With the goal of developing students’ interpersonal, presentational, interpretive, critical reading, and analytic writing skills, the AP® Spanish Literature Course challenges students through inquiries into short stories, novels, poetry, and essays by Spanish-speaking authors throughout the world. Taught entirely in Spanish, class lessons focus on students making connections and comparisons between their own cultural environments and art, film, and texts from a pre-selected AP® Spanish Literature reading list (here you can find the most recent list of titles and authors). A diverse number of authors include Argentina’s Jorge Luis Borges, Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes, Mexico’s Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and many more.
This AP® Spanish study guide will briefly outline the format of the AP® Spanish Language Exam, putting particular emphasis on the AP® Spanish Literature Multiple-Choice section. It will provide insights into why the multiple-choice section is important to the overall test results, mention content covered in the multiple choice section, as well as inform interested test takers on how to prepare for AP® Spanish Literature Multiple-Choice section. Finally, this guide will provide you with AP® Spanish Literature Exam tips to help you answer the multiple-choice questions, and provide AP® Spanish Literature practice questions.
What is the Format of the AP® Spanish Literature Exam?
The AP® Spanish Literature Exam is a three-hour exam that evaluates test takers’ ability to use interpretative and presentational modes of communication, as well as examine the diversity held within canonical and non-canonical Spanish literary sources. Exam questions pull from the course’s required reading list, as well as other text, audio, and visual material not directly discussed in the AP® class. Students are encouraged to bring together themes and issues presented in the required texts and to consider them through the lens of sociocultural, geopolitical, artistic, and historical circumstances. From skills developed in their AP® Spanish Literature Course, students should be able to draw upon their knowledge of literary terms, literary analysis, and intertextual comparisons to successfully tackle the exam.
The AP® Spanish Literature Multiple-Choice Section is a one hour and 20-minute test, consists of 65 questions. It is 50% of the final exam score. This section begins with an Interpretive Listening component based on realistic audio texts with excerpts from interviews with authors, poems, and talks on literary topics linked to course material. Students are allowed to read over the questions and answer choices before listening to the audio. They are given one opportunity to listen to presentations and two opportunities to listen to poetry audio. The component that follows tests students Reading Analysis skills with 50 multiple choice questions based on readings from different genres and epochs present in Spanish-speaking parts of the world. For this, students are given questions on material presented in books from the required reading list, some works not on the list, as well as literary criticism that takes a side on a particular issue relevant to a familiar author’s work.
Section II, the Free-response section, presents students with four questions in which they are given an hour and 40 minutes to complete. The Free-response section is also worth 50% of the exam score. Unlike the multiple-choice section, test takers are allowed to divide their time as needed, however, they are required to stay within the given time limit.
Why is the AP® Spanish Literature Multiple-Choice Section Important?
50% of your final grade on the AP® Spanish Language Exam comes from what you’ve earned on the multiple-choice section. Scores are generated using a machine that calculates a raw numerical score. Incorrect and unanswered questions are not counted against you, so only the questions you answer correctly impact your total score on this section (more to come in this article on how to use this to your advantage during the test).
What Content is Covered in the Multiple- Choice Section of the AP® Spanish Literature Exam?
Content covered throughout the multiple-choice section includes literary criticism and analysis, along with thematic, comparative, and textual inquiry of poetry and fiction. Themes take account of societies in contact, the construction of gender, time and space, literary creation, interpersonal relationships, and the dual nature of being.
How can Test Takers Prepare for the AP® Spanish Literature Multiple-Choice Section?
In this section, you’ll find a few suggestions on how you can conduct your own AP® Spanish review during your free time. Albert.io offers test takers more useful tips to prepare them for the writing section of the AP® Spanish Language exam as well (see Albert.io’s The Ultimate List of AP® Spanish Literature Tips for further details).
Being able to recognize main ideas, intent, and point of view are essential to the multiple-choice section. Though you may have difficulty comprehending every word read in a text or overheard in an audio file, you can still successfully earn points by preparing in advance of the test. For example, take every opportunity you can to speak, listen, read, or write in Spanish. A good place to do this, of course, is inside your AP® Spanish Literature class via class discussions and activities. Outside of your formal classroom walls, talk to native Spanish speakers in your neighborhood or on social media platforms.
Of course, you’ll want to read as many books on the required reading list as you can. Only read unabridged, full text, Spanish language versions of the books. Using solely study guides, CliffsNotes, or merely reading the books in English will not help you on the exam. What may help instead is, in addition to reading the full Spanish texts on the required reading list – checking out books, listening to podcasts, and watching movies in Spanish to help familiarize yourself with new vocabulary and cultural norms of various Spanish-speaking countries. Youtube may also offer funny, short videos to inspire your learning (though not quite literary, this one is particularly funny). Finally, knowing your literary terms is an important component of the AP® Spanish Literature Exam. Use flashcards with examples of texts you’ve read to help you memorize your devices.
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