AP Japanese Language and Culture

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

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

• 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)

• 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)