Question 4: Cultural Comparison
88 minutes
4
50% (12.5% per question)
The first part of the multiple-choice section contains sets of questions based on one or more print text sources.
The second part of the multiple-choice section contains sets of questions based on audio text sources, as well as a combination of audio and print text sources.
Read More: Review for the exam with our AP Psychology Crash Courses
AP scores are reported from 1 to 5. Colleges are generally looking for a 4 or 5 on the AP Spanish Language & Culture exam, but some may grant credit for a 3. Here’s how students scored on the May 2020 test:
|
|
|
5 | Extremely qualified | 30.5% |
4 | Well qualified | 36.4% |
3 | Qualified | 23.1% |
2 | Possibly qualified | 8.8% |
1 | No recommendation | 1.2% |
Source: College Board
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Develop your Spanish language skills and learn about the cultures in Spanish-speaking parts of the world. You’ll practice communicating in Spanish and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books.
Understanding Spanish when you hear it and read it
Holding conversations in real-life situations
Writing stories, letters, emails, essays, and other texts
College course equivalent.
An intermediate level (typically third- or fourth-semester) college course in Spanish language
There are no prerequisites, but students are typically in their fourth year of high-school-level study. In the case of native or heritage speakers, there may be a different pathway of study leading to this course.
The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.
Unit 1: families in different societies.
You’ll learn Spanish language skills in the context of studying family life and values in Spanish-speaking communities and explore contemporary beliefs and challenges that families face.
Skills you will practice may include:
You'll build your vocabulary and learn about how language and culture shape and reflect evolving ideas about identity in Spanish-speaking societies.
You'll explore how ideas of beauty and art influence and reflect culture in Spanish-speaking communities.
You'll examine how developments in science and technology affect daily life in Spanish-speaking communities and use your growing language skills to help you interpret unfamiliar words and engage in more complicated texts.
You'll learn more about contemporary life in Spanish-speaking communities and how social status, cultural perspectives, and access to jobs and resources can make an impact on the quality of life.
You'll explore how complex global issues affect people's lives in Spanish-speaking communities and engage in deeper discussions to suggest possible solutions.
Credit and Placement
Find colleges that grant credit and/or placement for AP Exam scores in this and other AP courses.
Ap classroom resources.
Once you join your AP class section online, you’ll be able to access AP Daily videos, any assignments from your teacher, and your assignment results in AP Classroom. Sign in to access them.
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.
Learn how AP world language and culture courses can broaden your perspective and help you communicate with people from diverse backgrounds.
Learn more about how an AP world language and culture course can help enhance your language skills and deepen your understanding of your cultural heritage.
Sigue leyendo para conocer cinco maneras en las que te vas a beneficiar al tomar cursos AP de lengua y cultura mundial.
AP Spanish Language and Culture can lead to a wide range of careers and college majors
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In order to do well on the AP Spanish exam’s free-response section, you must be able to write a persuasive essay based on three Spanish-language sources.
Here we’ve put together a list of 52 vocabulary words and essays phrases that will come in handy for making and supporting arguments in your AP Spanish essays.
Starting your essay, agreeing and disagreeing, stating an opinion, supporting an opinion, contrasting (or comparing), transitional phrases, changing topics, concluding your essay, how to prepare for the ap spanish essay, what are the details of the ap spanish essay, and one more thing….
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Para empezar – To begin with
Hoy en día – Nowadays…
Hoy en día, las personas están en Internet hasta ocho horas por día. (Nowadays, people are on the Internet up to eight hours per day.)
A manera de introducción – We can start by saying…
Como punto de partida – As a starting point
Al principio – At the beginning…
En primer lugar – To start…
Empecemos por considerar – Let’s begin by considering…
Estoy de acuerdo/No estoy de acuerdo — I agree/I disagree
Estoy de acuerdo con lo que dice el autor. (I agree with what the author says.)
No estoy de acuerdo con la idea principal de la fuente número dos . (I disagree with the main idea of source number two.)
En mi opinión — In my opinion
En mi opinión, los jóvenes deberían comer más sano. (In my opinion, young people should eat healthier.)
La verdad es — The truth is
La verdad es que todavía hay mucha desigualdad en los Estados Unidos . (The truth is there is still a lot of inequality in the United States.)
Es verdad — It’s true
Es verdad que las redes sociales pueden ser peligrosas . (It’s true that social media can be dangerous.)
Es falso — It’s false
Hay gente que dice que las redes sociales son peligrosas, pero esto es falso . (There are people who say that social media is dangerous, but this is false.)
