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End of Course Exam: Short Answer and Long Essay

5 min readโ€ขseptember 7, 2020

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Overview of the End of Course Exam

We've made it! The end is finally here.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-LqiQflrnSz2B.gif?alt=media&token=2bf101e5-36f4-431f-90fc-b9bfa1a1935f

Image Courtesy of Giphy

And guess what, we've saved the easiest for last ๐Ÿ’ฏ!

The is putting to the test a lot of what you've done so far in the year. You'll see elements of the first four Big Ideas in all aspects of the EoC exam โœ๏ธ.

Overall, you should feel very comfortable doing what the EoC is asking you to do. It's pretty much a scaled down version of elements of PT 1 and . Things like analyzing evidence, looking for line of reasoning, and , all show up in the EoC.

Let's take a look at what you'll actually be doing along with some key points to take note of:

  1. The exam is divided up into two sections

    1. Three short answers questions ๐Ÿ‘Œ

    2. One longer argumentative essay ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿพโ€๐Ÿ’ป

  2. You'll have two hours to complete both sections of the exam

  3. You can complete the exam in any order that you choose

Before we dive into the nitty gritty, one thing to keep in mind is that theย rubricsย are short and to the point. This is great because it really highlights everything you need to do without getting too complicated. But, it can be tricky because there are so few points in the rubric so everything counts.

Alright! Let's check out each section.

Short Answer Questions

The first section that you'll see is the . Here you'll be given one and asked to answer three questions.

The questions are:

  1. Identify the , argument, or . ๐Ÿค”
  2. Explain the authorโ€™s line of reasoning by identifying the used to build the argument and the connections between them. ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ
  3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support the made in the argument. ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ผ

These questions can be found in theย Course and Exam Description.

You do not need to get super fancy answering these questions. In fact, you should probably be able to answer the first question in just about a sentence. Again, make sure to read the to really understand how to get full points.

Let's go through each of these questions and talk about them. We'll be using theย 2019 EoC Examย as examples as we go through.

Question 1

The first question asks you to identify the author's argument. This should be very simple! You are looking for the overall argument that the author is making.

Usually the author will have a , but if they don't, just ask yourself what overall point the author is trying to make.

Keep in mind that you need to fully explain the author's argument. For example, take a look at Part A of the 2019 exam. The article is titled "Why the Voting Age Should be 17." You might read that and think "Oh! There's the author's argument." But, that is not the author's full argument.

Instead, you should explain why the author thinks ๐Ÿค” that. A more complete answer would say: "The author argues that the voting age should be lowered in order to increase voter participation, allow students to be more involved in their government, and strengthen the American democracy."

That answer still says what the title says, but goes in to way more detail.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-nFyeIBpOKXYW.gif?alt=media&token=71a897b6-3726-4f1a-be8d-4aaacbe67d94

Image Courtesy of Giphy

Question 2

In question 2, you need to analyze the author's and line of reasoning to determine if they support the overall argument the author is making.

Just like with question 1, you may be tempted to give an answer the doesn't fully answer the question. Do not just simply list the author's . Instead, you should work through each of the author's and explain how they either help or hurt the overall argument ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ.

It is better to write too much as opposed to too little here. Really, you should be aiming to write about a page or more.

Question 3

The last question has you looking at the author's evidence. You need to evaluate its effectiveness in supporting the author's and analyze the credibility of the evidence.

Just like the , you should work through each piece of evidence the author gives, explain how well it supports the argument, and explain how credible it is ๐Ÿคจ.

I would recommend talking about the evidence as a whole. Is it all credible? Does some evidence do a good job of supporting the author's argument while others don't? This will help the question feel a little more organized and focused.

Long Essay Question

The Long Essay Question requires more time and planning than the . Generally, I recommend spending an hour and a half on part B.

Even though part B takes longer, what you are doing is fairly straight forward. Essentially, you are constructing an argument using two of four pieces of evidence that College Board provides.

All of the evidence is based around a central theme, but they all have different .

