AP® French Language Exam Introduction

Getting ready for the AP® French Language and Culture exam is a long process that has a pretty tough reputation. Students across the country tend to think of it as one of the hardest APs even for native speakers. This may be true, and if you’ve registered for this exam you’re certainly asking yourself “Is the French Language AP® hard?”

Well like a lot of questions, there isn’t a black and white answer, and the best response is the ever-maddening: it depends. According to another Albert.io article, more than 20,000 students take the AP® French Language exam and out of those about 75% get a score of 3 or higher. In general, about 38% get a crucial score of a 4 or 5, and overall only 12% score a 5.

In most universities you can get credit for the AP® French Language course by getting a three or higher, but why get complacent? It’s worth it to aim for the 4 or 5 for many reasons: you’re paying for the test so you might as well get your money’s worth, you’ll be better prepared for college-level language courses, and preparing for the test will improve your French, which is the overall goal anyway!

When it comes to the class, it exists to help you on the AP. The class is specifically designed to help you do well on the AP® French Language exam, and if you’re doing well in your AP® French class, it’s a good indicator that you’re well on your way to achieving your goals for the test as well.

Why is the Class Worth Taking?

The question so many students ask themselves when taking any class is whether or not it’s worth it. We long for the ideal of learning for the sake of learning and poring over old books in leather chairs in dimly lit libraries that smell of tobacco smoke.

But as we’re constantly reminded, the job market is tough, and we need to start preparing for adult life relatively early, so when preparing to take an AP® test, wondering whether the French Language and Culture exam is worth, it is valid. Well, while it might not be a magical solution to the problems you have ahead of you at the end of your high school and the beginning of your college career, it is worth it.

The goal of the AP® is to get you college credit. By starting early with your college career, you can not only save money, but you can also get general education requirements out of the way, so you’ll be able to spend your time taking classes that you aspire to take. This is an original strategy whether you’re planning on continuing with French or not because a lot of universities have language requirements.

The AP® tests are also specifically designed to mimic the college level curriculum. Taking the AP® will ease you the college workload and make the transition into university less of a shock.

While the test isn’t unreasonably challenging, it is a challenge. But it’s one that’s designed to help you! While preparing for the AP, you’re preparing yourself for a whole new aspect of your life, and you’ll thank the high school version of you for getting you started early on preparing yourself.

Format of Course and Exams

AP® French language, whether the course or the exam, has a worrisome reputation for being skewed by the scores of native speakers. I’m happy to report to you that, that isn’t entirely true, and the metric of test scoring for the AP® correlates to the number of students estimated to get As, Bs, and so on in the class nationwide.

If you’re getting straight As in your class, chances are you’re on your way to a 4 or 5 in your regular test prep. If you’re not even going to class, you’ll obviously need more than a little test prep to get you ready for the AP. The class will involve reading books and writing essays to demonstrate your comprehension of them. You’ll also be asked to engage in regular speaking and listening exercises.

In general, you can expect the class to be structured to prepare you for the sections of the exam. You’ll have a relative amount of individual attention and regular evaluation to reassure you that you’re retaining the necessary information.

The basic format of the exam is as follows:

Part A: 30 questions and 40 minutes long.

• Interpretive communication and print texts.

Part B: 35 Questions 55 minutes.

• Interpretive communication (Both Print and Audio sources).
• Interpretive communication (audio texts).

Section II:

There is a Free Response section with four tasks. It’s 1 hour and 28 minutes long and comprises the other 50% of the exam score.

Part A: Written tasks, 70 minutes.

• Interpersonal writing (Email reply, one prompt 15 minutes).
• Presentational Writing (Persuasive essay, one prompt-55 minutes total).

Part B: Spoken responses (18 Minutes).

• Interpersonal speaking: (Conversation-five topics, 20 seconds for each response).
• Presentational speaking: (Cultural comparison-1 prompt, 4 minutes to prepare and 2 minutes to respond).

Key Skills Required by and Developed by the Course

The CollegeBoard has an entire document dedicated to the metric of test preparation and what the test and the class should entail. Lucky for you, I pored over it so you wouldn’t have to, and the skills tested are easily outlined and comprise different levels of assessment in the different areas you’re tested in.

So if you’re wondering what exactly you’re being tested on, look no further! They use the three mediums of communication (written, spoken, and listening) to gauge your grasp of the French language. Spoken Interpersonal Communication relates to the conversation part of the speaking section in which you have a conversation with the examiner. Your responses have to be at least 20 seconds long.

The test also assesses written interpersonal communication in the free response section by having you write an email to someone. It can be formal or informal depending on the particular prompt. This part is easy enough to prepare for and won’t be too difficult as a test section because it’s something you likely do on a regular basis as well and you can look up templates to help you practice. The test assesses Visual and Audiovisual Interpretive Communication during the listening section as you listen to bits of audio and answer questions on them.

In the section that assesses Written and Print Interpretive Communication, you’re tasked with reading documents and answering questions on them to make sure your comprehension is where it needs to be after taking a course at the AP® level. This part is something you can prepare for with a bit of concentration. Just having taken French for however long you have is a good start, you’re likely already well on your way to the level you’re looking to attain.

