If you’re a voracious reader of fiction and a decent test-taker, you can walk into the English Language and English Literature exams with no preparation and get a perfect score.
Data point: I read a whole lot of fantasy and sci-fi during high school and remember only getting a 3 on English Literature. I think that that it asked enough questions about a specific body of works typically read in high school English classes that it substantially affected my grade (I had read enough of these to have something to write about, but my essays weren’t much good because I hadn’t looked at some of the books I was writing on since freshman/sophomore year.) I got a 4 on English Language, though, because the knowledge required was more general.
I got a 5 on my AP Lit, and I had a similar impression—while I read a ton (not just SF/F; plenty of regular literature) and am a very good test-taker, I still probably would not have gotten a 5 without taking the class. Taking it cold, I’m not sure I could reliably pull off better than a 3.
Data point: I read a whole lot of fantasy and sci-fi during high school and remember only getting a 3 on English Literature. I think that that it asked enough questions about a specific body of works typically read in high school English classes that it substantially affected my grade (I had read enough of these to have something to write about, but my essays weren’t much good because I hadn’t looked at some of the books I was writing on since freshman/sophomore year.) I got a 4 on English Language, though, because the knowledge required was more general.
I got a 5 on my AP Lit, and I had a similar impression—while I read a ton (not just SF/F; plenty of regular literature) and am a very good test-taker, I still probably would not have gotten a 5 without taking the class. Taking it cold, I’m not sure I could reliably pull off better than a 3.