You are going to select two (minimally) of the four sources and present an argument that is not found in any of the sources. What this means is that if one source argues for 'A' and the other source argues for 'B,' then you need to argue for 'C.' Your argument should NOT ๐Ÿ™…๐Ÿฝโ€โ™€๏ธ be the same as one of the pieces of evidence.

So, how do you write this thing? Here are the steps I would take to write the Long Essay Question.

  1. Read ALL of the evidence carefully. Find the central theme that is presented. ๐Ÿ“•
  2. Think about what you want to argue that is different than the presented in the evidence. ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿฝโ€๐Ÿซ
  3. Select the two (or more) pieces of evidence that you are going to use. โœŒ๏ธ
  4. Write your ! โœ๏ธ
  5. Outline your essay, making sure to note your and how you connect your evidence to them. ๐Ÿ—’๏ธ
  6. Write, write, write! You should be well prepared to write without stopping to think about the direction your essay is heading in. ๐Ÿ“œ
  7. Read and revise if necessaryโ€ผ๏ธ

A few things to note... College Board knows that you are writing on a topic that you might not be well informed on. They also know that you will only be using two pieces of evidence. Because of that, this does not need to be the most airtight argumentative essay you've ever written.

That being said, it should have all of the components of a good essay.

In Conclusion...

The best way to prepare for the End of Course exam is to read the and practice! You can find all the past exams along with sample responses and scoring notesย here. Use them to your advantage! Read the responses that scored high grades and recognize why they did well.

But just remember, you have been using these skills all year! You know how to do this. Be confident and don't stress!

Key Terms to Review (13)

2019 EoC Exam

: The 2019 End-of-Course (EoC) Exam is a standardized test administered to high school students at the end of a specific course, such as AP Seminar. It assesses students' knowledge and skills in that particular subject area.

Arguing a Thesis

: Arguing a thesis refers to presenting and defending a specific claim or argument in an academic setting. It involves providing evidence, reasoning, and counterarguments to support one's position.

Argumentative Article

: An argumentative article is a type of writing that presents a clear and logical argument on a specific topic, supported by evidence and reasoning. It aims to persuade the reader to agree with the author's viewpoint.

Author's Main Idea

: The author's main idea refers to the central message or purpose that the writer wants to convey through their work. It represents what they want readers to understand or take away from their writing.

Claims

: Claims are statements or assertions made by individuals that express their position or belief about a particular topic. They are often supported by evidence and reasoning to persuade others of their validity.

Claims Connection to Evidence

: Claims connection to evidence refers to establishing logical connections between claims (arguments) made in an essay or research paper and supporting evidence. It involves providing relevant facts, examples, or data to strengthen the validity of the claims.

End of Course (EoC) Exam

: The End of Course (EoC) Exam is a standardized test that assesses students' knowledge and skills in a specific subject at the end of a course. It is typically used to measure student learning and determine their readiness for college or career.

Perspectives

: Perspectives refer to different viewpoints or ways of looking at a particular issue or topic. They are influenced by an individual's background, experiences, and beliefs.

PT 2

: PT 2 stands for Performance Task 2, which is a component of the AP Seminar exam. It requires students to analyze and evaluate multiple sources of information on a given topic and develop an argument or propose a solution.

Rubrics

: Rubrics are scoring guides used by teachers to evaluate student work based on predetermined criteria. They provide clear expectations for what constitutes high-quality performance on assignments or assessments.

Short Answer Questions

: Short answer questions are open-ended prompts that require concise written responses. They typically assess comprehension, critical thinking skills, and the ability to articulate ideas concisely.

Thesis

: A thesis is a clear and concise statement that presents the main argument or point of an essay or research paper.

Thesis Statement

: A thesis statement is a clear and concise sentence that presents the main argument or claim of an essay or research paper. It provides direction for the entire piece of writing and guides the reader on what to expect.

