Can You Pass This AP English Test Prep Quiz?

By: Elizabeth Lavis
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Pass This AP English Test Prep Quiz?
Image: PeopleImages / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

We use the English language every day, but how many of us really know how to use it with the flair of a master wordsmith?

It takes a lot of skill to make your words sing, so we've peppered this quiz with some of the toughest AP vocabulary, plus grammar questions that will make you wish that you had paid attention in the tenth grade. If you think you can string a sentence together seamlessly and know the difference between an adverb and a metaphor, try your hand at this nerdy but super fun English Test Prep Quiz!

We've also included some words that have gone out of style, but we totally hope that they will come back into fashion. By the end of this quiz, you will have been able to add a few new amazing words to your vocabulary arsenal. Break them out at your next party. We promise it will be fun, and you'll get to impress everyone with your staggering and sophisticated understanding of the English language.

If you think you remember AP English and that your vocab and grammar are on point, it's time to show us what you've got. Get ready, English nerds; we're going back to school!

Q 10 Water with no current
Pexels by Sam Kolder
This term is used to describe a body of water with no current or flow. What is it?
Stagnant
Sterile
Cultivated
Anaerobic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Stagnant water has no flow or current and often develops pond-like symptoms like underwater growth and a muddy appearance. It can also refer to the air in a stuffy, confined space.

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Q 04 Don't reveal your identity
Jupiterimages / liquidlibrary / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
When you don't reveal your identity, you are going what?
Incognito
Frivolous
Rouge
Amiable
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Going incognito means that you are being totally anonymous. This spy term has gone far out of the James Bond world to mean anonymity or using VPNs online and is largely used in that context.

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Q 11 Spinning water
400tmax / E+ / Getty Images
Speaking of water, what do we call a powerful, spinning current?
Spinnet
Languish
Vortex
Chaos
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you see a vortex of water, it is in your best interest to stay far away from it. Vortexes are tiny whirlpools that can drag you under the water in a lightning-quick blink of an eye.

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Q 21 Hostile
RapidEye / E+ / Getty Images
What is another word for hostile behavior?
Benevolence
Charisma
Belligerence
Entropy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hostile behavior is also referred to as belligerence. If someone is exhibiting belligerence, we refer to them as being belligerent, hostile or otherwise very unpleasant to be around.

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Q 24 Experience before
Eugenio Marongiu / Cultura / Getty Images
Whoa! Didn't that happen before? What's the term for thinking you've had an experience before?
Faux pas
Conundrum
Deja vu
Meta
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you have ever felt as if you've experienced something before when you know you haven't, you're enjoying a strange sensation called "deja vu." This feeling is common but hard to explain.

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Q 02 Mary and her sister
Flashpop / DigitalVision / Getty Images
"Mary and her sister sarah thoroughly enjoyed the cool airconditioned sanctuary of the movie theater." What is wrong with this sentence?
There needs to be a comma after "Mary."
"Sarah" should be capitalized.
"Movie theater" should be capitalized.
The sentence misuses the word "thoroughly."
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Sarah" needs to be capitalized because it is a proper noun. All names of people or places need to be capitalized regardless of whether they occur at the beginning of the sentence or not.

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Q 14 Not well-known
Pixabay by qimono
It's the word for something that is not well-known, or vague. What is it?
Translucent
Morose
Obscure
Vivid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

We generally use the word "obscure" to refer to something that is not well known, like an obscure band that only you and your friends know about. It can also be used as a synonym for "vague."

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Q 19 Social gaffe
Francesco Carta fotografo / Moment / Getty Images
Oops! You made a social gaffe. What's this other word for it?
Blancmange
Deja vu
Acrid
Faux pas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It happens all the time to even the most well-intentioned people. Faux pas are little social missteps that we make without thinking and wind up apologizing for in order to be forgiven.

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Q 20 Close the window
Pexels by Carlos Caamal
"I closed the windows against the incoming tempest." Why did I close the windows?
It was far too hot in the house.
I wanted to avoid having strangers come inside.
A storm was coming.
So I could clean them properly
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Tempest" is another word for a strong storm, and if one is coming, you would be wise to shut the windows against it. It can also be used to describe someone with a stormy type of personality.

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Q 12 Incensed
Jetta Productions Inc / DigitalVision / Getty Images
"Don't talk to Aaron today. He's quite incensed." Why should we avoid Aaron?
He's extremely sad.
He's busy.
He's angry.
He's sleeping.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Incensed" is a synonym for "angry". If Aaron is incensed, he is extremely angry and it is best to avoid interacting with him. Like many words for anger, "incensed" references smoke or fire.

