AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam

About the Exam

The AP Japanese 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 Japanese. Throughout the exam, you will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of Japanese-speaking cultures.

The exam is administered at a computer. On exam day, you will read text on the screen, listen through a headset, type using the keyboard, and speak into a microphone. All Japanese text displayed on the screen is in kana and kanji characters. You must use Microsoft IME for typing Japanese text.

Exam Duration
2hrs

Exam Dates

Wed, May 5, 2021,
12 PM Local

AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam.
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Exam Components

Section 1A: Multiple Choice Listening

30–35 questions 20mins 25% of Score

This section consists of a variety of audio materials, including public announcements, voice messages, instructions, cultural presentations, school debates, radio reports, and dialogues.
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 1B: Multiple Choice Reading

35–40 questions 1hr 25% of Score

This section consists of a variety of written materials (e.g., journalistic and literary texts, emails, letters, instructions, and travel brochures). 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 2A: Free Response Written

2 tasks, 7 questions 30mins 25% of Score

Interpersonal Writing: Read and answer text-chat messages (10 minutes; 12.5% of exam score)
Presentational Writing: Write an article comparing and contrasting 2 given topics or perspectives (20 minutes; 12.5% of exam score)

Section 2B: Free Response Spoken

2 Tasks, 5 questions 11mins 25% of Score

Interpersonal Speaking: Respond to a series of 4 related prompts as part of a simulated conversation (3 minutes, respond time: 20 seconds per question; 12.5% of exam score)
Presentational Speaking: Deliver a presentation on your view or perspective of a Japanese cultural topic. You’ll have 1 minute to read the prompt, 4 minutes to prepare, and 2 minutes to present. (7 minutes; 12.5% of exam score)

AP Japanese Language and Culture

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