About sample essays

If you were a participant in a workshop or summer institute and need new access to the essays, please send an email message requesting them.

The College Board releases some essays written during the Advanced Placement exam, with the students’ permission, for training purposes. Exam Readers and College Board consultants are given this directive:

“These materials are samples taken from the AP English (Lit/Lang) Reading. They MAY NOT be posted on school or personal websites, nor electronically redistributed for any reason without express permission of the College Board. They are for training purposes and are intended for use only at a College Board workshop or AP Summer Institute.”

The great Rob Brown put it best:

Asking folks to circulate these materials... places them in the awkward position of balancing collegiality versus violating the conditions under which the materials were released.
I'm not in favor of litigating the question of whether or not materials should be freely available to all - another topic to be debated atop some other barricades - but since it's the College Board's material, the College Board's terms and conditions, and the College Board's [authorization for workshops and summer institutes], I'd respectfully suggest that in this instance, [access to the samples] is probably not appropriate to ask.”

Sample essays for general use are available at AP Central and through teachers’ Audit accounts.

Thanks for understanding.