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The Argumentative Essay on the AP Spanish Exam: Part 1

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. In addition, the argumentative essay also requires some specific knowledge of good writing skills and how to include the requirements that AP Scorers are looking for.

How To Teach the Argumentative Essay

There are many ways to approach teaching AP Spanish students how to tackle this task. This is my way, and I have had great success! I’m sure there are many other ways too!

First, I start by doing some direct instruction with THIS Google Slides presentation . It contains information like: the rules and requirements of the task, what skills it tests, what the instructions are, Do’s and Don’ts, helpful hints and a short vocabulary list and Quizlet with words and expressions that will raise the level of sophistication of their writing.

I post this presentation in their Google Classroom so that they can refer to it all year long.

The last general strategy I use is to introduce this task early in the year. I find that it takes students several attempts to put it all together, so I don’t want to have just one or 2 practices before the exam in May.

The Sources

After showing students what the Argumentative Essay entails, I give them the 3 sources from the AP Training book (Does everyone take that course for New AP Spanish Teachers? If not, any practice essay will do! Leave me a comment below if you need names of resources!)

I give time for everyone to read the sources individually. We highlight reading what the question is. That’s really important! I encourage them to underline and note what they think may be helpful in the written sources.

Then I play the listening. I remind them to take notes on what they understand, and not to panic if they don’t understand the first time. (The listening is always played twice.)

Look at Some Examples

In my opinion, starting with a really strong intro paragraph sets students up for success. We look at several intro paragraphs and analyze them for what they did well and what could be improved. HERE are some free samples!

Would you agree that the combination of telling students about requirements and SHOWING them what we mean leads to better understanding? I have found that to be the case, especially with this argumentative essay!

Start With a Group Practice

Now I break students up into groups of 2-3. I do this for 2 reasons. Working together, students have a little more support and confidence. And, when they turn in their work, I give feedback 1/3 the amount of student work. I remind students that they should choose to defend the side that is easiest to write about, not necessarily the side that they personally agree with! This can be really hard for kids!

In their small groups, students are asked to write the entire introductory paragraph. They bring it (or submit it) to me for feedback. I check to be sure that they have a) introduced the topic in a general manner b) have brought up at least 3 points they plan to make in the body of the essay and c) have ended their paragraph with a CLEAR thesis statement (taking a side on the issue).

Next I ask them to write the topic sentence for body paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Argumentative Essay, and to choose one quote that will go with that paragraph. I remind them in the instructions of their work that they must use a quote from each of the 3 sources. I check these as they go or all 3 at once. It depends on my class size that year! I encourage them to have a topic sentence to help them to stay on message. Some students can go off on tangents within their body paragraphs. They won’t have time to finish if they do that, and they won’t be as persuasive either.

Last, I ask them to write the entire conclusion paragraph. It is simpler to write since it goes in opposite order of the intro paragraph. The challenge is to vary vocabulary! And again- feedback on how students did!

The 3rd Body Paragraph of the Argumentative Essay

To be honest, this has been a point of confusion for during my tenure as an AP Spanish Teacher. Some say that the 3rd body paragraph should present an opposing viewpoint, but then negate it. Recently, I have read in the AP Spanish Teacher Forum that students do NOT need to do this.

I feel that it adds a level of sophistication if students are able to do this, so I teach my students how. One of the biggest confusions I see here is that students will use a quote from one of the sources that supports the opposing viewpoint. I encourage them to remove that quote and find one that actually supports THEIR thesis. It requires practice for sure, but students CAN learn how to do this! However, teachers can decide for themselves how to teach this task, or even differentiate for individual students, asking some to negate a point and others to stick with 3 solid reasons why their stance is the right one.

In their practice groups, I have them write the entire paragraph to practice the skill of presenting an opposing argument and proving it wrong.

Next Steps For the Argumentative Essay

In my next blog post, I will write about how we tackle the Argumentative Essay when it’s time to grade them and give feedback.

In the meantime, here are the links to some of the resources I have already created to help students with the Argumentative Essay. If you find them helpful, please use them! However, you can also make up your own resources too using the ideas I presented above.