End of Course Exam: Short Answer and Long Essay

5 min readโ€ขseptember 7, 2020

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Overview of the End of Course Exam

We've made it! The end is finally here.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-LqiQflrnSz2B.gif?alt=media&token=2bf101e5-36f4-431f-90fc-b9bfa1a1935f

Image Courtesy of Giphy

And guess what, we've saved the easiest for last ๐Ÿ’ฏ!

The is putting to the test a lot of what you've done so far in the year. You'll see elements of the first four Big Ideas in all aspects of the EoC exam โœ๏ธ.

Overall, you should feel very comfortable doing what the EoC is asking you to do. It's pretty much a scaled down version of elements of PT 1 and . Things like analyzing evidence, looking for line of reasoning, and , all show up in the EoC.

Let's take a look at what you'll actually be doing along with some key points to take note of:

  1. The exam is divided up into two sections

    1. Three short answers questions ๐Ÿ‘Œ

    2. One longer argumentative essay ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿพโ€๐Ÿ’ป

  2. You'll have two hours to complete both sections of the exam

  3. You can complete the exam in any order that you choose

Before we dive into the nitty gritty, one thing to keep in mind is that theย rubricsย are short and to the point. This is great because it really highlights everything you need to do without getting too complicated. But, it can be tricky because there are so few points in the rubric so everything counts.

Alright! Let's check out each section.

Short Answer Questions

The first section that you'll see is the . Here you'll be given one and asked to answer three questions.

The questions are:

  1. Identify the , argument, or . ๐Ÿค”
  2. Explain the authorโ€™s line of reasoning by identifying the used to build the argument and the connections between them. ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ
  3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support the made in the argument. ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ผ

These questions can be found in theย Course and Exam Description.

You do not need to get super fancy answering these questions. In fact, you should probably be able to answer the first question in just about a sentence. Again, make sure to read the to really understand how to get full points.

Let's go through each of these questions and talk about them. We'll be using theย 2019 EoC Examย as examples as we go through.

Question 1

The first question asks you to identify the author's argument. This should be very simple! You are looking for the overall argument that the author is making.

Usually the author will have a , but if they don't, just ask yourself what overall point the author is trying to make.

Keep in mind that you need to fully explain the author's argument. For example, take a look at Part A of the 2019 exam. The article is titled "Why the Voting Age Should be 17." You might read that and think "Oh! There's the author's argument." But, that is not the author's full argument.

Instead, you should explain why the author thinks ๐Ÿค” that. A more complete answer would say: "The author argues that the voting age should be lowered in order to increase voter participation, allow students to be more involved in their government, and strengthen the American democracy."

That answer still says what the title says, but goes in to way more detail.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-nFyeIBpOKXYW.gif?alt=media&token=71a897b6-3726-4f1a-be8d-4aaacbe67d94

Image Courtesy of Giphy

Question 2

In question 2, you need to analyze the author's and line of reasoning to determine if they support the overall argument the author is making.

Just like with question 1, you may be tempted to give an answer the doesn't fully answer the question. Do not just simply list the author's . Instead, you should work through each of the author's and explain how they either help or hurt the overall argument ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ.

It is better to write too much as opposed to too little here. Really, you should be aiming to write about a page or more.

Question 3

The last question has you looking at the author's evidence. You need to evaluate its effectiveness in supporting the author's and analyze the credibility of the evidence.

Just like the , you should work through each piece of evidence the author gives, explain how well it supports the argument, and explain how credible it is ๐Ÿคจ.

I would recommend talking about the evidence as a whole. Is it all credible? Does some evidence do a good job of supporting the author's argument while others don't? This will help the question feel a little more organized and focused.

Long Essay Question

The Long Essay Question requires more time and planning than the . Generally, I recommend spending an hour and a half on part B.

Even though part B takes longer, what you are doing is fairly straight forward. Essentially, you are constructing an argument using two of four pieces of evidence that College Board provides.

All of the evidence is based around a central theme, but they all have different .

