AP® English Language and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines - Argument Essay 6 points - Free-Response Question 3

Sep 22, 2026

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AP® English Language and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines provide the official criteria for the Argument Essay portion of Free-Response Question 3. The document presents a prompt centered on Naomi Osaka’s claim about embracing the present moment and specifies required response elements, including a defensible thesis, relevant evidence, and commentary explaining how evidence supports reasoning, with attention to grammar and punctuation. Scoring tables define points for thesis quality and for evidence and commentary, including decision rules and examples.

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Free-Response Question 3

Scoring Guidelines

Student Samples

Scoring Commentary

2025 AP® English Language and Composition Sample Student Responsesand Scoring Commentary Set 1 Inside: Free-Response Question 3 ☑ Scoring Guidelines ☑ Student Samples ☑ Scoring Commentary © 2025 College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of [College Board. Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org](College Board. Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org). AP Central is the official online home for [the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org](the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org). AP® English Language and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines Argument Essay 6 points In a 2022 interview with People magazine promoting her program to empower young girls through sport, professional tennis player and mental health advocate Naomi Osaka said: “For me, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to try to be present in each moment. It’s easy to lose sight of how far you’ve come, but I’ve been prioritizing trying to live in the moment and enjoy the journey.” Write an essay that argues your position on the extent to which Osaka’s claim about embracing the present moment is valid. In your response you should do the following: • Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position. • Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning. • Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning. • Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument. © 2025 College Board AP® English Language and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines | Reporting Category | Scoring Criteria | | | --- | --- | --- | | Row A
Thesis
(0–1 points) | 0 points
For any of the following:
• There is no defensible thesis.
• The intended thesis only restates the prompt.
• The intended thesis provides a summary of the issue with no apparent or coherent claim.
• There is a thesis, but it does not respond to the prompt. | 1 point
Responds to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible position. | | | Decision Rules and Scoring Notes | | | | Responses that do not earn this point:
• Only restate the prompt.
• Do not take a position, or the position is vague or must be inferred.
• State an obvious fact rather than making a claim that requires a defense. | Responses that earn this point:
Respond to the prompt by taking a position on the extent to which Osaka’s claim about embracing the present moment is valid, rather than restating or rephrasing the prompt. Clearly take a position rather than just stating that there are pros/cons. | | | Examples that do not earn this point:
Do not take a position
• “Living in the moment means ‘being’ in the moment.”
Address the topic of the prompt but are not defensible—it is an obvious fact stated as a claim
• “Life is a journey with many moments for someone to experience.” | Examples that earn this point:
Present a defensible position that responds to the prompt.
• “It is more important that we make long-term plans, so we can reach our goals and so we can enjoy our achievements.”
• “Osaka is correct. If one doesn’t actively try to ‘live in the moment’ they might struggle to see how much they have grown.”
• “While living in the moment is good, if one focuses too much on the present, they will be unable to develop the traits and practice the skills needed for future success.” | | | Additional Notes:
• The thesis may be more than one sentence, provided the sentences are in close proximity.
• The thesis may be anywhere within the response.
• The thesis may establish a line of reasoning that structures the essay, but it needn’t do so to earn the thesis point.
• A thesis that meets the criteria can be awarded the point whether or not the rest of the response successfully supports that line of reasoning. | | © 2025 College Board AP® English Language and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines | Reporting Category |

FAQs

What is the Free-Response Question 3 prompt in the guidelines?

Students write an argument essay on how far Naomi Osaka’s claim about embracing the present moment is valid, using a thesis, evidence, and commentary.

What requirements does the guidelines list for a strong response?

It requires a defensible thesis, evidence supporting the reasoning, explanation of how evidence supports that reasoning, and appropriate grammar and punctuation.

How do the thesis and evidence/commentary scoring criteria differ?

The thesis rubric awards points based on whether the thesis responds with a defensible position, while the evidence and commentary rubric evaluates how specifically evidence supports all claims and how consistently commentary explains the line of reasoning.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Noah