The section for Spoken Presentational Communication is another component of the speaking section that involves taking a prompt on French culture and making a short presentation on it. You’ll have 2 minutes to present on a piece of French culture to an evaluator.

Steps to Preparation

A lot of what preparation entails involves getting yourself comfortable in speaking, reading, and writing French. Ideally, these skills will be learned on an intuitive level and not just through rote memorization. Preparing for the AP® is as hard as you make it and practice does help you out.

Make a study plan

Tailor it to target your specific weaknesses. When you allocate your time, focus on the areas you could use a little help with. There’s no formula for how many hours of studying lead to a specific score but ask your teacher what they suggest and assess yourself based on your in-class grades and any practice exams. Use the right review book if you’re not using Albert.

Practice for each specific section of the test.

That means you can’t just take practice tests over and over because it’ll get exhausting and it’s not an efficient use of your time. So if your reading comprehension is fine, but your accent needs work, look up for a phonetics guide and improve the areas that are a little rusty.

Live the test

It’s also extremely helpful to integrate the prep into your life, so it doesn’t get exhausting. You certainly have other classes to worry about and maybe even other APS you’re prepping for. Listen to French music, watch a show with French dubs and find a way to make it, so that test prep becomes fun as opposed to the few hours a week where you hole yourself up in your room and wait for the session to end. Focus on your understanding of French culture, incorporating interdisciplinary topics into your test prep regimen, and making comparisons between the different languages and cultures.

Characteristics of Students Who Get Fives

When you’re on the road the AP, it should be reassuring to know that the 1-5 system corresponds to the grading system you’ll have for the class. A 5 on the AP® is like getting an A in your French class, getting a four is like getting anywhere from a B+ to an A-, and getting a three is like getting a C to a B-. Chances are, as an AP® student you’re not accustomed to trying to hit the low bar, so familiarize yourself with what the CollegeBoard expects of 5 students and aim high!

To get a better idea of what the test expects from you, it’s helpful to look at the example of characteristics of students who’ve gotten fives. According to the CollegeBoard, they’re gauging achievement on different levels including interaction, strategies, language structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultures connection and comparisons.

1. Interaction.

Students who’ll get five on the AP® exam can hold conversations on familiar topics in French. This means you’ll be able to start, maintain, and finish a conversation without any long awkward gaps and you may even use gestures in conversation that are natural and culturally appropriate.

2. Strategies.

Students who get 5s on the AP® use different communication strategies to maintain a conversation. If you don’t understand something you ask for clarification, paraphrase the questions, and have a series of simple strategies to make sure that they understand what the test is asking of them.

3. Opinions.

Students who get fives are informed about current French culture and have formed opinions on French culture. If you read stuff ahead of time, this criterion will be a breeze. It’s as simple as reading up on the news every so often!

4. Language structures.

To get a five, you have to be able to mix up your speech. It’s not about constantly spouting the French equivalent of Shakespeare. It just means you’re able to explain yourself relatively well. Make sure you know the conjugation rules for each tense you’ve learned in class. Memorize your “si clauses” and the more complicated sentence structures so you don’t trip over them during the exam.

A few mistakes are normal, but the goal is that any mistakes you make don’t get in the way of what you’re trying to get across to the listener.

5. Vocabulary.

Students who get 5s on the AP® have a general grasp of French vocabulary. You should know the basics you’ve gone over in class, but it’ll also be a simple help to go outside of what you may have been taught and expand your vocabulary to topics that aren’t necessarily in your everyday sphere.

6. Pronunciation.

When speaking French, your accent doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to sound like French. Make sure that your pronunciation, intonation, and delivery are such that if someone were a native French speaker not used to dealing with students learning French as a second language, they’d still understand you. Make sure your pronunciation is relatively consistent and when there are errors they don’t interfere with the comprehension of your speech.

7. Cultures, Connections, and comparisons.

Students who get fives can draw comparisons between their own culture and French culture. You should essentially be able to compare and contrast in a thoughtful way that shows your knowledge of France in its current state.

Conclusions and Tips

When thinking about the difficulty of the AP® French language exam, it’s important not to let yourself get overwhelmed. Part of being an AP® student is being prepared to challenge yourself. This is the opportunity to learn a new language, and gain college credit in the process.

Taking an AP® exam is an extremely helpful decision and it’ll make sitting in your first lecture hall that much more exciting knowing you’ve taken every necessary step to prepare yourself to be there. You have all of the basic info down: the structure of the test and the purpose of the class, what the test is evaluating you on, and the necessary steps to take to help you formulate your study plan.

As a junior or senior in High School, you’ve been taking classes most of your life, and it’ll only cause you anxiety to freak out about this one. If you’ve been taking French long enough to be able to qualify for the AP® level class, it’s worth it to take the test to assess yourself. It’s one of those situations in which the benefits outweigh the costs.

So, after a long path towards a more deliberate answer. Is the AP® French Language exam hard? It can be. If you don’t prepare and you don’t take the time to absorb what’s going on in class, it will be difficult, and you probably won’t like it. But if you do the necessary to prepare yourself for the test, go to class, actively listen and take the time to prepare outside of class as well, it’ll be an experience that you’ll be grateful you had.

Looking for AP® French Language practice?

Kickstart your AP® French Language prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today.