AP ITALIAN
LANGUAGE AND
CULTURE
AP Italian Language and Culture – Student Guide
AP Italian Language and Culture - Exam Overview
The AP Italian Language and Culture Exam will test your ability to apply communication and language skills developed in the course and ask you to demonstrate your understanding of Italian culture.
Exam Duration
3hrs
Exam Components
Section IA: Multiple Choice - 30 questions | 40mins | 23% of Score
This section presents 4 sets of authentic print sources (announcements/advertisements, literary texts, articles and charts, and letters) with questions. The questions will ask you to:
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Identify the main ideas and supporting details
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Determine the meaning of vocabulary words in context
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Identify the author’s point of view or the target audience
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Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural or interdisciplinary information contained in the text
Section IB: Multiple Choice with Audio - 35 questions | 55mins | 27% of Score
This section includes a variety of authentic audio sources, including conversations, audio reports, interviews, instructions, and presentations. It is divided into 2 subsections:
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The first includes 2 sets of audio sources that are paired with print materials on the same topic with questions (articles and audio reports, charts, and conversations)
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The second includes 3 sets of audio sources with questions (interviews, instructions, presentations)
You will respond to questions about the main ideas and supporting details. Some questions will require you to show an understanding of cultural or interdisciplinary information. You will have time to read a preview of each selection and skim the questions before listening to the audio. All audio texts will be played twice. You are encouraged to take notes during this part of the exam and are given writing space for that purpose. Your notes will not be scored.
Section IIA: Free Response Written - 2 questions | 1hr 10mins | 25% of Score
There are two writing tasks in this section:
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Interpersonal Writing: Read and reply to an email message (15 minutes).
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Presentational Writing: Write an argumentative essay based on 3 sources, including an article, a table, chart, graph, or infographic, and a related audio source (played twice), that present different viewpoints on a topic (~55 minutes total: 15 minutes to review materials plus 40 minutes to write). You will have access to the print sources and any notes you may take on the audio during the entire 40-minute writing period.
Section IIB: Free Response Spoken - 2 questions | 18mins | 25% of Score
There are two speaking tasks in this section:
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Interpersonal Speaking: Participate in 5 exchanges in a simulated conversation (20 seconds for each response). For this conversation, you will be provided with a preview of the conversation, including an outline of each exchange.
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Presentational Speaking: Deliver a 2-minute presentation in response to a prompt in which you compare a cultural feature of an Italian-speaking community with which you are familiar to your own community or another community.
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AP Italian Language and Culture – Scoring
For the first section (multiple-choice), for every question you answer correctly, you will get one point each. There is no negative marking. It means that even if your answer is wrong or left blank, no points are deducted.
Next is the free response section. Its scoring system is a bit complicated. Rather than being graded by AI, it is reviewed by AP graders and scored following these guidelines for AP Italian Language and Culture.
For more information about AP Italian Language and Culture Exam and scoring, you can visit the College Board’s website.
AP Italian Language and Culture – Credit
Keep in mind, credit and advanced standing based on AP scores vary widely from school to school. Though a score of 3 is typically considered passing, it is not always enough to receive credit. Regulations regarding which APs qualify for course credits or advanced placement depend on the policy that your desired college or university has for AP exams.
AP Italian Language and Culture - Study Resources
• College Board Classroom Resources
• Barron’s AP Italian Language and Culture: with Audio CDs.
• Italian Culture on the Net “ICoN” - AP® Online Italian Language and Culture Course
• Loescher Editore Italiano per Stranieri
• Wellesley College EdX AP Italian Language and Culture (2020-2021)
AP World Language and Culture Exam Tips
In today’s global community, competence in more than one language is an essential part of communication and cultural understanding. Your study of another language not only provides you with the ability to express thoughts and ideas but also gives you access to perspectives and knowledge that are only available through the language and culture. Advanced language learning offers social, cultural, academic, and workplace benefits that will serve you throughout your life.
Developing Your Communication Skills
As you develop language proficiency, you learn to use your language skills within the three modes of communication.
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In Interpersonal Communication, you engage in conversations and discussions, express ideas, and exchange opinions using both spoken and written language.
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In Interpretive Communication, you understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics.
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In Presentational Communication, you present information and ideas to an audience using spoken and written language.
