The Sophistication Point

24

AP Literature and AP CollegeBoard's

Sample essay sets released from 2020-2024

The Rubric

Sophistication Point

Rubric Notes

TheUnicorn Point

"Earning the sophistication point may be rare, but there are things you an learn and do to improve your chances of getting it!" Timm Freitas

"I didn’t teach the sophistication point until four days before the exam, and students were earning it. I just didn’t want them to chase it when so many were still trying to master Evidence & Commentary." Gina Kortuem

"Does this magical list that I labored over for weeks equal the sophistication point? Who knows! I can never guarantee that point to my kids." Michelle Lindsey

"The sophistication point on the essay rubrics often meets with much weeping and gnashing of teeth. Students want to know how to write it. Teachers want to know how to teach it. Readers want to know how to reward it. Consultants and trainers want to know how to advise it." Brandon Abdon

"The sophistication point -- a scoring category that appears to suggest that writing quality has something to do with high hats and arrow collars, white spats and lots of dollars." Laura Aull

Recommendations

Conclusion

Works Cited

Sophistication Point Justification 2020-2024

Sophistication Point Distribution for Sample Essays 2020-2024

21

Of the 24 essay sets released from 2020-2024, three out of 24 sets did not have a sample essay which earned the sophistication point.

("AP English Literature and Composition Exam Questions")

The rubric is designed to help readers be consistant and valid in their scoring. AP has extensive training, back reading, and pre-scored essays to check that scores are accurate. While some readers are likely not valid or consistant, these practices make it likely they would not be invited the following year. Rubric from "AP English Literature Scoring Rubrics".

("AP English Lit Sophistication Point" 00:02:08-00:02:56)

1. All sample sets should include an example of the Sophistication point. 2. Sophistication point rationale should be more consistant with the rubric application. If it is possible to score the point with only "consistently vivid and persuasive" style or "alternative interpretations of the passage," then there should be examples of such with the current rubric.

Works Cited

Abdon, Brandon. "AP® English: Sophistication & Complexity Webinar." Perfection Learning, 2024. https://nextstep.perfectionlearning.com/ap-english- sophistication-complexity. Accessed 08 Nov. 2024.AP English Literature and Composition Exam Questions.” AP CollegeBoard, 2024. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-literature-and-composition/exam/past-exam-questions. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024."AP English Literature Scoring Rubrics." AP CollegeBoard, 2019, PDF file. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-english-literature-and-composition-frqs-1-2-3-scoring-rubrics.pdf. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024."AP English Literature and Composition Scoring Rubrics (Effective Fall 2019)." AP CollegeBoard, Sep. 2019, PDF file. https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-english-literature-and-composition-one-page-scoring-rubrics-2019-2020.pdf. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024."AP English Lit Sophistication Point." YouTube, uploaded by Macro Learning, 15 Mar. 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBnKvM-00mY. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.Aull, Laura, "What AP Scorers Shouldn’t Grade." Inside Higher Ed, 25 Jul. 2021. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/views/2021/07/26/some-things-shouldnt-be-graded-ap-exams-opinion. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.de Beauvoir, Simone. The Ethics of Ambiguity. Marxists.org, 1947. https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/ambiguity/ch03.htm#s2. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024."How to EARN The SOPHISTICATION POINT On ANY AP Lang or Lit Essay." YouTube, uploaded by Garden of English, 7 May 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYXXfdwP5Oc. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.Kortuem, Gina. "Teaching AP English Literature for the First Time." lit & more, 11 May 2024. https://lit-and-more.com/teaching-ap-english-literature-for-the-first-time/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.Lindsey, Michelle. "AP® English Literature: That Elusive Sophistication Point." Marco Learning, 2024. https://marcolearning.com/ap-english-literature-that-elusive-sophistication-point/. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.Moscatiello, John. "The Great REcallibration of AP Exams." Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 11 Jul. 2024, https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/great-recalibration-ap-exams.

(Korteum)

(Lindsey)

"There's a significant amount of myth surrounding the elusive unicorn point that we call the sophistication point and I have to admit at times it can be pretty hard to learn but it is not impossible. And I just covered all of the most tangible things that you can do and learn to actually earn from this point and if you can consistently enact most of my advice, you'll be in really good shape. Now, I have to admit there are other ways to earn the sophistication point but not ways that I can easily provide tangible steps for like this." ("How to Earn The Sophistication Point on Any AP Lang or Lit Essay" 00:07:02-00:7:28)

Is the Sophistication Point valid?

"The College Board insists that 'AP scores’ only valid use is for placing a student out of a corresponding college course' and that 'AP scores have not been designed nor validated for evaluating student growth, student potential, or teacher quality.' Nevertheless, that’s not how many schools are using the numbers in practice. Will the College Board provide more guidance on how to properly use data during this era of the Great Recalibration?" (Moscatiello)

Sophistication Point Sample Sets

Reasoning Rationale with New Rubric 2020-2024

("AP English Literature and Composition Exam Questions")

Q3 Literary Argument Sophistication Rubric

(AP English Literature and Composition Scoring Rubrics (Effective Fall 2019))

“The notion of ambiguity must not be confused with that of absurdity. To declare that existence is absurd is to deny that it can ever be given a meaning; so to say it is ambiguous is to assert that it's meaning is never fixed, that it must be constantly won.” Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity

"If every student -- any kind of student -- cannot with effort and practice learn 'sophistication' in their writing in the course of the AP class, then it should not be a criteria for success, on the exam or in the course. If you believe good writing has a certain je ne sais quoi and must keep believing that, fine. But don’t try to score it. My plea to AP scorers is this: consider assigning the sophistication point to everyone or no one. This would be a systematic approach. My related plea is to the College Board: in the spirit of fairness and justice, remove the sophistication point as you would remove any barrier to student success." (Aull)