found that 62 percent of respondents checked their phones "at least once" during a single class period. A policy that reduces that friction is not anti-technology; it is pro-attention. Critics argue that emergencies require constant access, but the policy allows students to retrieve phones from locked pouches during lunch and directs families to call the front office for urgent messages. By requiring phones to stay sealed during class, the policy improves learning for students who struggle to focus. The point is not to shame teenagers; it is to design classrooms that make concentration the default. Which revision most improves clarity of the bolded sentence?
Read the following passage and answer the question. A university announces that it will require all first-year students to take a one-credit course on information literacy after a campus survey found that 64% of respondents could not reliably distinguish a news report from an opinion post. Critics call the requirement paternalistic; supporters argue that students already navigate a constant stream of claims, charts, and "expert" threads. The provost's email concedes that no class can inoculate students against every falsehood, but insists that the university can at least teach habits of verification. Not a firewall, not a cure, not a guarantee—just a set of tools. The message ends by urging faculty to reinforce the course's skills across disciplines. The syntax of the bolded sentence is most effective because it…

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