Five Tips for Scoring a 5 on the AP Spanish Language Exam

Advanced Placement language tests are considered to be some of the most difficult Advanced Placement exams. However, much of this is due to the fact that students aren't sure of how to study for an exam that tests a person's knowledge of an entire language. I was fortunate enough to receive a 5 on the AP Spanish Language exam when I took it. In this article, I will share the study techniques necessary to get a 5 on the AP Spanish Language exam, or any other AP language test.

AP Spanish Language Exam Tip #1 - Prepare Early
As with any Advanced Placement test, you should start studying for the AP Spanish Language exam far in advance. Remember, an AP language exam tests your cumulative knowledge of the language, and a language can't be mastered in a few frantic evenings. Allot yourself at least a couple months prior to the test for serious studying. This will allow you time to discover any areas that give you difficulty and time to fix those areas. Likewise, you can ask your Spanish teacher (or language teacher) for additional help or work. Plus, studying early reduces the stress you feel as the test date comes and permits you to study for other Advanced Placement tests that you may be taking.

AP Spanish Language Exam Tip #2 - Know Your Verbs
Verbs are the backbones of a language, and Spanish is no exception. When studying for the AP Spanish Language exam (or any other AP language exam), make sure that you know how to conjugate all regular and common irregular verbs in every tense, and that you know when a particular tense should and should not be used. Know when to use one of two similar verbs (such as ser and estar) and if any common phrases signal the use of a particular tense or mood. If you are serious about getting a 5 on the AP Spanish Language exam, I strongly recommend Spanish Verb Tenses by Dorothy Richmond, which I have reviewed here.

AP Spanish Language Exam Tip #3 - Practice With Others
Language is a form of communication. In studying for an AP language exam, you should spend time talking with others and perhaps exchanging emails regularly. This will improve your spoken and written communication, both crucial skills to develop if you want to get a 5 on the AP exam.

AP Spanish Language Exam Tip #4 - Take Practice Tests
It's a good idea to take one or two practice exams and to familiarize yourself with the format of the test. For example, know in what order the parts of the AP Spanish Language test are arranged, know what is expected of you in each section, and know when you'll have breaks. Familiarity with these things will help reduce anxiety on test day.

AP Spanish Language Exam Tip #5 - Make the Language Part of Your Life
The best thing you can do to learn a language is to make the language a part of your everyday life. Studying for the AP Spanish Language exam doesn't have to be an arduous task. Spending half an hour listening to Spanish-language songs, watching Spanish-language television shows, or watching part of a Spanish-language movie is simple enough and doing so on a regular basis will improve your language skills for the AP exam drastically. By the time the exam rolls around, you should be able to think in grammatically-correct Spanish without much effort.

The Advanced Placement language exams are not easy, but it is possible to score a 4 or a 5 on them with a moderate amount of directed effort. The key to doing well on the AP Spanish Language exam, or any other AP language exam, is preparation. If you prepare adequately, then there should be no surprises. Good luck on the exam and thank you for reading!