AP English Literature and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines - Question 3 - Literary Argument 6 points

Sep 22, 2026

AP English Literature and Composition 2025 scoring guidelines for Free-Response Question 3 focus on Literary Argument and a 6-point total. The prompt requires a defensible interpretation analyzing how a character’s memory of the past shapes an interpretation of the entire work, not simply plot summary. The guidelines specify what a qualifying thesis must do, plus how evidence and commentary should move from general or irrelevant information to specific support that establishes and consistently explains a line of reasoning.

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Free-Response Question 3

Scoring Guidelines

Literary Argument (6 points)

2025 AP® English Literature 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 Literature and Composition 2025 Scoring Guidelines Question 3: Literary Argument 6 points In many works of literature, characters may be significantly affected by memories of the past. A character may be inspired by the past, haunted by the past, unable to let go of the past, or motivated by the past to craft a better future. Either from your own reading or from the list below, choose a work of fiction in which a character is significantly affected by a memory. Then, in a wellwritten essay, analyze how the impact of the memory on the character contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. In your response, you should do the following: • Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation. • 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 Literature 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 interpretation of the selected work. | | | Decision Rules and Scoring Notes | | | | Responses that do not earn this point:
• Only restate the prompt.
• Make a generalized comment about the selected work that doesn’t respond to the prompt. | Responses that earn this point:
• Provide a defensible interpretation of the impact of a memory on a character in the selected work.
OR
• Make a claim about how the impact of a memory on a character contributes to an interpretation of the work as a whole. | | | Examples that do not earn this point:
Restate the prompt
• “Literary characters are often motivated by their memories of the past to craft a better future.”
Do not respond to the prompt but make a generalized comment about the selected work
• “Memories of the past have a big impact on the events of The Scarlet Letter.”
• “In Beloved, Sethe and Paul D remember each other from when they were enslaved at the plantation Sweet Home.”
• “Macbeth shares the memory of what the witches said about his future with his wife.” | Examples that earn this point:
Provide a defensible interpretation
• “In The Odyssey, Odysseus’s memories of his home inspire him to continue his quest to return. Even when it would be easy for him to give up on Calypso’s island, Odysseus’s memories press him to complete his quest.”
• “Axl’s experience in Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant shows how remembering the past can be a source of conflict as much as a source of clarity and understanding.”
• “In Mrs. Dalloway, Septimus’s memories of his wartime experiences have made him unable to live a normal life. He has hallucinations of his friend Evan and is overwhelmed by the real world.” | | | Additional Notes:
• The thesis may be more than one sentence, provided the sentences are in close proximity.
• The thesis may be anywhere within the

FAQs

What does Free-Response Question 3 require in a literary argument essay?

Choose a fiction work where a character is significantly affected by a memory, then analyze how that impact contributes to an interpretation of the whole work, using analysis rather than plot summary.

What must a thesis do to earn the thesis scoring point?

It must present a defensible interpretation that responds to the prompt by making a coherent claim about how the memory affects the character and/or how it contributes to the work’s interpretation.

How should evidence and commentary progress to earn higher scoring levels?

Higher scores require specific evidence supporting the claims in a line of reasoning, along with commentary that consistently explains how that evidence supports the argument.

Sep 22, 2026

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