Me parece/No me parece — It seems to me/It doesn’t seem to me
Me parece bien que los niños asistan a colegios bilingües . (I think it’s a good idea that children attend bilingual schools.)
No me parece bien que los niños asistan a colegios bilingües . (I don’t think it’s a good idea that children attend bilingual schools.)
Remember that since me parece implies an opinion or emotion, you must conjugate the verb in the subjunctive tense.
(Yo) pienso que — I think that
Yo pienso que no hay nada más importante que la familia . (I think that there is nothing more important than family.)
(Yo) creo que — I believe that
Yo creo que todos los adolescentes deberían aprender a tocar un instrumento . (I believe that all adolescents should learn to play an instrument.)
The following phrases all have the same structure: Es + adjective + que .
This structure is similar to the English “It’s [adjective] that…” and is great for expressing and supporting opinions in a strong and confident manner. Here are some phrases that are especially useful when making and defending claims in a persuasive essay:
Es evidente que — It’s evident that
Es claro que — It’s clear that
Es cierto que — It’s certain that
Es obvio que — It’s obvious that
Es importante que — It’s important that
Es necesario que — It’s necessary that
Es probable que — It’s probable that
Es dudoso que — It’s doubtful that
For some of these phrases, the verb following the word que must be conjugated in the indicative, while others require the subjunctive . A good rule of thumb is that when implying that something is certain, use the indicative. When expressing doubt or expressing some other emotion, use the subjunctive.
On this list, evidente, claro, cierto and obvio use indicative verbs, and importante, necesario, probable and dudoso use subjunctive verbs.
Es cierto que nuestro clima está cambiando . (It is certain that our climate is changing.)
Es importante que la gente sepa hablar más de un idioma . (It’s important that people know how to speak more than one language.)
These words will help you refer to your three sources, which contain information that will help you support your argument. This section also contains transition words to connect one part of your argument to the next.
Según — According to
Según el autor… (according to the author…)
La fuente — The source
Según la fuente numero 1… (According to source number one…)
El tema — The theme/topic
Esto es un tema muy importante. (This is a very important topic.)
Mostrar — To show
La fuente muestra la importancia de la diversidad. (The source shows the importance of diversity.)
Remember, mostrar is an o-ue stem-changing verb—pay attention to conjugation!
Demostrar — To demonstrate
La tabla demuestra que muchos jóvenes en España juegan al fútbol. (The table demonstrates that many youths in Spain play football.)
Demostrar is also an o-ue stem changing verb. Luckily for you, it follows the exact same conjugation rules as mostrar !
Indicar — To indicate
La tabla indica que hay muchas familias pobres en ese barrio. (The table indicates that there are many poor families in that neighborhood.)
Apoyar — To support
Estos datos apoyan la idea de que el clima está cambiando. (This data supports the idea that the climate is changing)
Sin duda — Without a doubt
Sin duda, el cambio climático es el problema más grave que enfrenta nuestra planeta. (Without a doubt, climate change is the most serious problem that our planet faces.)
Por otra parte — On the other hand
Es importante que la economía crezca, pero por otra parte, tenemos que cuidar el medio ambiente. (It’s important that the economy grows, but on the other hand, we have to care for the environment.)
Aunque — Even though/Although
Aunque is followed by an indicative verb when the outcome is known, but a subjunctive verb when the outcome is speculative.
Aunque cuesta mucho dinero, tenemos que buscar una solución. (Even though it costs a lot of money, we have to search for a solution.)
Aunque cueste mucho dinero, tenemos que buscar una solución . (Even though it may cost a lot of money, we have to search for a solution.)
Al igual que — Just like
Al igual que en los años 40, hoy en día hay mucha gente que no quiere ayudar a los refugiados de guerra . (Just like in the 40s, today there are many people who don’t want to help war refugees.)
Tanto… como… — … as well as…
Fill in this phrase with two nouns to emphasize that you’re talking equally about two different things.
Tanto chicos como chicas deberían aprender a cocinar, limpiar, coser y cuidar a los bebés. (Boys as well as girls ought to learn how to cook, clean, sew and care for babies.)
Sino — But rather
Remember that Spanish has two translations for the English word “but.” The word sino is like the English phrase “but rather,” used to introduce an alternative.
En comparación — In comparison
En comparación, la fuente número 2 indica que hay más obesidad en Estados Unidos que en España . (In comparison, source number 2 indicates that there is more obesity in the United States than in Spain.)
