The Exam
Put your exploration of the great works of Spanish literature to the test -- and get some college credit -- with the AP Spanish Literature Exam.
About the Exam
The exam is three hours and 10 minutes long. It includes a 65-question multiple-choice section and a three-essay free-response section.
The use of dictionaries or other references is not permitted during the exam. All the directions printed inside the exam books are in both English and Spanish.
Section I: Multiple-Choice
The 80-minute multiple-choice section includes 65 questions that will test your literary analysis and reading comprehension skills, as well as your familiarity with literary terminology. The section includes questions about a wide variety of literature, including both works from the required reading list and works you may not have read before.
During the multiple-choice section, you'll read several passages and answer questions about each. Most of the passages will be prose fiction but you may also encounter poetry, drama, essays, and literary criticism. You should be familiar with the basic elements of Spanish versification, such as meter and rhyme.
Unlike other multiple-choice tests, random guessing can hurt your final score. While you don't lose anything for leaving a question blank, one third of a point is subtracted for each incorrect answer on the test. But if you have some knowledge of the question and can eliminate one or more answers, it's usually to your advantage to choose what you believe is the best answer from the remaining choices.
Section II: Free-Response
You'll have 1 hour and 50 minutes to finish all three free-response essays, including a poetry analysis, a thematic analysis, and a text analysis. Your essays should demonstrate your ability to analyze literature as well as write in correct and idiomatic Spanish. Essay grades are based 70 percent on content and 30 percent on language usage.
Poetry Analysis
You'll analyze how a given theme is treated in a specific poem. The poem, which will be printed in the exam booklet, is not from the required reading list; the author may or may not be one of the authors on that list. It's recommended that you spend no more than 30 minutes on the poetry analysis.
Thematic Analysis
You'll write one of two types of possible essays. It's recommended that you spend no more than 40 minutes answering the thematic analysis question. The two types (only one will appear on any given exam):
- You'll analyze how a given theme is treated in a particular work from the required reading list. Keep in mind: You will have a choice of works to base your essay on. Two or more authors' appropriate works will be listed in the exam booklet.
- You'll compare the manner in which a given theme and/or topic is treated in two works from the required reading list. You may have to discuss two specific works or you may be given a list of works to choose from.
Text Analysis
Again, two types of questions are possible. It's recommended that you spend no more than 40 minutes answering the text analysis question. The two types (only one will appear on any given exam):
- You'll write short answers for two or three open-ended questions about an excerpt from a work on the required reading list. The excerpt will be printed in the exam.
- You'll write an essay analyzing critical commentary about a particular work from the required reading list. The critical commentary will be printed in the exam.
Scoring the Exam
The multiple-choice section counts for 40% of your grade. The free-response section contributes the remaining 60% (poetry analysis, 20%; thematic analysis, 20%; text analysis, 20%).
