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EXCELLING ON THE AP
SPANISH LANGUAGE EXAM
WHY THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU
This book will help you master the revamped AP Spanish Language Exam rolling out for 2007, with complete coverage fully embracing the exam’s new format and question types. REA offers the total test prep package, with comprehensive printed and audio materials that take you through the newly integrated listening, speaking and writing portions of the exam. As you may already know, the test covers subject matter deemed to be comparable to an advanced-level college course in Spanish Composition
and Conversation.
Why use this book?
Because you don't want to leave anything to chance on test day. While our prep is designed to be effective for self-study, this book also lies at the heart of hundreds of AP Spanish classrooms in schools across the United States.
Our targeted subject review—specially designed to complement your textbook—and three full-length practice tests, featuring detailed explanations for each answer, will put you in the best possible position to succeed on the exam. We also provide a 500-word English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English glossary.
It’s all about giving you the confidence you need to score well on the AP Spanish Language Exam come May.
ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION
This book begins with a substantive review of the Spanish language. This review includes conjugations of regular and irregular verbs, pronouns, idioms, as well as other parts of speech. After each new topic, we offer drills to enable you to practice the vocabulary and rules you have just reviewed.
At the end of the practice tests is our 500-word English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English glossary. With it, you will not only be able to locate Spanish words you do not know from the reading passages but you can also review words that will help you provide a more detailed answer to the essay or speaking parts of the exam. (Please note that no dictionaries will be allowed at the time of the actual exam.)
ABOUT OUR AUDIO CDS
At various points throughout the practice tests, you will need to stop the test CD and record your responses on a recording device. Make sure to have a recording device available. Follow the directions carefully by listening to the directions on the CD as well as following the tests in this book.
ABOUT THE AP PROGRAM
The Advanced Placement Program is intended to provide high school students with the opportunity to pursue college-level studies and, if they test sufficiently well, gain actual college credit or placement for that work. In fact, most colleges and universities in the United States and in more than 30 other countries grant incoming students credit, placement, or both according to their AP Exam scores.
WHAT’S ON THE EXAM?
The AP Spanish Language exam is divided into two sections. The first section is a 90-minute multiple-choice section that tests listening and reading comprehension. The second section, a free-response section, is approximately 100if minutes long and tests the student’s speaking and writing skills.
Section I. Multiple choice (50% of your grade):
This section is composed of two parts. Part A is the listening comprehension portion of the test. You will listen to a series of dialogues, narratives, and lectures on audio CD. You will then answer questions based on each.
Part B is the reading comprehension part of the exam. Students read several passages and answer questions about each. Section II. Free response (50% of your grade):
Part A of the free-response section consists of four distinct parts. The fist exercise requires the student to read a paragraph and fill in the correct form of the root words that have been provided. The second exercise also requires the student to fill in correct and appropriate words, but the root word is not provided.
The next part of Section II, Part A, is a writing component. The first task, an informal writing task, requires the student to read a prompt and write a response to that prompt. Prompts may require the student to address an e-mail message, a letter, or a postcard, for example. Students are allowed 10 minutes to complete this part.
SPANISH LANGUAGE EXAM
WHY THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU
This book will help you master the revamped AP Spanish Language Exam rolling out for 2007, with complete coverage fully embracing the exam’s new format and question types. REA offers the total test prep package, with comprehensive printed and audio materials that take you through the newly integrated listening, speaking and writing portions of the exam. As you may already know, the test covers subject matter deemed to be comparable to an advanced-level college course in Spanish Composition
and Conversation.
Why use this book?
Because you don't want to leave anything to chance on test day. While our prep is designed to be effective for self-study, this book also lies at the heart of hundreds of AP Spanish classrooms in schools across the United States.
Our targeted subject review—specially designed to complement your textbook—and three full-length practice tests, featuring detailed explanations for each answer, will put you in the best possible position to succeed on the exam. We also provide a 500-word English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English glossary.
It’s all about giving you the confidence you need to score well on the AP Spanish Language Exam come May.
ABOUT THE REVIEW SECTION
This book begins with a substantive review of the Spanish language. This review includes conjugations of regular and irregular verbs, pronouns, idioms, as well as other parts of speech. After each new topic, we offer drills to enable you to practice the vocabulary and rules you have just reviewed.
At the end of the practice tests is our 500-word English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English glossary. With it, you will not only be able to locate Spanish words you do not know from the reading passages but you can also review words that will help you provide a more detailed answer to the essay or speaking parts of the exam. (Please note that no dictionaries will be allowed at the time of the actual exam.)
ABOUT OUR AUDIO CDS
At various points throughout the practice tests, you will need to stop the test CD and record your responses on a recording device. Make sure to have a recording device available. Follow the directions carefully by listening to the directions on the CD as well as following the tests in this book.
ABOUT THE AP PROGRAM
The Advanced Placement Program is intended to provide high school students with the opportunity to pursue college-level studies and, if they test sufficiently well, gain actual college credit or placement for that work. In fact, most colleges and universities in the United States and in more than 30 other countries grant incoming students credit, placement, or both according to their AP Exam scores.