Leer no es una pérdida de tiempo, sino una manera de aprender y de conocer otras culturas . (Reading isn’t a waste of time, but rather a way to learn and understand other cultures.)
Además — Additionally
This word is usually seen at the beginning of a sentence, and it’s useful for transitioning from one idea or argument to another.
Además, es evidente que la tecnología nos ayuda mucho. (Additionally, it’s evident that technology helps us a lot.)
Sin embargo — However
This is another good transition word. In your essay, you may want to present an alternate argument and then explain why you disagree with it. Sin embargo is very helpful for this.
Obviamente, estudiar es muy importante. Sin embargo, es necesario que los adolescentes tengan tiempo para jugar con sus amigos . (Obviously, studying is very important. However, it’s necessary that teenagers have time to play with their friends.)
Por lo cual — For this reason/That’s why/Which is why
This phrase is used in the middle of a sentence to connect ideas.
La Amazonía tiene un alto nivel de biodiversidad, por lo cual la conservación de esta región debe ser una prioridad. (The Amazon has a high level of biodiversity, which is why the conservation of this region must be a priority.)
Sobre un tema relacionado — On a related topic
Sobre un tema relacionado con la inteligencia artificial, se están llevando a cabo investigaciones para mejorar la capacidad de aprendizaje de los algoritmos de machine learning. (Regarding a topic related to artificial intelligence, research is being conducted to enhance the learning capacity of machine learning algorithms.)
Cuando se trata de – When it comes to
Relacionado con esta idea — Related to this idea
Una idea similar es — A similar idea is
Una idea similar es utilizar la realidad virtual como herramienta educativa para mejorar la experiencia de aprendizaje de los estudiantes. (A similar idea is to use virtual reality as an educational tool to enhance the learning experience of students.)
Ahora estoy pasando a — Now moving onto
In your final paragraph, you’ll want to provide a summary of your main argument and your main supporting points. You can use the following helpful phrases:
En conclusión — In conclusion
En resumen — In summary
En fin — Finally
En conclusión,/En resumen,/En fin, las tres fuentes muestran que la contaminación del aire es un problema muy grave para todo el mundo . (In summary, the three sources show that air pollution is a very serious problem for the whole world.)
After summarizing your essay, you’ll want to restate your main argument in a succinct, strongly-worded sentence. Start with these phrases:
Por estas razones — For these reasons
Por eso — That is why
Así que — Therefore
Entonces — So
Por estas razones,/Por eso,/Así que/Entonces, afirmo que los adolescentes no deberían usar las redes sociales. (For these reasons, I affirm that teenagers should not use social media.)
In many ways, preparing for the free-response section is the same as preparing for the rest of the AP exam.
It involves studying grammar and vocabulary, and it also means immersing yourself in the Spanish language as much as possible.
There are also some targeted ways to practice for the free-response section.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
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You can also find some great info on great news outlets , podcasts , YouTube channels and blogs —all in Spanish. Even following some Spanish Twitter feeds or listening to Spanish music can be a great way to work a little language practice into your day.
The free-response section of the exam is meant to test your ability to communicate with others in spoken and written Spanish.
There are two essays in the free-response section. The interpersonal essay asks you to respond to an email. The presentational essay tests how well you can draw information from Spanish-language sources, form an argument and write formally. This second essay is a little less straightforward, so we’ll walk you through it here.
So, how does it work?
The presentational essay is based on three sources . Two of them are written sources and one is an audio source.
These sources can be just about anything: Advertisements, articles, infographics, letters, maps, interviews, radio programs, podcasts and conversations are just some examples of the types of sources you may encounter.
You’ll have about 55 minutes to complete this particular essay. First, you’ll have six minutes to read the prompt and the two written sources, and then you’ll hear the audio source twice. Finally, you’ll have 40 minutes to plan and write your essay.
The essay is graded on the basis of Spanish language skills like reading, listening, writing and grammar—but it’s also based on your general ability to analyze the sources and make a strong, coherent argument.
Of course, learning vocabulary and essay phrases is just one way to prepare for the free-response section.
Remember to expose yourself to as many Spanish-language sources as you can before test day, and don’t forget to think critically about those sources as you read them!
If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU .
Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.
FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:
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Specialty Spanish
Ideas and Resources for Spanish Teachers
Need some help with the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay? In my humble opinion, it is the most complicated task our AP Spanish students will have to complete. El ensayo argumentativo requires excellent reading skills, listening skills and writing skills. So how can we help our students do well on this part of the AP Spanish exam? Here are some tips!
