AP ITALIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTUREThe Exam

Section 1: Multiple Choice

70 Questions | 1 Hour 20 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

• Part A: 30–34 Questions, 25 minutes
  • Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts
• Part B: 36–40 Questions, 55 minutes
  • Interpretive Communication: Print Texts

 Section 1: Multiple Choice

65 Questions | 1 Hour 35 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

The questions are in nine sets, each with fixed numbers and types of questions.

• Part A: 30 questions, 40 minutes
  • Interpretive Communication: Print Texts (4 sets)
• Part B: 35 Questions, 55 minutes
  • Interpretive Communication: Paired Print and Audio Texts – students interpret thematically aligned print and audio texts together (2 sets)
• Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts (3 sets)

 Section 2: Free Response

4 Tasks | ~ 1 Hour 28 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

• Part A: Written Tasks | ~70 minutes
  • Interpersonal Writing: Email reply (1 prompt, 15 minutes)
  • Presentational Writing: Persuasive Essay (1 prompt, 15 minutes to review materials plus 40 minutes to write)
• Part B: Spoken Responses | ~ 18 minutes
  • Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation (5 prompts, 20 seconds for each response)
  • Presentational Speaking: Cultural comparison (1 prompt, 4 minutes to prepare, 2 minutes to respond)

 Section 2: Free Response

4 Tasks | ~ 1 Hour 28 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

• Part A: Written Tasks | ~70 minutes
  • Interpersonal Writing: Email reply (1 prompt, 15 minutes)
  • Presentational Writing: Argumentative Essay (1 prompt, 15 minutes to review materials plus 40 minutes to write)
• Part B: Spoken Responses | ~ 18 minutes
  • Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation (5 prompts, 20 seconds for each response)
  • Presentational Speaking: Cultural comparison (1 prompt; 4 minutes to prepare, 2 minutes to respond)

Section 1A: 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 1B: 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 2A: 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 2B: 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.