Exam Guide

AP Spanish Literature Exam Guide

Multiple Choice Section

PART A, INTERPRETIVE LISTENING

1. Read the questions before the audio starts.
   • If you prep using this guide, you won't need to read the instructions, which will always be the same.
2. Eliminate the opciones locos from the start.
   • There will usually be 1-2 answers that just don't fit at all.
   • Cross off. the opciones locos straight away, and then try to figure out which of the remaining are the best answer.

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3. If you know the author or the movement, use that to help zero in on the answer.
4. Take notes during the audio.
   • If you miss something, that's okay.
   • Be sure to focus on the parts that you do understand.
5. Read the instructions here in this study guide.
   • When it comes to the exam, you can jump straight into reading the questions, since you already know what you're supposed to do in this section.
6. Listen to more Spanish
   • News videos that are about the same length of some of the audio for the exam:
   • Podcasts with Radio ambulante—they are longer, but pick an episode and listen. They also have a transcript of the audio, so it can help you follow along.
   • You can switch your favorite Netflix show over to Spanish too! 🍿 Or just put the subtitles on—it’ll help with the listening and writing sections.

1. An interview with a writer 🎤
   • You will only get to listen to this dialogue ONCE
   • 4 questions
   • The questions will go more or less in order
   • The wording will be different, so use context clues for synonyms or antonyms that you can gather when reading the questions before the audio starts.
   • The instructions in both English and Spanish on the exam will read:
   
2. Listening to a poem 📓
   • You will get to hear this audio TWICE
   • This will be a poem that is not on the required reading list, so you likely will not have heard it before, but it may be by a poet that you've read. Use your outside knowledge of the poet and the movement to help you.
   • 4 questions
   • The instructions in both English and Spanish will be the same on the AP Exam.
   
3. Lecture on a literary topic 📚
   • You will hear this audio ONCE.
   • 7 questions
   • This will likely be on a literary movement or an author from the required reading.
   • The instructions:


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PART B, READING ANALYSIS:

🏆 PRO TIPS
These are going to look 👁️ a lot like the tips for the audio because you should apply them here too. 

1. Read the title and author first.
   • If you know the writer or the time period, use that to help zero in on the answer.
2. Then go straight to the questions BEFORE reading the text.
   

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3. Eliminate the opciones locos from the start.
   • There will usually be 1-2 answers that just don't fit at all.
   • Cross off the opciones locos straight away, and then try to figure out which of the remaining are the best answer.
4. Know your rhetorical devices/literary terms
   • These will be peppered throughout the entire multiple-choice section. (They'll also come in handy later from the writing section)
   • In case you need a review, here's the list of terms with the definitions straight from the exam makers. They use this when designing the questions, expecting that you’ll know the terms.
   • Some Quizlets from Fiveable

1. Two of the sections are excerpts straight from the require reading list. No surprises there. 😺
2. Two of the sections are excerpts from texts not on the required reading list.
   • If you know the author or the literary movement, use that context.
3. One text comparison section
   • One of the texts is an excerpt from the required reading list
   • The other text is one you probably haven't read, but is related thematically.
4. Critical commentary section 🧐
   • A piece written by a critic, like a review or analysis of a text, a literary movement, or a writer.
   • The text, author, or literary movement the person writes about in this section likely relates directly to what you've studied for the class, so use that.

Writing Section

1. Show off what you know.
   • Focus on what you do know, and show that off.
   • Try to tie in contextual information in the intros, like a reference to the time period and/or literary movement in which the author or poet wrote the piece.
2. Budget your time.
   • An hour and 40 minutes might seem like a lot, but when you break that down into four different essays, that’s not much time at all.
   • Spend about 15 minutes on each of the two short-answer at the start.
   • Spend about 30 minutes on each of the two essays at the end.
   • For the longer essays, take a few minutes at the start to sketch a quick outline in your exam booklet.
   • If you have the time, go back and read the essays to yourself in your head to catch any errors or add any last minute thoughts.
3. Use direct quotes.
   • Why do you think the texts are included in the exam? So that you USE them. 
   • The texts provide evidence to support your arguments. You need them.
4. Identify the literary/rhetorical devices used in the text/s.
• They provide further evidence to support your arguments/main points. 
• Explain the effect/s that the rhetorical devices have on the text.
5. Mark up the texts.
• This will make it easy to come back to when making those direct quotes.
• It will also help you more easily identify the rhetorical devices
6. Use the information provided about the text to help.
• All of the questions will include the name of the text.
• Questions 2-4 will also include the year and the name of the writers. Use all that to help!
7. Use transition and connecting words
   • This helps create a cohesive essay that flows logically. 
   • If you get stuck, here are some ideas:

   primero, al inicio	first, at the start
   después	after, afterward
   al final, por final	at the end, finally
   Sin embargo	Nevertheless
   Querer decir	to mean, to imply
   Tratar de	to try, to be about
   a la vez	at the same time
   por lo menos	at least
   de vez en cuando	from time to time
   en vez de	instead of
   de acuerdo (con)	okay, in agreement (with)
   sobre todo	above all, especially
   a pesar de	despite
   de nuevo	again
   de hecho	in fact
   de veras	really
   a causa de	because of
   por eso	therefore
   por supuesto	of course
   por lo visto	evidently
   por un lado... por otro lado	one one hand...on the other hand
   consecuencia	consequently
   del mismo modo	in the same way
   al igual que	just like

Know Your Authors and Poets:

Image from S. Enrique (If that is a little hard to read, here’s the original PDF.).