Students need to understand what exactly they need to do for the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay. Consider taking the class time to have a mini lesson that provides the specifics and details of the expectations. Here is a short list of what students should know.
-2 readings; one in narrative form and usually on graph or chart
-1 listening source
-each source must be referenced at least once in their essay
-writing needs to be organized and concise
-only 1 hour to read, listen and write!
I created this Google Slides presentation for the direct instruction I provide to my students. Feel free to create one too, or use mine to save time!
Don’t assume that your students have good writing skills. *Yes, they need to understand what they read and hear. Let’s assume that they are practicing those skills daily in one way or another in class. But in my experience, students really struggle with organizing their writing.
Teach them how to write a concise introductory paragraph that ends with a thesis statement (the answer to the question that was asked for the task).
Then teach them how to write a topic sentence. When they have a clear topic sentence, their paragraph is much more likely to stay on track. This is really important, because the time constraint on this section of the AP Exam is a big challenge!
Design teacher-friendly ways for students to practice.
Let’s face it. Students need lots of practice and lots of feedback to get good at this essay. But essays are very time consuming to write and very time consuming to grade.
The strategy I use with my students is to break the essay into parts and allow them to practice one part at a time.
Day 1: Direct instruction followed by a set of sources
-Teach students how to focus on what the question is
-Encourage them to underline, star and highlight important parts of the text
-Ask them to take notes while listening
*Now, develop a thesis/answer to the question. Teach them to choose the one that’s easier to prove rather than the one they believe is the right answer!
Pair students. Have them write the introductory paragraph only. I am always shocked with how many students need help getting the formula right for their intro. I tell them to put their thesis statement last! Why don’t they?? Lol!
Giving feedback on just one paragraph is far less overwhelming and time consuming than grading a whole essay, especially if they’re working in pairs! Half the correcting!
Once they have a good intro paragraph, have them move on to their topic sentences for each body paragraph. Ask them to identify a quote/idea from each source to include within their paragraph.
When you are happy with their topic sentences and quotes, now they can write their conclusion. This part is easier- it’s the inverse of their introduction!
Share resources!
At least for me, it took me a long time to feel confident in my instruction for the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay. I did not have a colleague- I was (and still am) the only one teaching the course at my school. The College Board did not have AP Classroom, or at least nothing like what exists now. I had never heard of Teachers Pay Teachers.
Therefore, I learned by trial and error and created everything from scratch. It was time consuming. Like…. years!!!!
Profes, don’t do that to yourself!
If you have a teaching partner in your school, or maybe someone you know from another district, divide and conquer! Share what you create!
Here are the resources I know about that may help you and your students gain confidence regarding the Argumentative Essay!
AP Spanish Language and Culture: the College Board site (has lots of lessons, videos and free practices!)
AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: Sample Intro Paragraphs (FREEBIE!)
AP Spanish Argumentative Essay Feedback Checklist (My lifesaver!)
AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: Graphic Organizer for Student Practice
AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: How To
Test Prep Growing Mega Bundle (This includes all my materials for the open ended sections of the AP Spanish test)
Argumentative Essay Part 1
Argumentative Essay Part 2
AP Spanish Email Reply
AP Lesson Plan, Posters, Lesson Plan Templates, Goal-Setting, Presentations How-To Handouts, and more!
Get the password to my FREE Resource Library!!
Click here!
Advanced Placement (AP)
The AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam is an excellent opportunity to show off your critical reading, writing, and analytical skills in another language while earning college credit in the process.
But conquering the course material is only the beginning. You need to learn everything there is to know about the exam to boost your chances of earning a passing score (and college credit) to boot!
In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know to start prepping for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam , including:
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!
The AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam tests your understanding of Spanish language skills and literature written in Spanish , including short stories, novels, essays, plays, and poetry.
Like most AP exams, the test lasts for a total of three hours . You’ll have to answer 65 multiple choice questions and four free-response questions to complete the test.
The AP Spanish Lit exam is divided into two sections. Section I of the exam consists of 65 multiple-choice questions and lasts for one hour and 20 minutes (80 minutes total). The multiple-choice section is further divided into two parts: Part 1A, and Part 1B. Both Part A and Part B of Section I are totally multiple choice, but they test you on different skills. As a whole, Section I counts for 50% of your total exam score .
Section II of the exam tests your critical reading and analytical writing skills through four free response questions . Section II lasts for 1 hour and 40 minutes (100 minutes) and counts for 50% of your total exam score . Each free response question asks you to write either a short answer or longer essay in response to a specific text or set of texts (called “stimulus” on the exam).
