AP Lang Rubric: How Your Essay Gets Scored
Every AP Lang essay is scored on the same 6-point rubric: 1 for Thesis, 4 for Evidence & Commentary, 1 for Sophistication. The structure is identical across all three essays. What changes is what counts as "evidence." Below: the rubric in plain English, an interactive scorer, and the strategies that actually earn points.
1 pt
Row A: Thesis
4 pts
Row B: Evidence
1 pt
Row C: Sophistication
Score Your Essay
Pick your essay type, then click the description that best matches your writing for each row. Skip to rubric breakdown
You get 6-7 sources and a prompt. Your job: take a position and build an argument using at least 3 of the sources as evidence.
Thesis
Evidence & Commentary
Sophistication
The Rubric in Plain English
Three rows. Here's what each one actually means and where students leave points on the table.
Thesis (1 point)
The easiest point on the rubric. Most students earn it.
- Take a clear position. Don't sit on the fence or restate the prompt.
- Your thesis can be more than one sentence, as long as the sentences are close together.
- You get this point even if the rest of the essay falls apart. So write it first and write it clearly.
- For Rhetorical Analysis: your thesis must be about the author's choices, not about whether you agree with them.
Evidence & Commentary (4 points)
Two thirds of your essay score. This is where exams are won or lost.
- Evidence alone gets you 1 point. Evidence + explanation of why it matters gets you 2-4.
- The most common mistake: students have evidence in every paragraph but only analyze it in one or two. That's a 2, not a 4.
- After every piece of evidence, write one sentence: "This shows that..." or "This matters because..." That's commentary.
- Grammar matters here. If your writing is so unclear that it hurts communication, you can't earn the 4th point.
Sophistication (1 point)
The "unicorn point." Only 5-15% of students earn it on any given essay.
- One smart sentence doesn't count. The sophistication has to be woven through your argument, not tacked on.
- Easiest path: address the strongest counterargument. Acknowledge what it gets right. Explain why your position is still stronger.
- Don't chase this point if your Row B isn't solid. A 5/6 with a strong Row B beats a messy 6/6 every time.
How to Actually Earn the Sophistication Point
Four strategies that work. You don't need all of them. Pick one and commit to it throughout your essay.
Address the strongest counterargument
Don't pick a weak counterargument to knock down. Find the best one, acknowledge what it gets right, then explain why your position is still stronger.
"Proponents of standardized testing correctly note that it provides a uniform measure across districts. But uniformity only matters if the measure is valid, and growing evidence suggests it isn't."
Place your argument in broader context
Connect the specific issue to a larger pattern, historical trend, or systemic factor. Shows you see the big picture.
"The debate over school start times isn't just about sleep. It's about whether we design institutions around adult convenience or student outcomes."
Explore a tension or complexity
Show that the issue isn't simple. Acknowledge that two things can be true at once, then explain how your position accounts for both.
"Social media does connect people across distances. It also fragments attention. The question isn't whether it's good or bad, but whether the connection it creates is deep enough to offset what it costs."
Use vivid, precise writing throughout
This isn't about vocabulary words. It's about choosing the exact right word, varying sentence structure, and writing with clarity and energy across the whole essay.
Instead of 'The author uses strong language,' write 'The author's diction shifts from clinical detachment to barely contained fury in the span of a single paragraph.'
How the 3 Essays Differ
Same rubric structure. Different evidence requirements.
| Q1: Synthesis | Q2: Rhetorical Analysis | Q3: Argument | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You get | 6-7 sources + prompt | 1 passage + prompt | Prompt only (no sources) |
| Evidence = | Citing 3+ provided sources | Author's rhetorical choices | Your reading, experience, observations |
| Thesis focus | Your position on the issue | How the author builds their argument | Your position on the claim |
| Biggest trap | Summarizing sources instead of using them | Listing devices without analyzing effect | Making claims without concrete evidence |
Where Students Lose Points
Point killers
- Dropping evidence without explaining what it proves (caps you at 1-2 on Row B)
- Writing a thesis that summarizes the passage instead of making a claim about it
- Analyzing well in paragraph 2 but phoning it in for paragraphs 3 and 4
- Tacking on one "sophisticated" sentence at the end and expecting the point
- Using only 2 sources on Synthesis (instant 0 on Row B)
Point maximizers
- After every quote or reference, write "This shows that..." before moving on
- State your position in the first sentence. Don't make the reader hunt for your thesis.
- Reread your weakest paragraph and give it the same depth as your best one
- Weave counterargument acknowledgment into body paragraphs, not a separate paragraph
- Use 4+ sources on Synthesis. More sources = more evidence options = stronger analysis.