You are going to select two (minimally) of the four sources and present an argument that is not found in any of the sources. What this means is that if one source argues for 'A' and the other source argues for 'B,' then you need to argue for 'C.' Your argument should NOT ๐Ÿ™…๐Ÿฝโ€โ™€๏ธ be the same as one of the pieces of evidence.

So, how do you write this thing? Here are the steps I would take to write the Long Essay Question.

  1. Read ALL of the evidence carefully. Find the central theme that is presented. ๐Ÿ“•
  2. Think about what you want to argue that is different than the presented in the evidence. ๐Ÿ‘จ๐Ÿฝโ€๐Ÿซ
  3. Select the two (or more) pieces of evidence that you are going to use. โœŒ๏ธ
  4. Write your ! โœ๏ธ
  5. Outline your essay, making sure to note your and how you connect your evidence to them. ๐Ÿ—’๏ธ
  6. Write, write, write! You should be well prepared to write without stopping to think about the direction your essay is heading in. ๐Ÿ“œ
  7. Read and revise if necessaryโ€ผ๏ธ

A few things to note... College Board knows that you are writing on a topic that you might not be well informed on. They also know that you will only be using two pieces of evidence. Because of that, this does not need to be the most airtight argumentative essay you've ever written.

That being said, it should have all of the components of a good essay.

In Conclusion...

The best way to prepare for the End of Course exam is to read the and practice! You can find all the past exams along with sample responses and scoring notesย here. Use them to your advantage! Read the responses that scored high grades and recognize why they did well.

But just remember, you have been using these skills all year! You know how to do this. Be confident and don't stress!

Key Terms to Review (13)

2019 EoC Exam

: The 2019 End-of-Course (EoC) Exam is a standardized test administered to high school students at the end of a specific course, such as AP Seminar. It assesses students' knowledge and skills in that particular subject area.

Arguing a Thesis

: Arguing a thesis refers to presenting and defending a specific claim or argument in an academic setting. It involves providing evidence, reasoning, and counterarguments to support one's position.

Argumentative Article

: An argumentative article is a type of writing that presents a clear and logical argument on a specific topic, supported by evidence and reasoning. It aims to persuade the reader to agree with the author's viewpoint.

Author's Main Idea

: The author's main idea refers to the central message or purpose that the writer wants to convey through their work. It represents what they want readers to understand or take away from their writing.

Claims

: Claims are statements or assertions made by individuals that express their position or belief about a particular topic. They are often supported by evidence and reasoning to persuade others of their validity.

Claims Connection to Evidence

: Claims connection to evidence refers to establishing logical connections between claims (arguments) made in an essay or research paper and supporting evidence. It involves providing relevant facts, examples, or data to strengthen the validity of the claims.

End of Course (EoC) Exam

: The End of Course (EoC) Exam is a standardized test that assesses students' knowledge and skills in a specific subject at the end of a course. It is typically used to measure student learning and determine their readiness for college or career.

Perspectives

: Perspectives refer to different viewpoints or ways of looking at a particular issue or topic. They are influenced by an individual's background, experiences, and beliefs.

PT 2

: PT 2 stands for Performance Task 2, which is a component of the AP Seminar exam. It requires students to analyze and evaluate multiple sources of information on a given topic and develop an argument or propose a solution.

Rubrics

: Rubrics are scoring guides used by teachers to evaluate student work based on predetermined criteria. They provide clear expectations for what constitutes high-quality performance on assignments or assessments.

Short Answer Questions

: Short answer questions are open-ended prompts that require concise written responses. They typically assess comprehension, critical thinking skills, and the ability to articulate ideas concisely.

Thesis

: A thesis is a clear and concise statement that presents the main argument or point of an essay or research paper.

Thesis Statement

: A thesis statement is a clear and concise sentence that presents the main argument or claim of an essay or research paper. It provides direction for the entire piece of writing and guides the reader on what to expect.


ยฉ 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

APยฎ and SATยฎ are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


ยฉ 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

APยฎ and SATยฎ are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.