To help you visualize the breakdown, here’s the AP Spanish Lit exam structure in table format:
Source: The College Board
But is AP Spanish Literature hard? If you want to get an idea of how difficult the exam is and learn how to get a 5 on AP Spanish Literature, keep reading: we’ll break down the course content, skills, and themes (temas de AP Spanish Literature) that you need to understand for the AP Spanish Lit exam next!
AP Spanish Lit is focused around six core themes , or temas de AP Spanish Literature. These course themes are designed to help you develop the skills you need to fully understand Spanish literature and culture…and ace the AP Spanish Lit exam!
Exploring these themes and applying them to the texts on the AP Spanish Literature reading list will equip you with the critical thinking and analytical skills you need to succeed on the AP Spanish Literature exam. The six themes and skills that you’ll master during the course are:
The AP Spanish Lit themes and skills are typically taught through eight units of study . Understanding these units of study will help you get a big picture view of what the course covers, and how different course topics are connected. Content from each course unit will appear on the exam, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with them as early as you can!
The eight units of study in AP Spanish Literature are :
Now that you have a good sense of what’s on the AP Spanish Literature exam, let’s take a closer look at each section of the exam and the types of questions that appear in each one.
The first section of the exam tests you in two main areas: your interpretive listening skills, and your reading analysis skills .
To test you on these skills, Section I is broken down into two parts: Part A and Part B. Part A will test your interpretive listening skills, and Part B will test your reading analysis skills. Both parts of Section I use authentic Spanish language texts presented in different formats to assess your skills.
While Parts A and B of Section I test you using texts in different formats (audio vs. print/written), both parts include question types that assess you on these three skills:
Since Part A and Part B are a bit different (though both are multiple-choice!), let’s break them down a bit further next.
Part A of Section I asks you to demonstrate your ability to accurately interpret a variety of Spanish language audio texts . This part of Section I consists of 15 total questions that are presented in sets of either four or seven multiple-choice questions. Each set of questions comes with an audio text in either the format of an interview, a poem, and a discussion or lecture on literary topics.
Here’s a clearer breakdown of the structure of Part A of Section I:
Since Part A is a bit of an outlier when it comes to the testing format, it’s important to understand how this part of the exam will be administered ahead of time. Let’s look at a real interpretive listening question to get a better sense of how this part of the exam works next.
To help you get a better sense of what Section I Part A will be like, let’s take a look at a real interpretive listening question from the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam .
In the picture below, you’ll see a set of written directions (which appear in Spanish on the real exam!), a written transcript of a poem entitled “La guitarra,” and one multiple choice question. However, on the real exam, you’ll only get to listen to the text provided –you won’t be given a printed copy of it!
When this portion of the exam begins, you’ll listen to the provided text once, then have one minute to take notes and view the exam questions for this portion of the test. After that, you’ll listen to the provided text a second time, then have one minute to answer the provided set of questions (ranging from four to seven questions in total). You’ll be able to use the notes you took for reference as you answer the questions!
You can read the directions, Spanish language poem, and set of four questions for our example interpretive listening task here:
And here's the question set:
The four questions in the set above ask about the events that occur in the poem, as well as the poem’s imagery, tone, and writing style . We’ll break down the correct answers for each question here:
To ace interpretive listening questions like these, you’ll need to listen closely, jot down notes about important words, themes, or ideas, and use context clues to accurately analyze the texts that you’re given.
Next, let’s look at the second part of Section I of the exam: Part B, multiple-choice reading analysis.
Section I Part B asks you to demonstrate your skills of reading analysis by engaging with print or written texts. On this part of Section I, you’ll be given 60 minutes to complete 50 multiple-choice questions. Part B accounts for 40% of your exam score .
The questions on Part B are divided into four sets. Each set applies to a specific text or set of texts. To give you a clearer picture of how Part B is structured, we’ll break it down further below:
To help you get a better sense of what Section I Part B will be like, let’s take a look at a real set of reading analysis questions from the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam .
In the picture below, you’ll see a set of written directions (Spanish-only provided on the real exam!), a written passage, and a set of five multiple-choice questions :
Each of the questions above asks you to analyze the provided text and select the answer choice that best characterizes your understanding of the text’s meaning . Now, let’s look at the correct answers for each question and the skills you’ll need to successfully choose them:
To succeed on reading analysis questions like the ones above, you’ll need to have a solid grasp of Spanish language conventions, strong analytical skills, and the ability to interpret ideas in different contexts.