Test Prep Growing Mega Bundle

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: How To

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: Sample Intro Paragraphs

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Score Higher on AP Spanish Lang 2024: Tips for FRQ 2 (Argumentative Essay)

5 min read • june 18, 2024

FRQ 2 – Argumentative Essay

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

• Students write an argumentative essay based on 3 Spanish sources, including visual, written, and audio sources
• 13% of Exam Score
• Spend 55 minutes
• Demonstrates excellent presentational writing (5)

💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, time management, and any other high level things to know

• The sources for this FRQ are usually not lengthy or dense; instead, this FRQ tries to test your ability to understand and synthesize information presented in various different formats. When spending the allotted few minutes on each source, focus on grasping the main argument that the source supports so you can easily work it into your essay.
• For this FRQ, approach the argumentative essay with a clear stance in your thesis, firmly stating whether you agree or disagree with the prompt. Craft a strong argument by utilizing the provided sources as evidence to support your position. While you may acknowledge both sides, make sure to distinctly focus on and emphasize the side you support. If incorporating a counter-argument, do it strategically to strengthen your overall position. By maintaining a clear and assertive stance, backed by relevant evidence, you’ll enhance the effectiveness of your persuasive essay in addressing the prompt.
• Stay Time-Aware: Manage your time effectively during the writing process. Allocate time for planning, drafting, and drafting. Be mindful of the clock to submit a complete and well-crafted essay. (have a rough outline as to what you want your essay to look like- this will make the writing process easier)
• Practice: Practice your essays by using online resources with prompts or reviewing past College Board essays. Stimulate the exam environment at home, timing yourself as if you were taking the actual test. This practice will not only help you become familiar with different prompts but also improve your ability to articulate coherent arguments within the allotted time.

🕛 Before you Write

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start writing?

• In this section, you get to listen to the audio source twice. On the first listen, don’t focus on taking notes, instead, listen carefully and make sure you understand the overarching message and argument. On the second listen, listen for the specific details that could add to your response and write those down.
• Don’t be overwhelmed by your sources. They are given to you strategically in a way that makes it easy to make connections and create an argument, so don’t be so specific when creating an argument according to the sources.

🏛️ Structuring Your Response

• You can structure your response just like a standard essay! One major thing to consider consideration is that you should not cite sources in your opening statements of each paragraph, even if it seems to fall in line with your argument. Introduce the topic of each paragraph with a brief overview, then address the supports.
• Consider what type of essay structure works best for you. Paragraphs explaining each reason for your claim, then a counterclaim paragraph? What about a paragraph for each source and how it supports your view? They are both valid, so identify how you can best argue your point and try to adapt it in that way.
• Be sure to properly incorporate transition words into your sentences and between paragraphs to keep the text coherent.
• The most important part is making your argument clear, try to incorporate it into your intro blatantly.
• Explain the evidence from each source that supports the argument in the body paragraphs. One suggestion would be to give each source 1 paragraph.
• As a tip to sound more experienced in argumentative writing there is an option for a counter argument, to make your argument sound stronger.

😬 Common Mistakes

• You don’t have to use the sources to support exactly what they say! You can always refute a source or highlight a point they made in order to disprove it, as long as you incorporate all sources and can prove your understanding.
• You also don’t need to have 3 body paragraphs! As long as you use all the sources to support your argument you can have 2 body paragraphs.
• Make sure to connect your sources to one consistent argument, don’t alter or switch what you are arguing mid essay just to try and make a farther connection to one source.
• Remember if or when you’re associating a person or object, to sound more experienced be formal, including having the correct masculine and feminine words.

⏱️ Pacing Yourself

• Writing the thesis statement, then the body paragraphs, then going back to flesh out an introduction and a conclusion or writing the entire essay from start to finish.
• Either of these strategies (or alternatives) can determine how you spend your time, which parts of the essay you might allot more time for, or how much time you have to review your work.
• Consider taking the first few minutes to plan an outline of your essay, then determine how much time you can set aside for each individual paragraph. With 55 minutes, there is plenty of time as long as you keep your thoughts organized and stay focused.
• Be organized and plan out your essay before writing, it doesn’t have to be very detailed and shouldn’t take more than two minutes but create a rough outline before writing in order to get all your ideas in order and include everything you want to. This makes writing your essay easier and faster!

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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.

Handy Essay Phrases for Writing a Strong Spanish AP Composition

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.

