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About the Exam
The AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam will test your ability to apply communication skills developed in the course, including interpreting different types of written and audio texts, writing to and speaking with others, and presenting your ideas in written and spoken Chinese. Throughout the exam, you’ll be asked to demonstrate your understanding of Chinese-speaking cultures.
This exam is administered on school-owned and -controlled devices via an exam application (not Bluebook). On exam day, you’ll read text on the screen, listen through a headset, type using the keyboard, and speak into a microphone.
Chinese text on the screen can be displayed in simplified characters or in traditional characters, and you may toggle between the two versions if necessary. When typing your responses in the Writing part of the exam, you may choose from the following three input methods: Pinyin Simplified, Pinyin Traditional, and Bopomofo. The display and input options will have no effect on your exam score.
Review the 2024 AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam Overview.
2hrs
Exam Date
Exam Components
Section IA: Multiple Choice Listening
25–35 questions 25% of Score
This section consists of a variety of audio materials, including transportation announcements, voice messages, school conversations, radio reports, instructions, and dialogues. It is divided into 2 subsections:
- The first consists of rejoinders. You will listen to a series of brief conversations and after listening to each one, you will select the most logical next response in the conversation from the choices offered. (10-15 questions; 10 minutes; 10% of exam score)
- The second includes a range of listening selections. (15–20 questions; 10 minutes; 15% of exam score)
- Questions will test your ability to:
- Identify the main ideas and supporting details in the audio material
- Determine the meaning of a variety of vocabulary and deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words
- Decide the meaning of a text based on cultural and/or interdisciplinary information
- Infer implied meaning through context
Section IB: Multiple Choice Reading
35–40 questions 25% of Score
This section consists of a variety of written materials (e.g., journalistic and literary texts, announcements, advertisements, signs, brochures, and posters). Questions will test your ability to:
- Identify the main ideas and supporting details in the written material
- Determine the meaning of a variety of vocabulary and deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words
- Decide the meaning of a text based on cultural and/or interdisciplinary information
- Infer implied meaning through context
Section IIA: Free Response Written
2 questions 25% of Score
- Presentational Writing: Narrate a story suggested by a series of pictures (15 minutes; 15% of exam score)
- Interpersonal Writing: Read and answer an email message (15 minutes; 10% of exam score)
Section IIB: Free Response Spoken
2 tasks, 7 questions 25% of Score
- Interpersonal Speaking: Respond to a series of 6 thematically linked questions as part of a simulated conversation (4 minutes; 10% of exam score).
- Presentational Speaking: Deliver a presentation on a given aspect of Chinese culture. You’ll have 1 minute to read the prompt, 4 minutes to prepare, and 2 minutes to present (7 minutes; 15% of exam score).
Exam Essentials
Exam Preparation
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