How Do I Self-Study AP Latin?

Pros and Cons of Self-Studying

Pros

• Translate at Own Pace: There is a lot of translating that you need to do in order to do well on this exam, so by self-studying, you can set a pace and schedule that works well for you, whether that is faster than a typical class, or slower than a typical class.
• College Credit: This exam could get you potential college credit, so be sure to check out if you could satisfy a general education requirement or get into higher-level language courses with your AP Latin exam.
• Challenge Yourself: Chances are, if you are ready for AP Latin, you are probably a student who is serious about your studies, so studying for Latin could be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for you!

Cons

• No Real-Time Interaction: Since you won't have a teacher, most likely, it will probably take longer for you to figure out issues that you have with content, as well as clear up translation issues.
• Time-Consuming: You probably will feel lost and confused at some point, and that is OK! But just know that it will be time-consuming and energy-consuming, so make sure you are prepared and manage your time wisely!

The Exam

Exam Overview

• MULTIPLE CHOICE (60 minutes, 50%):
  • 10-12 questions about the Vergil readings
  • 10-12 questions about the Caesar readings
  • 13-15 sight prose readings (75-100 word stimuli)
  • 13-15 sight poetry readings (10-15 line stimuli)
• FREE RESPONSE (120 minutes, 50%):
  • Vergil Translation: 15 minutes to translate ~35 words from the required *Aeneid* readings.
  • Caesar Translations: 15 minutes to translate ~40 words from the required *Gallic War* readings.
  • Analytical Essay: 45 minutes to write an essay analyzing two passages from the two authors
  • Vergil Short Answer Questions: 15 minutes to answer 5-7 questions based on 5-10 lines from the Vergil readings.
  • Caesar Short Answer Questions: 15 minutes to answer 5-7 questions based on 50-75 words from the Caesar readings.

Ways to Learn

• Prep Books: Referring to our Latin Text Books and Prep Books Guide <<TK>>, you can use a prep book to help prepare for the exam by using its test prep materials.
• Videos: There are several great video series that you can use to learn about history than can act as the context for the books, so do some research!
• Annotated Editions: Look for a good commentary or edition of the Gallic Wars or the Aeneid so that you can learn more about the text and background as you translate!

Taking the Test