• Do practice exams and read sample essays. The College Board  has posted the full AP exams from the last several years. Try to read the sources and write the essay in the allotted 55 minutes. When you’re done, go back and slowly revise your essay for errors in grammar, spelling and logic. After that, you can also check out the grading rubric provided by the College Board and several sample persuasive essays . Try to compare your essay against the rubric and the samples to see how you can improve your writing.
• Practice summarizing and analyzing Spanish-language sources. Remember all those great resources listed above? Well, it’s not enough to just read or listen to them. The whole point of the presentational essay is to measure your ability to summarize, synthesize and argue. So, after you read or listen to a Spanish-language source, take five minutes to summarize it—on paper. Identify the main argument, and then make a bulleted list of important points. Finally, write a few sentences summarizing your personal opinion.
• Learn targeted vocabulary for talking about opinions and arguments. Is there anything more frustrating than knowing exactly what you want to say, but not having the vocabulary to say it? This article lists many crucial vocabulary words for expressing and supporting opinions in persuasive essays. Using these words and phrases will help make your writing flow more smoothly, and allow you to argue with more credibility.

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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!

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Ultimate Guide to the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam

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The AP Spanish courses are the most popular AP foreign language classes. In fact, they’re so popular that two sets of Spanish curricula exist: AP Spanish Language and Culture and AP Spanish Literature and Culture. This is the only AP foreign language that has more than one course offering. In 2019, over 185,000 students took the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam, making it by far the most popular foreign language exam taken. 

The curriculum for the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam emphasizes communication by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations. As you undertake the coursework or exam preparations, you will need to focus on understanding others and being understood by others. If you’re planning to take the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam, whether you have taken the class, are a native speaker, or have self-studied, read on for a breakdown of the test and CollegeVine’s advice for how to best prepare.

When is the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam?

The College Board will administer the 2020 AP Spanish Language and Culture exam on Tuesday, May 12, at 8 am. For a complete list of all the AP exams, along with tips for success and information about how students score, check out our article 2020 AP Exam Schedule: Everything You Need to Know.

About the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is taught almost exclusively in Spanish and includes instruction in vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. 

Although there is some emphasis placed on correct grammar usage, the College Board specifically warns against overemphasizing grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. Instead, more time will be spent on applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communication skills in real-life situations, exploring the culture in both contemporary and historical contexts, and building an awareness and appreciation of cultural products, practices, and perspectives.

There are no explicit prerequisites for the AP Spanish Language and Culture course, but students who take it are typically in their fourth year of high school-level Spanish language study or have extensive practical experience communicating in both written and oral Spanish language.

There are four essential components to the framework of the AP Spanish Language and Culture course that clarify what you must know, be able to do, and understand to qualify for

college credit or placement. Those components are skills, themes, modes, and task models. 

Skills: Skills are the abilities you’ll need to think and act like a Spanish speaker. The College Board breaks these skills into eight units; below is a list of those units along with the weight they are given on the multiple-choice section of the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam: 

Themes: The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is divided into 6 themes in which there are 5-7 contexts covered. Below are the 6 themes along with their recommended contexts:

Modes: To pass the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam, students need to demonstrate proficiency engaging in three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. Students need to possess skills in listening, reading, speaking, and writing in the following areas: 

• Audio, Visual, and Audiovisual Interpretive Communication
• Written and Print Interpretive Communication
• Spoken Interpersonal Communication
• Written Interpersonal Communication
• Spoken Presentational Communication
• Written Presentational Communication

Task Model: Finally, you will work with various task models to demonstrate linguistic skills and cultural understanding. The task model types are: 

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.

The multiple-choice questions are further broken down into two parts—one part based on text as a stimulus, the other part uses audio as a stimulus. 

Section 1(a): Multiple-Choice Text

40 minutes | 30 questions | 23% of score

The first part of the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam uses a variety of printed materials—journalistic and literary texts, announcements, advertisements, letters, charts, maps, and tables—as a stimulus. You’re asked to identify ideas and details, define words in context, identify an author’s point of view or target audience, and demonstrate knowledge of cultural or interdisciplinary information contained in the text. 

Example of a text-based multiple-choice question: 

Answers to multiple-choice questions above: 

Section 1(b): Multiple-Choice Audio

55 minutes | 35 questions | 27% of score

The second part of the multiple-choice section uses audio material—interviews, podcasts, PSAs, conversations, and brief presentations—as a stimulus. In this part of the exam, students will encounter two subsections of questions. 

• In the first subsection, you’re asked to answer questions using two audio sources and related print materials as a stimulus. 
• The second subsection uses three audio sources (and no print material) as the stimulus. 

