AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Format

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course emphasizes communication (understanding and being understood by others) by applying interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational skills in real-life situations. This includes vocabulary usage, language control, communication strategies, and cultural awareness. The AP Spanish Language and Culture course strives not to overemphasize grammatical accuracy at the expense of communication. To best facilitate the study of language and culture, the course is taught almost exclusively in Spanish.

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course engages students in an exploration of culture in both contemporary and historical contexts. The course develops students’ awareness and appreciation of cultural products (e.g., tools, books, music , laws, conventions, institutions); practices (patterns of social interactions within a culture); and perspectives (values, attitudes, and assumptions).

There are no prerequisites; however, students are typically in their fourth year of high school–level Spanish language study. In the case of native or heritage speakers, there may be a different course of study leading to this course.

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course is structured around six themes:

• Beauty and Aesthetics
• Science and Technology
• Contemporary Life
• Families and Communities
• Global Challenges
• Personal and Public Identities

Themes facilitate the integration of language, content, and culture and promote the use of the language in a variety of contexts. The themes may be combined, as they are interrelated.

The AP Spanish Language and Culture course provides students with opportunities to demonstrate their proficiency at the Intermediate to Pre-Advanced range in each of the three modes of communication described in the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.