The Spanish Language AP® exam is tough, and even the brightest students may not do as well as they had hoped on their first try. If you score a 2 or lower, you may be wondering how this will impact your ability to earn college credit for language courses or receive certain scholarships. This article will guide you through retaking the AP® Spanish Language exam, provide you with valuable tips on how to improve your score, as well as offer a helpful timeline for preparing to take the test again so that perhaps you can turn that 2 into a 5.
Before going into the details on retaking your AP® Spanish Language exam, let us discuss what a 2 on the AP® Spanish exam actually means. Whereas a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP® exam suggests the test taker has the capability to successfully complete introductory coursework in a particular subject area at the college level, a 2 suggests further study may be needed (see our post on AP® scores for further details). Difficulty comprehending reading tasks, presenting unpersuasive arguments or limited organization on written responses, and limited vocabulary, idiomatic language, control of grammar and usage may all factor into receiving lower-than-average test scores.
Scoring a 2 or Below
Though high scores may, in general, strengthen your application to competitive universities, earning a 2 on an AP® Spanish Language exam will not necessarily hurt your chances of getting into your school of choice. It may, however, prevent you from meeting the requirements to skip certain introductory courses should your college have a language component. Because of this, that extra investment to retake the test may pay off in the long run, when you consider the thousands of dollars you will have to pay for college course credits.
If you earned a 2 or below and have decided to retake the test, talk to your guidance counselor or AP® course coordinator to find out more on how to register. Basically, signing up is the same as it was when you first took the exam.
AP® exams are only given one time during the school year in May, so students wishing to retake the Spanish Language exam must wait a whole year for the opportunity to strike again. Keep in mind that a whole year will have passed without being in an AP® Spanish class. Without a teacher or a class to keep you focused, you will be responsible for taking your own notes, devising your own study materials, and structuring your study time. Think about the year ahead and make a schedule or devise a plan to keep yourself on track.
As mentioned, AP® exams do cost money – around $95 to be exact (and more for international students) – and there are no discounts given on retakes. Your guidance counselors may be able to help you navigate what opportunities are available for funding your exam again, or you can check out the CollegeBoard’s Fee Reduction Program on their web page.
Finally, know that each of your AP® Spanish Language exam scores will be included on the score reports sent to the colleges you are applying for, unless you decide to withhold or cancel them. Withholding them means that you choose not to show them to the college admissions offices, but the records of each test you have taken remain on file with the CollegeBoard. Canceling scores permanently deletes them from their system entirely. Remember that there are important dates following the retake exam by which you must make a decision on what to do with your old and new sets of scores. Missing the deadline releases each of your scores to the colleges you have listed in your exam pack.
Actionable Steps for Improving Your Score Next Year
So you have decided to retake the exam; now it is time to hit the books! Waiting until the week before, or the night before, to study for any test is a bad idea; doing so for the AP® Spanish language exam is an even worse idea. The test is thorough, with the aim of evaluating your strengths and weaknesses on concepts and critical thinking as much as vocabulary and grammar. The following section provides details on how you can improve your AP® Spanish Language exam scores, should you decide to retake the test for a higher mark.
Tips to Improve Your Spanish Reading Comprehension
With over 400 million native speakers spanning 20 countries across the globe, the diversity and local nuances of Spanish speakers are as much a part of the language as grammar and vocabulary. As such, culture is a significant component of the AP® Spanish Language exam. One way to brush up on cultural aspects is to review Albert’s AP® Spanish Language Practice Questions
To reinforce your reading comprehension and vocabulary skills, you may also want to pick up a novel or short story collection written by a native speaker. Keep a journal in Spanish to record your reactions to the plot or characters, or use it to take notes on vocabulary words or concepts that you do are not familiar with so that you can find out what they mean. Check out Cien Años de Soledad(One Hundred Years of Solitude) by Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende’s Dos Palabras(Two Words), or any of the other works on the AP® Spanish Required Reading List.
Writing
Albert offers great tips to prepare you for the writing section of the AP® Spanish Language exam (see our post on interpersonal writing for further details). Another good way to brush up for the writing section of the exam is to get a hold of a couple of review books that cover the AP® Spanish Language course in-depth—for example, AP® Spanish: Preparing for the language and culture examination by José M. Díaz, Prentice Hall’s Una Vez Más (Once More), or Triángulo (Triangle) by Barbara Gatski. Using any of these books will give you the opportunity to answer a few practice questions that are modeled after writing prompts from the actual test. By doing a few writing exercises from the practice exam books, you will not only familiarize yourself with the types of essay questions asked on the test, but you may also strengthen your writing and organization skills in the process. If accessible, find a Spanish teacher or an advanced student in your school or community to look over your work and help you spot any corrections that need to be made.