Next, let’s look more closely at Section II of the AP Spanish Lit exam: the free-response section.
Or more accurately, escribe algo.
Section II of the AP Spanish Lit exam lasts for one hour and 40 minutes, includes four free-response questions, and counts for 50% of your exam score.
There are two distinct types of questions on the AP Spanish Lit free-response section : short answer questions, and essay questions. Both types of free-response questions test your ability to clearly and thoughtfully explain the events of a text, analyze texts, and compare and contrast multiple texts that share common themes. You’ll demonstrate these skills by writing short and longer free-responses on the exam!
To help you understand what free-response questions will be like on the exam, we’ll walk you through a real exam question, scoring rubric, and student response for both short-answer and essay questions below.
On the AP Spanish Lit exam, you’ll respond to two short-answer questions . The sample question below is an example of a short answer free-response question from the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam. This short-answer question asks students to provide a Spanish-language explanation of the provided text, which comes from Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s poem “ Hombres necios que acusáis ,” written in 1689:
The free-response short answer question above asks students to read the provided text, identify the author and period of the text, and explain the development of a given theme in the text.
We’ll provide a sample student response to this question in just a minute, but first, let’s see how you could earn full credit for this question. Take a look at the official scoring rubric used to evaluate this question on the 2021 Spanish AP Lit exam to see how your response will be scored:
The example student response below comes straight from the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam. The student is responding to the short-answer question we’ve included above.
This short-answer response received a 3 for Content and a 3 for Language based on the criteria in the scoring rubric above. That means that this student response received six out of six possible points for this free-response question!
There are two free-response essay questions on the AP Spanish Lit exam . To help you get an idea of what these questions are like, let’s go over a sample essay question, scoring rubric, and student response from the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam.
The free-response essay question below asks students to analyze how a single text represents both the specified period, movement, literary genre, and technique and the given cultural context. The selected text in the question below comes from Gabriel García Márquez’s short story, “ La siesta del martes” :
Before we look at a real student’s response to this essay question, let’s look at the scoring rubric used to evaluate responses to this essay question . The rubric below was used to score this type of essay question on the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam:
Now that you know how this type of essay question is scored, let’s look at a real student’s response to this essay question. This student’s response comes straight from the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam and scored a 5/5 for Content and a 5/5 for Language, which means this response received full points !
Understanding how your AP Spanish Lit exam will be scored can help you feel more prepared for the exam. Here, we’ll overview how each section of the AP Spanish lit exam is scored, scaled, and combined to produce your final score on the AP 1-5 scale .
As a refresher, here’s how the score percentages break down on the AP Spanish Literature exam:
On the multiple choice section, you earn one raw point for every question you answer correctly. This means that the maximum raw score you can earn on the multiple choice section is 65 points. No points are deducted for wrong answers .
The free-response section is a bit different. The two short answer free-response questions are each worth six raw points, and the two essay free-response questions are worth 10 points each. This means that there are a total of 32 possible points in the free-response section.
Keep in mind that you’ll lose points on free-response questions only for major errors , like failing to analyze or compare the provided texts, for instance. You aren’t going to lose points for a stray comma splice here and there as long as grammatical errors don’t interfere with the AP grader’s ability to understand your response.
You can earn 97 raw points on the AP Spanish Lit exam. Here’s how those are divided by section:
From there, your raw scores will be converted into a scaled score of 1-5 by the College Board. That’s the score you’ll see when you receive your official score report! Unfortunately, the 5 rate for the AP Spanish Literature exam is pretty low compared to other AP exams . You can see what percentage of test takers earned each possible score on the 2021 AP Spanish Lit exam below:
You know what’s on the exam and how it’s scored. Now you’re ready to get down to business! If you’re wondering how to study for AP Spanish Literature, keep reading–we’ll give you four top tips for kickstarting your Spanish AP Literature prep below!
The best way to assess your preparedness for the AP Spanish Lit exam is to test your skills out on a practice exam. Taking a practice exam will help you identify skills and texts that you struggle with. From there, you can design a study plan that targets your weaker areas to improve your chances of earning a passing score !
You can find a full set of official multiple-choice practice questions here , and the College Board provides a large repository of past free-response exam questions on their website . Be sure to use official practice questions like the ones linked here as much as possible. Using official practice materials ensures you’re getting quality practice that’s very similar to the real exam!
The AP Spanish Literature course includes a total of 38 required texts –and you’ll be expected to read and know all of them for the exam. That’s a lot of texts to master, especially if Spanish isn’t your first language!
