AP® Summer Institute Scoring Notes 2012 AP English Language and Composition - Question 3

Sep 22, 2026

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AP English Language and Composition scoring notes for 2012 detail how to evaluate Question 3, which asks students to write a well-organized essay addressing the relationship between certainty and doubt. The notes provide quoted prompt statements by William Lyon Phelps and Bertrand Russell and give scoring guidance through sample essays. For example, higher scores emphasize sophisticated arguments, coherent progression, effective language control, and development supported by appropriate evidence and examples.

LanguageEnglish

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Pages34

Reading Time12 min

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Question 3

Prompt quotations and instruction

Scoring guidance by sample scores (9-5)

Question 3 (Suggested timc—40 minutes.This question counts for one-third of the total essay section score.)Consider the distinct perspcctives expressed in the following statements If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide,then you can getyourself to accomplish virtually anything,including those things that other people are certainare impossible. William Lyon Phelps,American educator,journalist,and professor(1865-1943) I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt.I shouldn'twish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy,not even mine. Bertrand Russell,British author,mathematician,and philosopher(1872-1970) In a well-organized essay,take a position on the relationship between certainty and doubt.Support your argumentwith appropriate evidence and examples. STOP END OF EXAM THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS APPLY TO THE COVERS OF THESECTION II BOOKLET. ● MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE IDENTIFICATIONINFORMATION AS REQUESTED ON THE FRONT AND BACKCOVERS OF THE SECTION II BOOKLET. 6 CHECK TO SEE THAT YOUR AP NUMBER LABEL APPEARS INTHE BOX(ES)ON THE COVER(S). · MAKE SURE YOU HAVE USED THE SAME SET OF APNUMBER LABELS ON ALLAP EXAMS YOU HAVE TAKENTHIS YEAR. , # AP®SUMIMER INSTITUTE SCORING NOTES2012 AP English Language and Composition Question 3 Sample Identifier:NN Score:9 ·The essay is especially sophisticated in its argument:it addresses the question about therelationship between certainty and doubt by recasting it as a conflict between free-will anddeterminism ● The examples are appropriate and convincing,ranging from St.Thomas Aquinas to JeremyBentham. ● The development of each idea is thorough and makes a contribution to the overarching argumentthat doubt is the essence of freedom and choice in an uncertain world ·The student displays an impressive control of language from effective use of colloquialisms("Nope")to graceful turns of phrase("Certainty provides a strict and dull answer to the greatambiguities of life")to strong deployment of rhetorical questions in order to advance an inquiryinto the relationship between certainty and doubt. 。The essay has a sense of progression:it builds from a discussion of certainty as religious faith todevelop an argument for the virtues of doubt. ● Essays scored a9 are not flawless:the opening paragraph of this essay is weak and could beeliminated;there are occasional idiom,diction,and predication errors("impede on the growth ofworldly intake";"plagued the minds and well-beings of people") ·The essay is stronger than an 8because of the complexity of its argument,the general fluency ofits language,and the thoroughness with which its examples are developed. Sample Identifier:EEEE Score:8 ·The student identifies a clear thesis in the introductory paragraph:"Doubt is truly necessary forReal [sic]learning and growth to occur,while believing only in certainty can be a hindrance." ·The paragraphs are well structured,as the student coordinates an impressive number ofexamples through the logic of parallelism,considering.for example,a series of political atrocitiescommitted by deranged leaders and states. ·The essay as a whole is coherent,as the student establishes a relationship of comparison andcontrast to connect ideas and examples:e.g.,the student creates a sequence of essentiallyparallel atrocities in the first paragraph,cuing the reader to this parallelism by using thetransition,"In a similar sense." ·The examples cited are appropriate,convincing,and wide-ranging. ● The student develops an effective conclusion by echoing Emerson:"The greatest Artists [sic,thinkers,scientists of alltime have had some deep doubt;[sic]where as[sic]those with certaintyremained trappend [sic]in old thinking and old ways." ◎2012 The College BoardThese notes are to be used by College Board AP consultants # AP®SUMIMER INSTITUTE SCORING NOTES2012 AP English Language and Composition Sample Identi

FAQs

What does Question 3 require students to write?

Students must write a well-organized essay taking a position on the relationship between certainty and doubt and support the argument with appropriate evidence and examples.

How do higher-scoring essays typically handle the argument?

They present a sophisticated argument, often by reframing the issue in a more complex way, and they build thorough development that contributes directly to the overarching claim.

What kinds of language and structure are highlighted in the scoring notes?

The notes reward strong control of language, effective transitions, clear progression, and well-structured paragraphs that coordinate examples through consistent logic such as comparison/contrast or parallelism.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Oliver