Example of a question you’ll encounter in the audio-based multiple-choice section, click on the question for audio: 

Answers to the multiple choice questions above:

The free-response section of the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam is also broken down into two parts—one part focusing on writing, and the other on speaking. 

Section 2 (a): Free Response Written

1 hour 10 minutes | 2 questions | 25% of score

The first free response section features two questions—one on interpersonal writing and the other on presentational writing. The first of the two questions require you to read and respond to an email. You have 15 minutes to complete this section, and it’s worth 12.5% of your exam score. The second of these questions provides three sources—including an article, a table, graph, chart, or infographic, and a related audio source offering different viewpoints on a topic—that you will use to construct an argumentative essay. This question is allotted 55 minutes (15 minutes to review materials and 40 minutes to write) and is also worth 12.5% of your exam score. 

Example of an email free-response question: 

Section 2: Free Response Spoken

18 minutes | 2 questions | 25% of score

The spoken part of the free response section tests your interpersonal and presentational speaking ability. For interpersonal speaking, you will participate in five exchanges in a simulated conversation with 20 seconds for each response. For the second part, you’re tasked with delivering a two-minute presentation requiring you to compare a cultural feature of a Spanish-speaking community to another community you are familiar with. 

When delivering oral responses, you will be digitally recorded and your proctor will submit your recordings with the rest of your test materials. Learn more about submitting audio on the College Board’s webpage of the same name, Submitting Audio . 

Example of a spoken, presentational, free-response question: 

AP Spanish Language and Culture Score Distribution, Average Score, and Passing Rate

In 2019, students generally did quite well on the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam. More than half of all students received a score of 4 or 5, and nearly 90% of test-takers received a passing score (3 or higher). Though students who regularly spoke or heard Spanish outside of school did perform slightly better overall than the standard group of foreign language students, the standard group still passed the exam at a rate of nearly 85% and only 3% received the lowest score of a 1.      

To guide your studying, read the full AP Spanish course description . For a comprehensive listing of the score distribution on all of the AP exams, check out our post Easiest and Hardest AP Exams .

Best Ways to Study for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam

Step 1: start by assessing your skills.

It’s important to start your studying off with a good understanding of your existing knowledge. Although the College Board does not provide a complete practice test, you can find sample questions with scoring explanations included in the course description . Additionally, you can find a free AP Spanish Language and Culture diagnostic test from Varsity Tutors. You may also find practice or diagnostic exams in many of the commercially printed study guides.

Step 2: Study the Material

In the case of the AP Spanish Language and Culture course, the theory you’ll need to know falls into six themes (Beauty and Aesthetics, Contemporary Life, Families and Communities, Global Challenges, Personal and Public Identities, Science and Technology). Many textbooks will be divided into units based on these themes. Even if they are not, you should find threads of them throughout your studies. 

Of course, the best way to study a foreign language is to truly immerse yourself in it. Although your course will be taught primarily in Spanish, this will account for only a tiny percentage of your day. You should find other ways to further your exposure to the Spanish language, and given the prevalence of Spanish in our own contemporary culture, this should not be difficult. You can easily find engaging young adult books written in Spanish, interesting Youtube videos or TV shows in Spanish, or even Spanish podcasts. Check out comic books, news, or websites in Spanish. Make sure you are speaking, listening to, and reading Spanish as much as possible, even outside of your regular study or class hours.     

The College Board also provides some valuable study tools for your use. Reviewing the AP Spanish Language and Culture Course and Exam Description can help you to more deeply understand the course content and format. You should also review the exam audio files and the official Exam Practice Tips to help guide your studying.

In addition, you should take advantage of the many commercial study guides available for your use. One of the top-rated AP Spanish Language and Culture study guides is the Princeton Review’s Cracking the AP Spanish Language & Culture Exam with Audio CD, 2020 Edition . This compilation of content reviews and strategies also contains two full-length practice tests with complete answer explanations and access to the Princeton Review’s AP Connect portal online. Another great option is Barron’s AP Spanish Language and Culture with MP3 CD, 8th Edition , which again contains two full-length practice exams with audio sections for both practice exams.

There are also vast amounts of study materials available online. Taking one of the more popular AP exams means that many students have been in your shoes, and often they or their teachers have posted past materials to supplement their studying. You can find a huge database of resources including sound files, Spanish reading sites, and grammar sites— this site is a good place to get started.

