College Board AP (Advanced Placement) Test

The AP Language Tests are comprised of 2 sections and take approximately 3 hours to complete. It is given once a year in May and is available in 7 languages. These tests are usually used as an exit exam for students enrolled in a corresponding AP course and tests are based on content taught throughout the school year.

Exam Overview:

Click here for an overview of the test.

Is it accepted by Global Seal of Biliteracy?

Yes! You can earn a Global Seal by achieving these scores:

Functional Fluency: 3 (Intermediate-Mid) and 4 (Intermediate-High)
Working Fluency: 5 (Advanced-Low)
Professional Fluency: Does Not Qualify

(AP Spanish Literature and Culture not accepted*)

Where is this test recognized?

This test is internationally recognized anywhere an Intermediate-Mid, Intermediate-High, and Advanced-Low score on the ACTFL scale is accepted.

AP exams are commonly used for college credit and/or placement. State universities in AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, KY, LA, MN, NV, ND, OH, OR, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, WA and WV award college credit for AP scores of 3 or higher.

Is a proctor required?

All Global Seal tests require proof of a proctor. Reach out to the testing company to find more information.

When and Where does this test take place?

Tests are taken at schools that have been approved by College Board. All exams are given throughout May depending on the schedule released by College Board. You can view the 2025 schedule here.

What is the cost?

$94 per student in the US, US territories, and Canada (free & reduced lunch discounts available)

$124 per student internationally (except above and DoDS)

This is the ACTFL level that each score corresponds to:

Aligned to the ACTFL Proficiency Scale

Languages Offered:

Chinese (Mandarin)
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Latin
Spanish

IELTS to CEFR Conversion ChartAdvanced Placement to ACTFL Conversion Chart

        
            AP Score
            ACTFL Level
            Description
            Award Level
        

            5
            Advanced-Low
            Expert
            Working Fluency
        

            4
            Intermediate-High
            Competent
            Functional Fluency
        

            3
            Intermediate-Mid
            Modest
            Functional Fluency
        

            1 - 2
            Novice-Low - Intermediate-Low
            Extremely Limited
            DNQ (Did Not Qualify)
        

AP Score	ACTFL Level	Description	Award Level
5	Advanced-Low	Expert	Working Fluency
4	Intermediate-High	Competent	Functional Fluency
3	Intermediate-Mid	Modest	Functional Fluency
1 - 2	Novice-Low - Intermediate-Low	Extremely Limited	DNQ (Did Not Qualify)

Test Format:

Advanced Placement tests are split into 4 sections that cover reading, writing, listening, and speaking. They use a mixture of multiple choice and free response questions and include both print and audio materials as a reference for some questions types.

This section consists of 30 questions based on authentic print materials and will take approximately 40 minutes. It is worth 23% of the overall score.
The goals of this section is for students to:
- Identify the main ideas and supporting details
- Determine the meaning of vocabulary words in context
- Identify the author’s point of view or the target audience
- Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural or interdisciplinary information contained in the text
This multiple choice section has 35 questions based on authentic audio materials. It will take 55 minutes to complete and is worth 27% of the overall score.
The following materials will be provided and will be referenced in the questions.
- Interpretive Communication: Print and Audio Texts (combined). 2 sets of audio sources paired with print materials on the same topic with questions (article and audio report, chart and conversation).
- Interpretive Communication: Audio Texts. 3 sets of audio sources with questions (interview, instructions, presentation).
The section asks students to:
- Respond to questions about main ideas and supporting details. Some questions will require students to demonstrate their understanding of cultural or interdisciplinary information.
- Read a preview of each selection and skim the questions before listening to the audio. All audio texts will be played twice.
This section includes 2 questions that will take 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete and will be worth 25% of the overall score.
Each question is formatted as such:
- Interpersonal Writing: Read and reply to an email message (15 minutes).
- Presentational Writing: Write an argumentative essay based on 3 sources, including an article, a table, graph, chart, or infographic, and a related audio source (played twice), that present different viewpoints on a topic (~55 minutes total: 15 minutes to review materials plus 40 minutes to write). Students will have access to the print sources and any notes they may take on the audio during the entire 40-minute writing period.
This section consists of 2 questions and will last 18 minutes. It will make up 25% of the overall score.
This section requires the following:
- Interpersonal Speaking: Participate in 5 exchanges in a simulated conversation (20 seconds for each response). For this conversation, students will be provided with a preview of the conversation, including an outline of each exchange.
- Presentational Speaking: Deliver a 2-minute presentation in response to a prompt in which students compare a cultural feature found in the community speaking the language being tested to a similar feature in their own culture or another culture.