Question 1: Short-Answer Text Explanation (Approx. 15 minutes)

Image from A. Jimenéz.

1. A brief introduction
   • 1-2 sentence introduction 
   • Includes the name of the author/poet of the text and the literary movement they were a part of/ the time period 📅in which they were writing. 
   • Ties in the theme presented in the prompt to the text explanation that you will be providing in the main body paragraph
2. Strong body paragraph 
• Explains how the theme mentioned in the prompt (and your one-two sentence intro) is developed in the text provided
• Includes one-two direct quotes from the text provided (Make sure they aren’t too long.)
• Identifies one-two rhetorical devices used in the text and then ties it back to the theme
3. Brief conclusion
• One to two sentences
• Ties everything together
• Synthesizes your main text explanation without repeating

Question from College Board.

Example from College Board.

Question 2: Short-Answer Text and Art Comparison (Approx. 15 minutes)

1. Brief Introduction
   • 1-2 sentence introduction 
   • Mention the literary movement, and possibly the connection or difference from when the painting was done 
   • Tie in the theme presented in the prompt to the text and the painting that you will be providing in the main body paragraph
2. Strong body paragraph
   • Explains how the theme mentioned in the prompt (and your one-two sentence intro) is present in the text and the painting 
   • Includes one-two direct quotes from the text provided (Make sure they aren’t too long.).
   • Identifies one-two rhetorical devices used in the text and then ties it back to the theme
3. Brief conclusion (if you have time)
   • one to two sentences
   • ties everything together
   • synthesizes your main text explanation without repeating

• Tie that theme to both works
• Use at least one direct quote and one literary device as your evidence for the theme in the text and then describe the visuals and how they related to the theme. That provides the evidence for the art.
• SYNTHESIZE the ideas and how they have similar effects through different mediums
• If you're running short on time, as long as your main body paragraph is solid, you'll be good.
• You don't have a lot of time. Stick to the theme and don't get trapped with too much detail here. Keep you eye on the clock ⏰
• Some vocab tricks 🪄 for the text and art comparison:

“Las dos Fridas,” Frida Kahlo 1953

 Image from A. Holiday

Question 3: Essay, Single Text

1. Brief introduction
   • 1-2 sentence introduction 
   • Mention the literary movement
   • Tie in the theme presented in the prompt that you will develop in the body paragraph/s.
2. First short body paragraph
   • First body paragraph explains how the text demonstrates the theme mentioned in the prompt
   • Includes at least one direct quote from the text provided. (Make sure they aren’t too long.)
   • Identifies one-two rhetorical devices used in the text and then ties it back to the theme
   • Keep it simple—5 tight sentences here will do the trick 🪄
3. Second short body paragraph
   • Explores a second way in which the theme mentioned in the prompt is represented in the text.
   • Just like the first body paragraph this also includes a direct quote from the text and
   • Identifies a rhetorical device used in the text that ties 🪢 back to the theme
   • Keep it simple—5 tight sentences here will do the trick 🪄
4. Brief conclusion
   • One to two sentences
   • Wraps everything up
   • Synthesizes the main points in the two body paragraphs without repeating

Example from College Board.

Question 4: Essay Text Comparison

1. Brief introduction
   • 1-2 sentence introduction 
   • Mention the literary movement
   • Tie in the theme presented in the prompt that you will develop in the body paragraph/s.
2. First short body paragraph (similarities in the texts)
   • Explains how the texts demonstrate the theme mentioned in the prompt relates/applies to both of the texts.
   • Includes at least one direct quote from EACH text. (Keep them short and sweet.)
   • Identifies at least one rhetorical device used in EACH text and then ties it back to the theme/idea mentioned in the prompt.
   • Keep it simple—5 tight sentences here will do the trick 🪄
3. Second short body paragraph (difference in the texts)
   • Explains how the text DIFFER with the theme mentioned in the prompt 
   • Just like the first body paragraph this also includes a direct quote from EACH text and
   • Identifies a rhetorical device used in EACH text and ties 🪢 it back to the theme
   • Keep it simple—5 tight sentences here will do the trick 🪄
4. Brief conclusion
   • One to two sentences to wrap 🎁 everything up
   • Synthesizes the main points in the two body paragraphs without repeating

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