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Q 16 Aha Moment
Pixabay by fancycrave1
It's an "aha moment" where it all comes together. What is it?
Epiphany
Resonance
Stamina
Ornate
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Epiphanies are usually what precedes a burst of brilliance; whether it's an idea that will change the world, a realization about one's own life, or a breakthrough to a stubborn problem.

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Q 03 Earth's Crust
Unsplash by Joshua Brown
It pertains to movement in the Earth's crust. What's the word?
Indigenous
Cumbersome
Flagrant
Tectonic
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tectonic activity refers to movement in the Earth's crust. Our continents sit on a series of tectonic plates, and when they shift, we get natural events like tsunamis and earthquakes.

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Q 22 Zen
Unsplash by Ante Hamersmit
Looking for somewhere zen? This term means peaceful and calm. What is it?
Chasm
Idyllic
Arduous
Sinewy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you're looking for a quiet place where a softly falling waterfall is the only sound, you're looking for an idyllic paradise. This word is the perfect term for those quiet, restorative places.

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Q 17 Clashing sounds
Guido Mieth / DigitalVision / Getty Images
When there's a lot of loud, clashing sounds, we call it this term. What is it?
Clandestine
Sophomoric
Cacophony
Lustrous
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you're trapped in a room with a bunch of sounds that are all clashing together, you are stuck inside of a cacophony of clashing sounds. It's all a little headache-inducing, isn't it?

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Q 35 Losing interest
10'000 Hours / DigitalVision / Getty Images
If you're losing interest in something or everything, you're expressing which quality?
Empathy
Apathy
Arrogance
Candor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Apathy is usually a term that is applied to teenagers who show little or no interest in anything, but it can be used to talk about anyone who is acting disinterested in something.

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Q 27 Babbling
Frank and Helena / Cultura / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
You're babbling about nothing important. What word can we use to describe you?
Stoic
Indifferent
Loquacious
Charlatan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When someone is talking seemingly to fill the air with mindless chatter, we consider them to be loquacious. It's almost the opposite of stoic and usually associated with frivolity.

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Q 15 Fake courage
Sam Edwards / OJO Images / Getty Images
Fake courage is a real thing. What's the term for it?
Bourgeois
Bravado
Emulate
Phantasma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you don't actually have courage, but you really wish that you did (or are trying to play as if you did), you are exhibiting bravado. Bravado is a show of fake courage put on for show.

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Q 33 Gorgeous cat
Pixabay by Nicman
It's a gorgeous cat that lives in primarily cold climates. What's the term?
Lynx
Sphinx
Latex
Leopard
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lynxes are a breed of large cats that live on almost every northern continent. They are medium-sized predators that are distinguished by their large, very furry ears and thick coats.

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Q 31 live off the land
Unsplash by Phoenix Han
These sorts of societies live off the land. What are they called?
Utopias
Industrial
Agrarian
Progressive
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The term "agrarian" has "agriculture" built right into it, so it's easy to remember that it refers to societies that live off the land and utilize farming as a main source of food and income.

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Q 25 Object of a sentence
Audrey Simper Photography / Moment / Getty Images
What is the object of a sentence?
The activity that the subject is doing
The person/thing affected by the actions of the subject
The thoughts of the subject
The tense of the sentence
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are two important parts of a sentence; the subject and the object. The subject is the hero of the sentence, and the object is at the whim of what the subject is doing at the time.

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Q 18 Shrewd
Unsplash by Austin Distel
If you are shrewd, you are exhibiting a lot of this quality. What is it?
Acumen
Philanthropy
Charm
Apathy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you have a high amount of acumen, you are able to make intelligent and informed decisions quickly. People who are shrewd have this quality in bulk and often use it to their advantage.

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Q 08 Fear of foreigners
Hinterhaus Productions / DigitalVision / Getty Images
This word means a fear of foreigners. What is it?
Xenophobia
Claustrophobia
Arachnophobia
Coulrophobia
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you have a fear of foreigners, you have xenophobia. We call people who exhibit these traits xenophobic, or xenophobes. Xeno is the Greek word for "stranger," and phobia is the Greek word for "fear."