Interpersonal Communication
Take every opportunity to use the language as much as you can. Participate actively in class discussions, get to know exchange students, and advanced students of the language, or connect with students from around the world using technology. Don’t worry about making mistakes, just use the language. If you find yourself struggling to remember a word, think about another way of expressing your idea.
In this mode of communication, you’ll need to be able to ask and answer a variety of questions, exchange information and ideas, and state and support your opinions. You’ll also need to interact appropriately in formal and informal situations with adults and peers.
Interpretive Communication
You should read, listen to, and watch a variety of materials from countries where the language you are studying is spoken. Explore your personal interests and find podcasts, websites, and videos that are especially interesting. Learn about current events by watching the news or reading online newspapers and magazines. For enjoyment, watch movies or cartoons, read stories, or listen to music. The important thing is you are using your language skills—and learning something about the cultural products, practices, and perspectives of the places where the language is spoken.
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In this mode of communication, you’ll need to be able to understand the main ideas and some details; recognize the purpose, points of view, and target audience; and you’ll think about perspectives different from your own. You don’t have to understand every word to be successful.
Presentational Communication
Being able to present your ideas in an organized way to various audiences is an important aspect of communication. Presentational Communication includes telling a story, making a speech, writing an essay or movie review, and making a presentation to your classmates or members of the community. No matter what the situation, you’ll need to prepare your thoughts and ideas in an organized fashion to reach your audience effectively.
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In this mode of communication, you’ll need to be able to organize your presentation around the main idea and develop it in a logical fashion with relevant details and supporting evidence. Depending on the goals of your presentation, you’ll need to be able to narrate, explain, compare, or persuade.
Task Verbs
Pay close attention to the task verbs used in the free-response questions. Each one directs you to complete a specific type of response. Here are the task verbs you’ll see on the exam:
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Ask: Request information or details.
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Compare: Provide a description or explanation of similarities and/or differences.
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Defend: Explain or justify.
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Demonstrate: Show ability to respond appropriately.
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Hear/Listen: Listen to directions and an audio source
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Identify/Indicate: Indicate or provide information about a specified topic, without elaboration or explanation.
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Make a presentation: Orally respond to a prompt.
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Organize: Determine and arrange a logical sequence for a response.
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Participate in a conversation: Respond to spoken prompts (such as providing a greeting; offering details, explanations, opinions, or perspectives; accepting or declining an invitation or suggestions; proposing solutions; and/or concluding a conversation).
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Prepare: Plan your response.
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Present: Provide information or ideas.
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Read: Look at or view printed directions and information.
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Record: Capture spoken responses digitally.
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Respond: Reply to a question or prompt.
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Speak: Express ideas verbally in response to a specific question or prompt.
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Use: Select and use appropriate register (formal or informal).
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Write: Produce a response in writing.
Best Ways to Study for the AP Italian Language and Culture Exam
Assess your skills
Before you can begin studying in earnest, you need to have a good idea of your starting point. You can find some practice questions in the course and exam description, more through online searches, and complete practice tests in commercially produced study guides. Some commercial study guides even have a diagnostic test, which is designed specifically to act as a formative assessment.
Study the Material
In the case of any foreign language curriculum, you are best off immersing yourself in the language as much as possible, well before the exam. There is a ton of Italian language content out there, just waiting for you to discover it. You can find Italian videos on Youtube, podcasts in iTunes or the app store, and tons of websites with Italian text and audio. You could also find comic books, young adult novels, or blogs in Italian. Try to take whatever media you consume on a daily basis, be it music, news, or blogs, and find a good source for it in Italian, at a level that you can just barely understand. Once it becomes easier to understand, see if you can find something more advanced. The quickest and easiest way to accelerate your learning of a foreign language is to immerse yourself in it as much as possible.
You’ll also need to study the specific material measured by the test. You will need to expand your vocabulary, your knowledge of idioms and expressions, and your listening skills. You’ll also need to study Italian culture and history. By the end of the course, you’ll be expected to:
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Engage in spoken interpersonal communication;
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Engage in written interpersonal communication;
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Synthesize information from a variety of authentic audio, visual, and audiovisual resources;
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Synthesize information from a variety of authentic written and print resources;
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Plan, produce, and present spoken presentational communications; and
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Plan and produce written presentational communications.
