AP Spanish Language and Culture · Exam guide
AP Spanish Language Free-Response Guide: The Essay, the Presentation and the Questions
On the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam, Section I is free response and lasts 65 to 70 minutes. It has three tasks: a presentation of your cultural research project, four recorded questions about that same project, and an argumentative essay that uses three sources. Section II is 55 multiple-choice questions in about 80 minutes. This guide covers the three free-response tasks and how each is scored.
The three tasks at a glance
| Task | Time | Points | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation of the project | 3 min to prepare, 3 to speak | 11 | Present your cultural research project, with your personal reference in front of you. |
| Questions and answers | 40 seconds per answer | 9 | Hear four recorded questions about the project (each is played twice) and answer each one. |
| Argumentative essay | 55 min | 10 | Write an argument using three sources: two printed and one audio, played twice. |
The essay rubric (10 points)
| Row | Points | What earns it |
|---|---|---|
| A. Postura (position) | 1 | A position that answers the question directly. A position with a condition counts if it answers directly. |
| B. Uso de las fuentes (sources) | 2 | Use all three sources, identify each by title, author or number, and comment on it to support the argument. |
| C. Argumentación | 2 | Develop reasons that are well linked, and acknowledge and answer a different point of view. |
| D. Organización | 2 | An introduction, one main idea per paragraph, a conclusion, and connectors that show how ideas relate. |
| E. Control de la lengua | 3 | Sustained control of tenses and moods, agreement, vocabulary and spelling. |
| Total | 10 |
The presentation rubric (11 points)
| Row | Points |
|---|---|
| A. Task completion | 2 |
| B. Cultural understanding | 2 |
| C. Organization | 2 |
| D. Control of the language | 3 |
| E. Delivery | 2 |
| Total | 11 |
The questions rubric (9 points)
| Row | Points |
|---|---|
| A. Task completion | 2 |
| B. Cultural understanding | 2 |
| C. Control of the language | 3 |
| D. Fluency | 2 |
| Total | 9 |
A 55-minute essay plan
| Minutes | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Read the question and the two printed sources. Mark each source's main point of view. |
| 5 to 10 | Listen to the audio source (it plays twice) and note its point of view. |
| 10 to 15 | Choose your position and plan one reason per source. |
| 15 to 50 | Write the essay, with a paragraph for each reason and one for an opposing view. |
| 50 to 55 | Check verbs, agreement and connectors. |
Habits that protect points
- Name each source when you use it, as in "En el artículo de..." or "Según la fuente 3...".
- Use connectors such as sin embargo, por consiguiente, ahora bien and en definitiva.
- If you do not know a word, describe it in other words (circumlocution) and keep going.
- In the Q&A, answer the question you hear, give a reason, and compare or reflect at least once.
Common mistakes
- Only summarizing what the sources say, with no argument of your own.
- Skipping the audio source or naming it too vaguely.
- Changing tenses within a sentence and losing control of the verb forms.
- Memorizing a presentation so that you cannot adapt it when you lose your place.
Frequently asked questions
What are the free-response tasks on AP Spanish Language and Culture?
A presentation of your cultural research project, four recorded questions about it, and an argumentative essay using three sources. They make up Section I.
Do I write in Spanish?
Yes, the essay, the presentation and the answers are all in Spanish.
Is an essay with a conditional position acceptable?
Yes. A position such as "yes, as long as" counts if it answers the question directly.
How many times do I hear the audio?
The audio source in the essay is played twice, and each recorded question about the project is played twice.
Where can I find the official scoring rules?
Exam formats change a little from year to year, so check the current course and exam description on the College Board site before test day.
Keep practicing
The AP Spanish course has three production sections with five tasks each (the essay, the presentation and the questions), each with a model response scored on the full rubric. These free lessons also build the skills the free-response section tests:
See the AP Spanish Language and Culture course Free lessons and lesson list
Other free-response guides:
AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this site. This guide is our own explanation of the question types and scoring. For the official scoring guidelines, see the College Board.