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Q 05 No matter
Unsplash by Kamesh Vedula
If something doesn't have any matter, we refer to it by this term. What is it?
Venerable
Atrophied
Vacuous
Resplendent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If something doesn't have any matter, we refer to it as vacuous. This term is usually used in the scientific community, but it can also be applied to people who are shallow or vain.

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Q 06 Placid demeanor
Henrik Sorensen / DigitalVision / Getty Images
"Alan's placid demeanor served him well in stressful situations." Which option would not describe Alan?
Frantic and scatterbrained
Calm and collected
Someone who is cool under pressure
Levelheaded and relaxed
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If Alan has a placid demeanor, he is able to stay calm under pressure. People who share this quality tend to do very well and think clearly in situations that are extremely stressful.

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Q 07 Bad disposition
skynesher / E+ / Getty Images
Do you have a bad disposition? We call you this word. What is it?
Chaste
Ambivalent
Churlish
Sanguine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Churlish is a descriptive phrase for someone who has a sour, or a bad disposition. It's not a very popular word in our lexicon, but it did have its heyday a few decades ago and it's time for a comeback!

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Q 01 Pun
Unsplash by Eliott Reyna
This "play on words" is often used as a brand of humor. What is it?
Pun
Simile
Satire
Metaphor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Puns, or play on words, are humor devices that rely on double entendre or similar sounding words to make jokes. They are a popular comedic device for different types of performers.

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Q 32 Flora and fauna
Pexels by Pixabay
Defined by its flora and fauna, this word encapsulates a part of our world. What is it?
Capsule
Biome
Indigenous
Permafrost
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Biomes are combinations of flora and fauna. They are used to differentiate between certain areas of our world. For example, there are arctic, tundra and taiga biomes, just to name a few.

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Q 28 Angela has to wake up early
Francesco Carta fotografo / Moment / Getty Images
"Angela has to wake up early, she can't meet you out at the party." How can you fix this sentence so it's more grammatically correct?
Angela is waking up early, she couldn't meet you out at the party.
Angela can't meet you at the party, Angela has to wake up early.
Angela has to wake up early she can't meet you out at the party.
Angela has to wake up early; she can't meet you out at the party.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you have two independent clauses that could technically stand on their own, you need to use a semicolon to separate them. Alternately, you could separate them into two sentences.

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Q 26 Dominance
Martin Barraud / OJO Images / Getty Images
If a group has dominance over another, it has what word?
Hegemony
Equilibrium
Malevolence
Sentience
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hegemonies are groups that have demonstrable power over other groups. It's usually used in the context of how countries relate to each other. Hegemonic countries are "superpowers."

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Q 29 Optimistic and Cheerful
Pexels by Susanne Jutzeler
This word means optimistic and cheerful. What is it?
Sanguine
Choleric
Astute
Sordid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sanguine personalities are those who delight in being optimistic and cheerful. These people always see the glass as being half-full and they exude sunshine wherever they tend to go.

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Q 30 Reject institutions
Unsplash by Andre Hunter
If one completely rejects institutions and authority, they are exhibiting this quality. What is it?
Subservience
Nihilism
Cynicism
Pragmatism
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nihilism is the practice of rejecting institutions and authority and is often associated with the famous philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It is commonly associated with anarchy, although the two aren't technically the same.

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Q 09 Self starters
Unsplash by Christina @ wocintechchat.com
"Bella and Brian are self starters who like to get work done quickly." Which sentence rewrite makes it correct?
Self starters Brian and Bella like to get work done quickly.
Brian and Bella are self starters who like to get work done quickly.
Bella and Brian like to get work done quickly. Self starters.
Bella and Brian are self-starters who like to get work done quickly.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Terms like "self-starter" require a hyphen. In fact, most terms that start with "self" need a hyphen to be grammatically correct. Similarly, "ex" is almost always followed by a hyphen.

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Q 34 Toss object
Unsplash by Jose Puma
When you toss an object in the air and it makes a curve coming down, we call it which term?
Apex
Theta
Parabola
Momentum
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

We usually think of parabolas as they relate to graphs, but parabolas can be created simply by tossing a ball in the air and watching it come down in a curve. How do you like that math?

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Q 23 Political system
Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy / Cultura / Getty Images
A political system run by a few is referred to by what term?
Oligarchy
Despotic
Monarchy
Parliament
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

An oligarchy is a political system where the government and laws are controlled by a few powerful people, instead of many people, which is how things are supposed to work in a democracy.

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You Got:
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