You will also need to consider Italian culture in a global context. You will learn about Italian standards for beauty and aesthetics, contemporary Italian life, and Italian concepts of family and community. Learn about popular Italian figures, global challenges of Italian culture and economy, and Italian contributions to the fields of science and technology. In short, you will become familiar with not just the language, but the country, its culture, and its history as well.
There are several commercial study guides available to help guide your work, though none reflect the most recent changes to the exam, which occurred in 2012 with its rerelease. One example is Barron’s AP Italian Language and Culture: with Audio CDs. Although this study guide hasn’t been updated to reflect format changes in the exam, the core curriculum remains relevant.
Many study resources are available online, too. The website We Love Italian has an AP Resource center which provides a helpful collection of links to College Board resources, along with some recommended textbooks, website that provides vocabulary practice, links to Quizlets, and relevant worksheets, while a course syllabus posted online contains a complete outline of course content and web resources.
Finally, a fun and relatively novel way to brush up on your Italian skills is through the use of any of the foreign language apps available for your mobile devices. AP Italian Prep Flashcards Vocabulary Exambusters is one great place to start, and FluentU also has a number of free study resources (though you will have to pay for access to their complete content).
Practice Multiple-Choice Questions
The multiple-choice section of the AP Italian Language and Culture exam assesses your interpretive communication skills by challenging you to identify the main ideas, significant details, purpose, and intended audience of a variety of texts and auditory sources. You will also be required to draw inferences and make predictions about these sources.
This section is divided into two parts. The first part is audio-based and includes a variety of different audio media. These include conversations, announcements, instructions, advertisements, and news reports. Some of the audio sources will be authentic, and others will be produced specifically for the exam. All audio sources will be played a single time.
The second part of the multiple-choice section consists of questions relating to a variety of authentic print materials, including journalistic and literary texts, announcements, advertisements, tables, and charts.
Your best bet for preparing for the multiple-choice section is by practicing lots of multiple-choice questions. Some can be found in the course and exam description, and others can be found through online searches or available in commercial study guides. Some from the Barron’s study guide can even be access online on Google Books.
While you’re reviewing these questions, focus on what each question is asking you to do. If it’s difficult or you get the wrong answer, try to identify the question’s format and objective — that is, identify if the question is audio or written, and what specific kind of communication it involves. Be sure to also keep a running list of any specific vocabulary or grammar that is still difficult for you. By keeping track of which areas are still difficult, you have a ready-made list of review topics when you’re done.
Practice Free-Response Questions
The free-response section of the AP Italian Language and Culture course includes four tasks. In this section, you will produce written and oral responses to demonstrate your mastery of interpersonal and presentational communication.
The first two parts consist of written responses. To start off, you will display your ability to write using interpersonal communication by reading and replying to an e-mail message. The second written task will assess your presentational writing skills in the form of a persuasive essay. This response will be a bit more involved and certainly more formal than the first one. You will be given three sources to evaluate those present different viewpoints on a topic. These sources will consist of an article, a table or graphic, and a related audio source, which will be played twice for you. You will base your persuasive essay on these sources and your own point of view.
The second part of the free-response section contains oral responses. The first of these spoken responses will display your interpersonal speaking abilities in a simulated conversation. You will be provided with a preview of the conversation, including an outline of each of the five exchanges.
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The final part will consist of an oral presentation displaying your presentational skills. You will be given a prompt on a cultural topic comparing the cultural features of your own community to those of an area of the Italian-speaking world. The best way to prepare for the free-response section of your AP Italian Language and Culture exam is the same way you prepared for the multiple-choice section — practice, practice, practice.
Take Another Practice Test
After you’ve had a thorough review of the material and exam format once, take another practice test to evaluate your progress. Repeat the above steps as many times as needed to see your score increase incrementally.
Conclusion
At the core of the AP Italian Language and Culture course are course skills identifying what students should know and be able to do to succeed in the course and finally be able to pass the exam. Remember that the quickest way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it as much as possible but, to be able to develop a skill, you need to apply it on daily basis. Be confident! On exam day, if you make little mistakes, it's okay! You have studied hard and all your work will pay off. Good luck!