AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay: How to Score 6/6
The rhetorical analysis essay is Question 2 on the AP Lang exam. You read a nonfiction passage, then analyze how the author builds their argument. It's scored 0-6 across three categories: Thesis (1 point), Evidence & Commentary (4 points), and Sophistication (1 point).
Where the Points Are
Evidence & Commentary = 67% of your essay score. That's where to focus.
Score Your Essay on the Official Rubric
Click each score level to see what it means. Use this to self-assess your practice essays.
Row A: Thesis
1/1Row B: Evidence & Commentary
3/4Row C: Sophistication
0/1Your Essay Score
Strong foundation. Most students land here. To push higher, make sure every piece of evidence has a clear 'so what' that explains why the choice matters to the reader.
Score Breakdown
Where Most Students Score
Based on AP reader scoring patterns. The biggest cluster is at 3/6. Getting to 4+ puts you ahead of most test-takers.
Approximate distribution based on College Board AP reader scoring patterns.
How to Write It: 40-Minute Game Plan
You get roughly 40 minutes per essay. Here's how to spend them.
Read & Plan
First 12 minutes
While reading:
Annotate tone shifts, key phrases, and persuasive moves. One note per paragraph on its specific purpose.
Before writing:
Name the author's purpose. Pick 2-3 strategies you can analyze deeply. Draft your thesis: [Author] uses [strategy] to [purpose].
Write
Next 25 minutes
Intro (2-3 sentences)
Brief context, then your thesis. Skip the fancy hook. Readers score hundreds of essays. They want your argument, not a creative opening.
Body paragraphs (2-3)
Each one follows: topic sentence, then a direct quote, then your analysis of the choice, then connect it back to the author's purpose. For each quote, answer: what did the author choose to do, and what effect does it have on the reader?
Conclusion (1-2 sentences)
Broader significance. Why does this argument matter? That's your play for the sophistication point.
Review
Last 3 minutes
Re-read your thesis. Does it match what your body paragraphs actually argue? Check that each body paragraph has both a quote AND analysis. Fix missing transitions or incomplete sentences. Don't rewrite anything. Just patch.
Rhetorical Devices Quick Reference
The 12 devices you're most likely to see on the AP Lang exam. You don't need all of them. Pick 2-3 per essay.
Appeals
(3 devices)Ethos
Appeal to credibility or authority
"As a doctor with 20 years of experience..."
Pathos
Appeal to emotion
"Imagine your child going to bed hungry tonight."
Logos
Appeal to logic and evidence
"Studies show that 73% of students who practice score higher."
Structure
(4 devices)Anaphora
Repeating a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds..."
Antithesis
Placing contrasting ideas in parallel structure
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
Parallelism
Using the same grammatical structure in a series
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people."
Rhetorical Question
A question asked for effect, not a real answer
"How long must we tolerate this injustice?"
Language
(5 devices)Imagery
Vivid descriptive language that appeals to the senses
"The bitter wind cut through the thin walls of the shelter."
Diction
Deliberate word choice (formal vs. informal, connotation)
Using "slaughter" instead of "kill" to evoke stronger emotion.
Juxtaposition
Placing two things side by side for comparison
Describing a mansion next to a slum to highlight inequality.
Syntax
Sentence structure choices (short vs. long, simple vs. complex)
Short sentences create urgency: "He ran. He hid. He waited."
Tone
The author's attitude toward the subject
Sarcastic, urgent, reverent, dismissive, hopeful.
6 Mistakes That Cost You Points
These are the most common reasons students score below a 4. Avoid all six and you're ahead of most test-takers.
Summarizing instead of analyzing
Don't retell what the author said. Explain how and why they said it that way. If your paragraph could describe the passage to someone who hasn't read it, you're summarizing.
Listing devices without explaining their effect
"The author uses metaphor, imagery, and anaphora." That's a list, not analysis. For each device, answer: what does it make the reader think, feel, or understand?
Writing a thesis that only names devices
"The author uses ethos, pathos, and logos" is not a thesis. A thesis needs a purpose: "The author uses personal anecdotes and stark statistics to convince readers that reform is urgent."
Ignoring the author's purpose
Every rhetorical choice exists to do something. If you can't explain what the author is trying to accomplish, your analysis has no anchor.
Spending too long on the introduction
Your intro needs a thesis and brief context. That's it. Two to three sentences. Don't waste 10 minutes on a fancy opening when the rubric rewards evidence and commentary.
Not using direct quotes
Vague references like "the author describes the scene" don't earn evidence points. Quote specific words and phrases, then analyze them.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's Question 2 on the AP English Language and Composition free response section. You're given a nonfiction passage and asked to analyze how the author uses rhetorical strategies to build their argument. It's one of three essays worth 55% of your total AP score.
On a 0-6 scale across three categories: Thesis (0-1 point), Evidence and Commentary (0-4 points), and Sophistication (0-1 point). Evidence and Commentary is worth the most. Nearly two-thirds of your essay score comes from how well you support and analyze your claims.
There's no minimum or maximum length. Most strong essays are 4-5 paragraphs: an intro with a thesis, 2-3 body paragraphs with evidence and analysis, and a brief conclusion. Quality of analysis matters far more than word count.
Start with the big three appeals: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). Then look for specific techniques like diction, imagery, tone, syntax, anaphora, antithesis, and rhetorical questions. Don't try to find everything. Pick 2-3 devices you can analyze deeply.
Show complex understanding. This means explaining why the author's choices matter in context, how multiple strategies work together, or what the broader implications are. Don't just analyze individual devices in isolation. Connect them to the bigger picture.
Rhetorical analysis (Q2) asks you to analyze how ONE author builds their argument. Synthesis (Q1) asks you to build YOUR OWN argument using multiple provided sources. In rhetorical analysis, you're studying someone else's writing. In synthesis, you're doing the writing yourself.
You can, but it's usually not necessary. Phrases like 'I believe the author uses...' add words without adding meaning. Stronger: 'The author uses...' directly. The rubric doesn't penalize first person, but it also doesn't reward it.