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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’ll be asked to demonstrate your understanding of Japanese-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.
The input method for typing Japanese is the Google Japanese IME, which allows you to type in different modes including hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Instructions are provided on the exam screens.
2hrs
Exam Date
AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam
This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam.
Exam Components
Section IA: Multiple Choice Listening
30–35 questions 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 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, 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 IIA: Free Response Written
2 tasks, 7 questions 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 IIB: Free Response Spoken
2 Tasks, 5 questions 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)
Exam Essentials
Exam Preparation
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AP Classroom Resources
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Free-Response Questions and Scoring Information
Go to AP Central to review free-response questions and scoring information from past AP Japanese Language and Culture exams.
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AP Japanese Language and Culture Course and Exam Description
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.
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Services for Students with Disabilities
Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for accommodations for the through-course assessment and the end-of-course exam. If you’re using assistive technology and need help accessing the PDFs in this section in another format, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 212-713-8333 or by email at [email protected]. For information about taking AP Exams, or other College Board assessments, with accommodations, visit the Services for Students with Disabilities website.
Credit and Placement
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