Your AP teacher will dedicate lots of class time to teaching you the texts on the AP Spanish Literature reading list, but if you want to really learn them, you’ll need to spend time studying them outside of class too. Remember: all of the required course readings will be unabridged, full-text, and in Spanish. The more effort you dedicate to studying the texts on the AP Spanish Literature reading list on your own time, the more successful you’re likely to be on the AP exam.
The College Board provides an official AP Spanish Literature reading list on their website . You can use this list to start working through the course readings and searching for supplemental study materials for individual texts online.
Understanding the six core themes of the AP Spanish Lit course (temas de AP Spanish Literature) is crucial to success on the AP exam. These course themes are designed to promote critical thinking about the course readings and encourage making connections and comparisons between different texts and cultures.
As you take the AP Spanish Literature course, you’ll notice that the course themes are paired with various learning goals. Pay close attention when these themes pop up in course materials and consider what you should be learning from them! Doing this will help you develop the skills you need to interpret, analyze, and compare texts on the exam .
As you progress through the AP Spanish Lit course, you’ll begin to notice question types that seem to trip you up. As you get graded quizzes and tests back during class, keep running notes about the questions you miss. Jot down what type of question it was (multiple choice or free response), the skills it assessed, and where you lost points or went wrong.
From there, you can find and work with practice questions (like the ones linked earlier!) that are the same type as the ones you’ve struggled with. The more you practice with questions that trip you up, the more likely you’ll be to get them right on the real exam!
Need a little help with your Spanish vocabulary? This list of how to talk about body parts in Spanish can give you a fun way to brush up!
Thinking about taking another foreign language in high school? This guide will help you pick the best languages for you.
While the SAT Spanish subject test is no longer offered, you can use the free study materials to help you practice your reading and comprehension skills. We’ve compiled a list of resources that you can use as extra prep.
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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.
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AP SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE EXAM: 3 HOURS
Exam questions are based on the six learning objectives and assess all themes. As much as possible, students read and listen to authentic texts from the Spanish-speaking world throughout the exam.
The AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam Description provides complete details about the exam.
Format of Assessment
Section II : Free Response | 4 Questions | ~ 1 Hour, 28 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score (each question is weighted equally)
Section I: Multiple Choice | Approx. 95 minutes | |||
Part A | Interpretive Communication: Print Texts | 30 questions | 50% | Approx. 40 minutes |
Part B | Interpretive Communication: Print and Audio Texts (combined) | 35 questions | Approx. 55 minutes | |
Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts | ||||
Section II: Free Response | Approx. 85 minutes | |||
Interpersonal Writing: Email Reply | 1 prompt | 12.5% | 15 minutes | |
Presentational Writing: Persuasive Essay | 1 prompt | 12.5% | Approx. 55 minutes | |
Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation | 5 prompts | 12.5% | 20 seconds for each response | |
Presentational Speaking: Cultural Comparison | 1 prompt | 12.5% | 2 minutes to respond |
Multiple-Choice Questions
For sample multiple-choice questions, refer to the Course and Exam Description .
Free-Response Questions
Below are free-response questions from past AP Spanish Language and Culture Exams .
2021: Free-Response Questions
AP Spanish Language and Culture 2021 Audio Scripts
Speaking Audio Prompts
2019: Free-Response Questions
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2014: Free-Response Questions
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COMMENTS
Teachers: Explore timing and format for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam. Review sample questions, scoring guidelines, and sample student responses. Scores for 2024 AP Exams are available now. ... Write an argumentative essay based on 3 sources, including an article, a table, graph, chart, or infographic, and a related audio source ...
If you are using assistive technology and need help accessing these PDFs in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected]. The 2020 free-response questions are available in the AP Classroom question bank. Download free-response questions from past AP Spanish Language and ...
AP® Spanish Language and Culture 2021 Scoring Guidelines. Score of 0: UNACCEPTABLE. • Mere restatement of language from the prompt • Clearly does not respond to the prompt; completely irrelevant to the topic • "I don't know," "I don't understand," or equivalent in any language • Not in the language of the exam.
About the Exam. The AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam will test your ability to apply communication and language skills developed in the course and ask you to demonstrate your understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures. 2025 AP Exam dates available soon. Exam Duration. 3hrs 03mins.
The student's. AP® SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE 2017 SCORING COMMENTARY. Task 2: Persuasive Essay (continued) viewpoint is clearly stated in lines 41-45: "Otros dirán que ... a cualquier respuesta.". This personal viewpoint is clearly demonstrated by disagreeing with the argument stated in source 1.
AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Content. At 3 hours and 3 minutes long, the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam is one of the longer-lasting AP exams. It consists of two primary sections—the first section featuring multiple-choice questions, and the second made up of free response questions.
This is an organized essay where the thesis is presented from the beginning: "más facilidad" and "oportunidad a conectar.". The thesis structures the body paragraphs of the essay and is followed by a logical conclusion. The student uses explicit cohesive devices well: "Para empezar"; "También"; "Además"; "Para concluir ...
• Organized essay; some effective use of transitional elements or cohesive devices • Fully understandable, with some errors that do not impede comprehensibility ... AP Spanish Language and Culture Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary from the 2018 Exam Administration: Task 2 - Persuasive Essay Keywords:
This year, all AP exams will cover all units and essay types. The 2024 AP Spanish Lang exam format will be: Reading Multiple Choice - 23% of your score. 30 questions in 40 minutes. Reading/. Listening Multiple Choice. - 27% of your score. 35 questions in 55 minutes. Email Reply.
5: STRONG performance in Presentational Speaking. Effective treatment of topic within the context of the task. Clearly compares the student's own community with the target culture, including supporting details and relevant examples. Demonstrates understanding of the target culture, despite a few minor inaccuracies.
AP® Spanish Language and Culture 2022 Scoring Guidelines . Question 1: Email Reply 5 points . ... Organized essay; effective use of transitional elements or cohesive devices • Barely understandable, with ... There is no single expected format or style for referring to and identifying sources appropriately. For example, test takers may opt to ...
Sections & Question Types. The AP Spanish Language & Culture Exam is just over 3 hours long to complete and is comprised of two sections: a multiple-choice section and a free-response section. There are two parts to the multiple-choice section, and four questions in the free-response section. Section. Timing. Number of Questions. % of Exam Score.
The Argumentative Essay on the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam is "arguably" one of the most difficult tasks. It is the open-ended section that takes the most time. It really challenges students to demonstrate excellent reading and listening comprehension skills. Their vocabulary and grammar skills are also put to the test.
You'll build your vocabulary and learn about how language and culture shape and reflect evolving ideas about identity in Spanish-speaking societies. Skills you will practice may include: Identifying the main idea and summarizing short stories. Comprehending articles and infographics. Interpreting audio and video reports.
Integrates content from all three sources in support of an argument. Presents and defends the student's own position on the topic with a high degree of clarity; develops an argument with coherence and detail. Organized essay; effective use of transitional elements or cohesive devices. Fully understandable, with ease and clarity of expression ...
52 Spanish Essay Phrases for Your AP Exam. In order to do well on the AP Spanish exam's free-response section, you must be able to write a persuasive essay based on three Spanish-language sources.. Here we've put together a list of 52 vocabulary words and essays phrases that will come in handy for making and supporting arguments in your AP Spanish essays.
AP Spanish Argumentative Essay Tip #3. Design teacher-friendly ways for students to practice. Let's face it. Students need lots of practice and lots of feedback to get good at this essay. But essays are very time consuming to write and very time consuming to grade. The strategy I use with my students is to break the essay into parts and allow ...
The structure and format of the AP Spanish Lit exam; ... The AP Spanish Literature and Culture exam tests your understanding of Spanish language skills and literature written in Spanish, including short stories, novels, essays, ... There are two free-response essay questions on the AP Spanish Lit exam. To help you get an idea of what these ...
teacher resources; exam resources; exam information; scoring information; score rationale; AP Spanish Language and Culture Sample Student Responses and Scoring Commentary from the 2018 Exam Administration: Task 1 - EmailSÒ O ¿L¬»{9 Û Õ} Created Date: 8/22/2018 12:23:38 PM
bulary and idiomatic language General contr. of grammar, syntax, and usage Generally consistent use of register appropriate for the situation, except for occasional shifts; basic control of cultural conventions appropriate for formal correspo. , and a few complex sentences Maintains the exchange with a response that is clearly appropriat.
1: POOR performance in Presentational Speaking. Almost no treatment of topic within the context of the task. Presents information only about the student's own community or only about the target culture, and may not include examples. Demonstrates minimal understanding of the target culture; generally inaccurate.
AP Spanish Syllabus. 2022 AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022, @ 8:00 AM. AP SPANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE EXAM: 3 HOURS. Exam questions are based on the six learning objectives and assess all themes. As much as possible, students read and listen to authentic texts from the Spanish-speaking world throughout the exam.
AP® Spanish Language and Culture