WHAT’S ON THE EXAM?
The AP Spanish Language exam is divided into two sections. The first section is a 90-minute multiple-choice section that tests listening and reading comprehension. The second section, a free-response section, is approximately 100if minutes long and tests the student’s speaking and writing skills.
Section I. Multiple choice (50% of your grade):
This section is composed of two parts. Part A is the listening comprehension portion of the test. You will listen to a series of dialogues, narratives, and lectures on audio CD. You will then answer questions based on each.
Part B is the reading comprehension part of the exam. Students read several passages and answer questions about each. Section II. Free response (50% of your grade):
Part A of the free-response section consists of four distinct parts. The fist exercise requires the student to read a paragraph and fill in the correct form of the root words that have been provided. The second exercise also requires the student to fill in correct and appropriate words, but the root word is not provided.
The next part of Section II, Part A, is a writing component. The first task, an informal writing task, requires the student to read a prompt and write a response to that prompt. Prompts may require the student to address an e-mail message, a letter, or a postcard, for example. Students are allowed 10 minutes to complete this part.
The last section is the formal writing component. Students are asked to read documents, listen to a related recording, and respond to a writing prompt. Students are allowed 55 minutes to complete this part and their written response should contain at least 200 words.
Part B of the free-response section consists of two distinct parts. In the first part, the informal component, students are asked to interact with a recorded conversation. There are five or six opportunities for a student to respond and a response can last up to 20 seconds. The second part, the formal component, requires the student to read one document and listen to a recording. Students then have 2 minutes to prepare for an oral presentation and 2 minutes to answer a question related to the sources.
SCORING THE EXAM
The multiple-choice section of the exam is scored by computer. Each correct answer is credited with one point; one-third of a point is deducted for each incorrect answer. Unanswered questions receive neither credit nor deduction.
Hundreds of college and secondary school teachers are brought together every June to grade the free-response portion of the exams. These readers are chosen from around the country for their familiarity with the AP program, their knowledge of the subject matter and their ability to be impartial. Each essay booklet and tape is evaluated and scored. The fill-in answers are scored objectively. When the free-response answers have been graded by all of the evaluators, the scores are then converted.
Once raw scores have been obtained for each section, they are weighted to form a composite score. Then the composite scores for each section are added together to form a total composite score for the exam. The range for the composite score is from 0 to 180.
Finally, the composite score is translated into a range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. This correlation between the composite score and the scoring range varies from administration to administration.
It is determined by comparing the examinees’ performance on a core group of questions. When overall student performance is strong, the range of scores is narrowed; when it is weak, the scoring ranges are widened.
For the free-response portion of the exam, it would be extremely helpful to find someone who is willing to score your informal and formal writing tasks and oral presentations. Your teachers, friends, or anyone familiar with the Spanish language and the test material would be excellent candidates to grade your responses.
If you must grade your own speaking and writing, try to be objective. You may want to give your responses three different grades, as if you did well, average, and poorly. This will give you a safe estimate of how you will do on the actual exam. By underestimating what your score may be, you are more likely to receive a better score on the actual exam.
SCORES THAT RECEIVE COLLEGE
CREDIT AND/OR ADVANCED PLACEMENT
AP grades are reported on a 5-point scale and are interpreted as follows:
5—extremely well qualified
4—well qualified
3—qualified
2—possibly qualified
1—no recommendation
Your grade will be used by your college of choice to determine placement in its Spanish language program. This grade will vary in significance from college to college, and is used with other academic information to determine placement. Normally, colleges participating in the Advanced Placement Program will recognize grades of 3 or better. Contact your college admissions office for more information regarding its use of AP grades.
STUDYING FOR YOUR AP EXAMINATION
It is never too early to start studying. The earlier you begin, the more time you will have to sharpen your skills. Do not procrastinate! Cramming is not an effective way to study, since it does not allow you the time needed to review the test material. It is very important for you to choose the time and place for studying that works best for you. Some students may set aside a certain number of hours every morning to study, while others may choose to study at night before going to sleep. Other students may study during the day, while waiting on a line, or even while eating lunch. Only you can determine when and where your study time will be most effective. But, be consistent and use your time wisely. Work out a study routine and stick to it! When you take the practice exam(s), try to make your testing conditions as much like those of the actual test as possible. Turn your television and radio off, and sit down at a quiet table free from distraction. Make sure to time yourself.
As you complete the practice test(s), score your test(s) and thoroughly review the explanations for the questions you answered incorrectly. But don't review too much during any one sitting. Concentrate on one problem area at a time by reviewing each question and explanation, and by studying our review(s) until you are confident that you completely understand the material.
Since you will be allowed to write in your test booklet during the actual exam, you may want to write in the margins of this book when practicing. However, do not make miscellaneous notes on your answer sheet. Mark your answers clearly and make sure the answer you have chosen corresponds to the question you are answering.
Keep track of your scores! By doing so, you will be able to gauge your progress and discover general weaknesses in particular sections. You should carefully study the reviews that cover the topics causing you difficulty, as this will bui...
