1. Preparing for the AP Spanish Language Exam
Content and tips for success

2. Exam Format Section I: Multiple Choice
+ Listening 20 % questions – min.
Dialogues, short and long narratives
+ Reading 30% questions – min.
Fiction and non fiction, articles, short essays
Identify and summarize points
Make inferences and predictions
Recognize cultural elements

3. Multiple choice section General facts and tips
Each question leads directly to the correct choice
Incorrect choices may be plausible, but not possible
There are 4 choices for each question
A right answer receives 1 point
A blank answer receives a 0
A wrong answer receives a 0
When not sure of the right answer,
eliminate as many choices as possible,
then take an educated guess.
- Do NOT leave questions unanswered.

4. Tips for the listening section (20%)
Find your best listening mode
Open/closed eyes, scan choices, note taking
For practice, listen to authentic sources
e.g., Radio Naciones Unidas, BBC Mundo
For practice, break down selections in segments
Come up with a question for each segment
Jot down key concepts when appropriate
Names of people, places and dates should be noted
Take notes on longer narratives
Separate main ideas from details
Don’t worry about isolated words you can’t understand

5. Tips for the reading section – Passages (30%)
Apply all test-taking techniques as you would for other standardized tests
Passage title may give clues to the rest
You can move within the section, you can read and answer in any order
It is a “timed game,” you may tackle first passages that you find easier
Pay attention to factual info: who, what, where, when, why, how
Look for main and secondary ideas, inferences
One question may deal with the insertion of a sentence somewhere in the passage
Practice timed reading comprehension with a classmate

6. Free-response Section: Part A – Writing
Writing tasks
Interpersonal writing (10%)
message, postcard, note, journal entry
Write for 10 minutes
Presentational writing (20%)
Integration of reading, listening and writing
Read TWO documents
Listen to ONE related source / recording
Respond to a written prompt – WRITE for 40 minutes

7. Tips for interpersonal writing
Follow instructions carefully, so you address every aspect of the prompt
This is informal, but not to the extent of using q for que, or lol !
Use appropriate register, e.g. familiar form if addressing a friend or classmate
Make sure you have control over all elementary structures, gender and number
Practice by writing in the different informal venues and settings
Ask your teacher for the corresponding “rubrics,” they will help you improve your writing

8. Tips for presentational writing
This is similar to a document-based question (DBQ)
For the reading and listening aspects of the task, follow previous recommendations
You have to use the THREE sources in your answer
Synthesis of sources, comparison and/or contrast, should be included in your essay
Have a thesis statement based on the ideas contained in the sources and support your thesis making references to the sources
Have a concluding paragraph
Again, apply whatever you have learned about essay writing or DBQs when preparing for other standardized tests
Ask your teacher for the question’s “rubrics”
Use appropriate transition words, and make sure you have control over all basic grammar and vocabulary
Learn to time yourself by practicing in test-taking situations

9. Free-response section: Part B - Speaking
Interpersonal speaking
Simulated conversation (10%)
5 or 6 response prompts, 20 seconds each
Presentational speaking (10%)
Integrated skills:
One audio source, one written document
One prompt, 2 minutes to respond

10. Tips for interpersonal speaking – Simulated Conversation
Follow instructions carefully, so you address every aspect of the prompt
Use appropriate register, e.g. familiar form if addressing a friend or classmate
Make sure you have control over all elementary structures, subject-verb agreement, etc.
Your speech should be natural, with varied vocabulary; use idioms only if appropriate
Practice speaking in a testing situation similar to the “real thing,” recording and evaluating your responses
Speak for the whole 20 seconds allowed for each response, correcting yourself if necessary
Fill pauses with words like “bueno… pues… a ver… entonces…”
Ask your teacher for the corresponding “rubrics;” they will help you improve your informal speaking skills

11. Tips for presentational speaking – Formal Oral Presentation
For the reading and listening aspects of the task, follow previous recommendations
You have to use both the written and audio source in your answer
Use info from sources to present a synthesis and express an opinion
Thesis, support from sources, and conclusion, all in the TWO MINUTES you have to speak, is no easy task. Practice!
Listen to sample responses available to your teacher, so together with the “rubrics” you can better learn what is expected
Don’t know a word? Go around it and keep going
Speak while thinking in Spanish, do not translate from English
Use appropriate transition words, and make sure you have control over all basic grammar and vocabulary
Speak for the full time allowed and correct yourself if necessary
Learn to time yourself by practicing in test-taking situations

12. Concluding Comments
In order to succeed, you have to listen to Spanish, read Spanish, write Spanish, speak Spanish. No other way.
Make sure that you have practiced the exam “logistics” enough so that on exam day you can focus on preparing your answers rather than on listening to instructions.
Technical problems should be addressed during the exam administration. For example, ask for a replay of any portion of listening inaudible due to malfunction or unexpected interruptions. ETS, the test maker, is very understanding of these situations.
It is a long test. Make sure you know what you can bring and not to bring, the break provided, etc. The idea is to minimize extemporaneous issues and concentrate on acing the test!
BUENA SUERTE