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Important Updates

2021 Exam Information
AP Italian Language and Culture Exams will be administered in early May, late May, and early June. This subject does not have an at-home version of the exam—students’ access to online translation applications and other resources means that a full-length exam can't be securely and fairly administered at home. 2021 AP Italian Language and Culture Exams will only be available in schools or school-proctored locations.

The exam will cover the full scope of course content, giving students the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement.

There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Italian Language and Culture only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.

Learn more about 2021 testing.

Audio Recording for the Speaking Section
Review details about the process and policies for recording responses to the Speaking part of the exam.

AP Daily and AP Classroom
Short, searchable AP Daily videos can be assigned alongside topic questions to help you cover all course content, skills, and task models, and check student understanding. Unlock personal progress checks so students can demonstrate their knowledge and skills unit by unit and use the progress dashboard to highlight progress and additional areas for support. As the exam approaches, assign AP practice exams in the AP Classroom question bank and encourage students to take advantage of AP Daily: Live Review sessions April 19–29.

Sign in to AP Classroom

Exam Overview

Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information, download the AP Italian Language and Culture Course and Exam Description (CED) and the CED’s companion audio files.

Encourage your students to visit the AP Italian Language and Culture student page for exam information.

Exam Date

  • Event
    • MON, MAY 9, 2022, 12 PM LOCAL

    AP Italian Language and Culture Exam

    •  

Exam Format

The AP Italian Language and Culture Exam has question types and point values that remain stable and consistent from year to year, so you and your students know what to expect on exam day.

Note on 2021 exams: There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Italian Language and Culture only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.

To ensure equitable and secure testing of full course content and skills, the 2021 AP Italian Language and Culture Exam will only be available in schools or school-proctored locations.

Section IA: Multiple Choice

  • Interpretive Communication: Print Texts. This section consists of a variety of authentic print materials (e.g., journalistic and literary texts, announcements, advertisements, letters, charts, maps, and tables). Students will be asked to:
    • Identify the main ideas and supporting details
    • Determine the meaning of vocabulary words in context
    • Identify the author’s point of view or the target audience
    • Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural or interdisciplinary information contained in the text

Section IB: Multiple Choice with Audio

  • This section consists of a variety of authentic audio materials, including interviews, podcasts, public service announcements, conversations, and brief presentations. It is divided into 2 subsections:
    • Interpretive Communication: Print and Audio Texts (combined). 2 sets of audio sources paired with print materials on the same topic with questions (articles and audio reports, charts and conversations).
    • Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts. 3 sets of audio sources with questions (interviews, instructions, presentations).
  • Students will respond to questions about main ideas and supporting details. Some questions will require students to demonstrate their understanding of cultural or interdisciplinary information.
  • Students will have time to read a preview of each selection and skim the questions before listening to the audio. All audio texts will be played twice.

Section IIA: Free Response Written

  • Interpersonal Writing: Read and reply to an email message (15 minutes).
  • Presentational Writing: Write an argumentative essay based on 3 sources, including an article, a table, graph, chart, or infographic, and a related audio source (played twice), that present different viewpoints on a topic (~55 minutes total: 15 minutes to review materials plus 40 minutes to write). Students will have access to the print sources and any notes they may take on the audio during the entire 40-minute writing period.

Section IIB: Free Response Spoken

  • Interpersonal Speaking: Participate in 5 exchanges in a simulated conversation (20 seconds for each response). For this conversation, students will be provided with a preview of the conversation, including an outline of each exchange. 
  • Presentational Speaking: Deliver a 2-minute presentation in response to a prompt in which students compare a cultural feature of an Italian-speaking community with which they are familiar to their own community or another community.

Exam Questions and Scoring Information

Past Exam Questions and Scoring Information

Score Reporting