Finally, apps are a relatively new and fun way to squeeze in a little more studying. The Fluent U app is a great option for AP foreign languages. The basic version is free, but watch out for in-app purchases. The premium versions can set you back between $30 and $240 dollars.   

Step 3: Practice Multiple-Choice Questions

Once you’ve got a good handle on the major course content and theory, you can begin putting it to use. Start by practicing multiple-choice questions. You will be able to find plenty of these available online (for example, study.com has a free 50-question online practice test ) for the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam, or you can try the practice ones provided in commercial study guides.

The College Board course description also contains a number of multiple-choice questions with answers and explanations. As you are reviewing these, keep track of which broad content areas are coming easily to you and which still require more effort. Think about what each question is really asking you to do, and keep a list of vocabulary, grammar, and content areas that still seem unfamiliar. These will be points for more review before you move on.

Step 4: Practice Free Response Questions

Even if you’ve studied for the free response section of other APs in the past, your studies for the free response section of the foreign language AP exams will be quite different. In addition to practicing your written responses, you’ll also need to fine-tune your listening skills and oral responses.

Begin your preparations by brushing up on your vocabulary and grammar. Make sure you have a handle on a broad variety of verbs and how to conjugate each. Also, reaffirm that your knowledge of vocabulary will allow you to express yourself as fluently as possible. A great tool for this is a supplementary set of Barron’s AP Spanish Flash Cards . These cards emphasize word usage within the context of sentences and review parts of speech, noun genders, verb forms and tenses, and correct sentence structure.

Beyond vocabulary and grammar, your studies should also include practicing written and oral responses. The best way to specifically prepare for both the written and spoken portions of your free response questions is to practice repeated similar prompts. There is a huge resource of past free response questions available on College Board’s website dating back to 1999, with accompanying scoring explanations and examples of authentic student responses. 

To make the most of these example free response questions, review the Chief Reader Report on Student Responses wherein the Chief Reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback to describe how students performed on the prompts, summarizes typical student errors, and addresses specific concepts and content with which students have struggled the most. 

It can be especially difficult to prepare for the oral portion of your free response section since it’s difficult to identify your own spoken errors. Try recording your responses and comparing them to the authentic student responses available above. Alternatively, collaborate with a classmate to record and trade responses, offering one another constructive criticism framed by the scoring examples available above.

Step 5: Take Another Practice Test

Just as you took a practice test at the beginning of your preparations to gauge your readiness for the exam, do so again after a thorough review of the course content and each exam portion. Identify the areas in which you’ve improved the most, and areas still in need of improvement. If time allows, repeat the steps above to incrementally increase your score with each pass.

Step 6: Exam Day Specifics

If you’re taking the AP course associated with this exam, your teacher will walk you through how to register. If you’re self-studying, check out our blog post How to Self-Register for AP Exams .

For information about what to bring to the exam, see our post What Should I Bring to My AP Exam (And What Should I Definitely Leave at Home)?

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For more information about APs, check out these CollegeVine posts:

• 2020 AP Exam Schedule
• How Long is Each AP Exam?
• Easiest and Hardest AP Exams

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Hello all! I'm struggling a bit with my AP Lang essays. Are there any places where I can find some examples of past essays to understand what evaluators are looking for? Thanks in advance!

Absolutely! For AP Lang, the College Board website is a treasure trove of resources because it provides past AP exam free-response questions, along with scoring guidelines, sample responses, and score distributions. These can really offer an insight into what is expected in the essays.

You can go to the AP English Language and Composition Exam page on the College Board website. Here, you will find the "Free-Response Questions" section for several years which will give you a good amount of material to work with.

In reviewing these essays, pay attention to the structure, evidence, and rhetorical techniques used. Notice also the feedback that reads "High Scoring", "Middle Scoring", or "Low Scoring", which further illustrates what is effective (or ineffective) in these responses.

Also, consider setting up a study group with your classmates - you can each take a stab at responding to the prompts, then compare your work. That's likely to provoke some insightful conversation about different ways to approach the prompt, and other perspectives on the text.

Lastly, I would suggest asking your teacher for additional feedback on your writing. Teachers often have a pretty good sense of what the graders on the AP exam are looking for!

Remember, practice is key in being successful in AP Lang:

1. Practice multiple-choice and free-response questions regularly.

2. Consistently review rhetorical devices and terms.

3. Regularly read and analyze non-fiction works of varying difficulty and topic.

I hope this help and best of luck with your exam preparation!

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