Listening
To improve your listening skills on the AP® Spanish exam, as well as familiarize yourself with colloquial expressions, accents, and cultural differences in the Spanish-speaking world, try to watch Spanish language films or television programs a few times per week. Keeping a Spanish language journal to jot down summaries, analyses, or critiques of the show will help you practice your writing and expand your vocabulary. María, Llenaeres de Gracia (Maria, Full of Grace), Y Tu Mamá También(And Your Mom Too), or En Terapia (In Therapy) are good options because they present distinct accents and cultural norms (they are Colombian, Mexican, and Argentinian films, respectively).
Listening to Spanish language music may also challenge your listening skills while similarly exposing you to unfamiliar forms of cultural expression. Calle 13 (Puerto Rico), Manu Chao (Spain), and Chavela Vargas (Costa Rica) are popular artists from different Spanish speaking regions who take up different socio-political themes in their music.
Speaking
One of the best ways to improve your abilities to converse in Spanish is to practice speaking it – a lot! On the AP® Spanish Language exam, you will be asked to discuss various topics, in Spanish, for a few minutes. Consider simple, straightforward topics that cover vocabulary you are most familiar and comfortable with. Keep it simple, accurate, and at your own pace. You may want to invest in a digital recorder in order to practice speaking into it or find a friend who is willing to practice with you. Bear in mind that the more you practice speaking, the more your tongue will develop muscle memory for particular sounds you are not accustomed to making in your native language.
A Timeline for Success
Learning a new language is best done in brief but consistent interludes. Begin your preparation for the retake exam a few months in advance. Rather than studying one day per week for many hours, reserve three or four days per week, reviewing for no more than 30-60 minutes each session. Keep this in mind when reading the given timeline below, and you’ll find yourself absorbing more Spanish than you ever thought possible!
September – December
This is a good opportunity to focus on content. Review exercises from your old AP® Spanish course textbook to brush up on the material you may have forgotten during summer vacation. Check the chapter summaries and practice reviews to get yourself thinking in Spanish again. Make flashcards of any vocabulary words you may have forgotten, and keep a notebook exclusively for practicing verb conjugations. This may also be an opportune time to start one of the Spanish novels recommended in this article.
If staying organized is a concern for you, consider downloading online language learning apps like Duolingo, which have helped many language learners progress in a systematic way.
January – February
See if you can get your hands on full-length practice exams, including those that your AP® Spanish Language teacher used in your class. Be sure that when you practice, you recreate the testing conditions – try timing yourself! If you have not done so already, take some time to record yourself speaking Spanish – this will help you get over any shyness you may feel about speaking another language! Also, if you have finished reading your Spanish novel, see if there is a film adaptation to watch so that you can also practice your listening skills.
March
Look over any questions you missed on the practice exams. Evaluate things you do and do not understand and find tools online or in your community to get you caught up. Now may be a good time to purchase an exam prep book so that you will have more practice exercises to work from. Hopefully, by now you have become addicted to a particular Spanish telenovela or TV series. Try finding a fan page on Facebook or another social media site to find out what others are saying about the show.
April
Take two full-length practice tests from your practice book this month and time yourself! If you have found a Spanish language singer that you like, try downloading some lyrics to one of their songs. Try translating them into English without the help of a dictionary or translator, or have a friend block out some of the Spanish words so you can practice filling them in. If you can not remember the exact word, be creative or funny by adding your own Spanish words.
May
Before you take the exam this month, review your weak spots. A week before the exam, give another practice exam a try. During the weeks prior, you may want to familiarize yourself with the directions of the AP® Spanish Language exam so when the day arrives, you’ll have one fewer thing to worry about. The night before you retake your exam, rather than cramming in last-minute vocabulary words or memorizing irregular verb conjugations, get some well-deserved sleep. Have a healthy breakfast in the morning so that you have enough energy to tackle that test!
Wrapping Things up
As a final takeaway, remember – take a few months to prepare. Continuously review vocabulary and grammar to keep the language fresh in your brain, and also take practice tests with answer keys to evaluate your progress as well as learn from your mistakes. Spanish culture is a component of the exam, so get a hold of some reading, viewing, or listening materials that spark your interests to help you navigate. In addition, if you have the time or financial resources, you may consider participating in private or peer tutoring with friends who did well on the exam, a native Spanish speaker, community members learning Spanish at libraries or colleges, or online language forums. Good luck!
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