The answer is yes, but there are some restrictions. You can bring in one unannotated text of your choice, which can be a novel, play, or collection of poems. The text cannot be a textbook, study guide, or other materials that provide critical analysis or interpretation of the work. You can also bring in a dictionary and a thesaurus.

It is important to note that you will not be able to use your books during the exam to answer the multiple-choice questions. However, you can use your books to help you answer the free-response questions.
What Books Can You Bring?
You can bring in any unannotated text of your choice. However, there are some restrictions. The text cannot be a textbook, study guide, or other materials that provide critical analysis or interpretation of the work. You can also bring in a dictionary and a thesaurus.
Here are some examples of books that you can bring:
- Novels
- Plays
- Collections of poems
- Short stories
- Essays
- Non-fiction works
How to Use Your Books
You can use your books to help you answer the free-response questions. However, you will not be able to use your books during the exam to answer the multiple-choice questions.
Here are some tips on how to use your books effectively:
- Use your books to find evidence to support your claims. When you are writing your essays, you will need to support your claims with evidence from the text. You can use your books to find the specific passages that you need to support your claims.
- Use your books to help you understand the text. If you are having trouble understanding a particular passage, you can use your books to help you. You can look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary or thesaurus. You can also read the notes that you have made in your books.
- Use your books to generate ideas for your essays. If you are having trouble coming up with ideas for your essays, you can use your books to help you. You can read the different essays that are included in your books. You can also look at the study questions that are included in your books.
What Happens if You Bring Prohibited Materials?
If you bring prohibited materials into the exam, you will be asked to remove them. If you refuse to remove the materials, you may be dismissed from the exam.
Prohibited materials include:
- Textbooks
- Study guides
- Critical analysis or interpretation of the work
- Notes
- Electronic devices
Conclusion
You can bring books into the AP Lit exam, but there are some restrictions. You can bring in one unannotated text of your choice, which can be a novel, play, or collection of poems. The text cannot be a textbook, study guide, or other materials that provide critical analysis or interpretation of the work. You can also bring in a dictionary and a thesaurus.
You can use your books to help you answer the free-response questions. However, you will not be able to use your books during the exam to answer the multiple-choice questions.
It is important to be aware of the restrictions on what you can bring into the exam. If you bring prohibited materials, you will be asked to remove them. If you refuse to remove the materials, you may be dismissed from the exam.
Table 1: Permitted Materials
Item | Permitted |
---|---|
Unannotated text of your choice | Yes |
Dictionary | Yes |
Thesaurus | Yes |
Table 2: Prohibited Materials
Item | Prohibited |
---|---|
Textbooks | Yes |
Study guides | Yes |
Critical analysis or interpretation of the work | Yes |
Notes | Yes |
Electronic devices | Yes |
Table 3: Tips for Using Your Books Effectively
Tip | Description |
---|---|
Use your books to find evidence to support your claims | When you are writing your essays, you will need to support your claims with evidence from the text. You can use your books to find the specific passages that you need to support your claims. |
Use your books to help you understand the text | If you are having trouble understanding a particular passage, you can use your books to help you. You can look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary or thesaurus. You can also read the notes that you have made in your books. |
Use your books to generate ideas for your essays | If you are having trouble coming up with ideas for your essays, you can use your books to help you. You can read the different essays that are included in your books. You can also look at the study questions that are included in your books. |
Table 4: Consequences of Bringing Prohibited Materials
Consequence | Description |
---|---|
You will be asked to remove the materials | If you bring prohibited materials into the exam, you will be asked to remove them. |
You may be dismissed from the exam | If you refuse to remove the materials, you may be dismissed from the exam. |