AP Spanish Literature and Culture
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About the Exam
Important Update
2021 AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exams will be administered in early May, late May, and early June. This subject does not have an at-home version of the exam—access to online translation applications and other resources means that a full-length exam can't be securely and fairly administered at home. 2021 AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exams will only be available in schools or school-proctored locations.
The exam will cover the full scope of course content, giving you the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Spanish Literature and Culture only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Learn more about 2021 testing.
As the exam approaches, take advantage of AP Daily: Live Review sessions April 19–29.
2021 AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exams will be administered in early May, late May, and early June. This subject does not have an at-home version of the exam—access to online translation applications and other resources means that a full-length exam can't be securely and fairly administered at home. 2021 AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exams will only be available in schools or school-proctored locations.
The exam will cover the full scope of course content, giving you the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Spanish Literature and Culture only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Learn more about 2021 testing.
As the exam approaches, take advantage of AP Daily: Live Review sessions April 19–29.
The AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam will test your understanding of the literary and cultural concepts presented in the course units, as well as your ability to apply what you learned from the required texts to interpret and analyze other non-required texts.
Exam Duration
3hrs
3hrs
Exam Dates
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Fri, May 7, 2021,
8 AM LocalPaper, In SchoolAP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam
This is the Administration 1 date for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam.
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Fri, May 21, 2021,
12 PM LocalPaper, In SchoolAP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam
This is the Administration 2 date for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam.
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Fri, Jun 4, 2021,
12 PM LocalPaper, In SchoolAP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam
This is the Administration 3 date for the AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam.
Exam Components
Note on 2021 Exams
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Spanish Literature and Culture only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
To ensure equitable and secure testing of full course content and skills, the 2021 AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam will only be available in schools or school-proctored locations.
Section 1A: Multiple Choice Interpretive Listening
15 questions 20mins 10% of Score
- This section includes 3 sets of questions based on authentic audio texts including:
- An excerpt from an interview with an author
- A recited poem that is not on the required reading list
- A presentation on a literary topic related to course content
- You will have time to skim the questions for each set before listening to the audio.
- The interview and presentation will be played once; the recited poem will be played twice.
Section 1B: Multiple Choice Reading Analysis
50 questions 1hr 40% of Score
- This section includes 6 sets of 7–10 questions based on readings from a variety of genres, periods, and places in the Spanish-speaking world.
- Readings include:
- Works from the required reading list
- Works outside the required reading list
- A passage of literary criticism regarding a work or author from the list
- One set will contain 2 passages that are related by theme—one of those passages is taken from the required reading list and the other is from a non-required text.
Section 2: Free Response
4 questions 1hr 40mins 50% of Score
The free-response sections includes two short-answer questions and two long-essay questions:
- 2 Short-Answer Questions: Suggested time: 15 minutes each (~30 minutes)
- Text Explanation: You’ll read an excerpt from a text on the required reading list, identify the author and period of the text, and explain the development of a given theme found within the excerpt in relation to the whole work from which the excerpt is taken.
- Text and Art Comparison: You’ll read an excerpt from a text on the required reading list and study an image of a work of art (e.g., a painting, photograph, sculpture, or drawing) related by theme to the text. You will compare how a particular theme is represented in both the text and the image, and then connect that theme to the genre, period, or movement of the text.
- 2 Essay Questions: Suggested time: 35 minutes each (~70 minutes)
- Analysis of a Single Text: You’ll read an excerpt from a text on the required reading list and then analyze how the text represents the characteristics of a particular genre as well as a particular historical, cultural, or social context.
- Text Comparison: You’ll read 2 excerpts related by theme—one from a text on the required list, the other from a text not on the list—and analyze the effect of literary devices that the authors use in the texts to develop a particular theme that is provided in the question prompt.
Exam Essentials
Exam Preparation
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AP Classroom Resources
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2019 AP Spanish Literature and Culture Free-Response Questions and Scoring Guidelines
Review the released free-response questions and the scoring guidelines.
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AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exam Free-Response Question and Scoring Information Archive
Review free-response questions, sample student responses, and scoring guidelines from 2018 and earlier.
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