Points
Citations
Organization
Strategies
Miscellaneous
200

The AP English Synthesis Essay counts for this many points on the AP English exam.

What is six?

200

The AP exam gives each source one of these in order to simplify citations.

What are letters?

200

The essay is divided into these three sections.

What are introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs?

200

You are given this many minutes to read the prompt and sources.

What is fifteen?

200

The AP exam will almost always ask students to write this type of synthesis essay.

What is argumentative?

400

This paragraph is worth one point and introduces the reader to topics discussed in later paragraphs.

What is the inroduction paragraph?

400

The AP exam wants you to cite at least this many of the given sources.

What is three?

400

This paragraphs includes the thesis statement, and catches the reader's attention.

What is the introductory paragraph?

400

The AP exam wants you to do this rather than restating facts.

What is making a claim?

400

The AP Exam will provide you between these numbers of sources.

What is six and seven?

600

This section of the essay is worth the greatest number of points.

What are the evidence and commentary?

600

Every citation requires this to be effective.

What is reasoning?

600

This part of the essay should reiterate the essay's thesis statement and sum up the main points.

What is the conclusion?

600

This is a necessary part of your essay, but you should not do it too much or too little.

What is citing sources?

600

The synthesis essay is similar to these questions on the AP US History exam.

What are DBQs?

800

This possible point requires understanding the sources and talking like an expert.

What is complex understanding of the topic?

800

Every paragraph requires at least this many citations to be effective.

What is one?

800

This paragraph contains a topic sentence and quotes the sources at least once.

What are body paragraphs?

800

The AP exam recommends reading this many of the given sources.

What is all of them?

800

This type of synthesis essay states the pros and cons of something without taking a side.

What is explanatory?

1000

To get this point you must cite enough sources and properly explain how they support your argument.

What is evidence and commentary?

1000

A good argument should be based on these.

What are facts? / What are sources?

1000

Combining different perspectives from multiple of these is necessary to having a good essay.

What are sources?

1000

During the time given to read the prompt, you should do this first.

What is analyzing the prompt?

1000

This is the most important sentence in the essay.

What is the thesis statement?