In an increasingly globalized and, therefore, multilingual world, studying a foreign language is a great way to connect with others and learn about different cultures and communities. This motivation inspires many students to pursue AP coursework in a foreign language, including Spanish, Japanese, and German. In this post, we’ll be focusing on the latter. Whether you’re a long-term speaker of German or still deciding how many AP classes to take, this post will tell you everything you need to know about the AP German Language and Culture exam. Specifically, we’ll share our AP German score calculator and information about the AP German exam format to help you gauge your proficiency and develop a personalized study plan. Let’s get started!

AP German Score Calculator

AP German Exam Format

To effectively use the AP German score calculator, you first need to understand the structure of the exam itself. Let’s start with the basics: how long is the AP German exam? The AP German Language and Culture exam takes just over three hours. During that time, students will answer 65 multiple-choice and 4 free-response questions. Additional information about the AP German exam format, including its structure and weighting, is available below:

• Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions

College Board breaks up Section 1 of the AP German exam into two parts:

• Part A includes 30 multiple-choice questions that test students’ skills in interpretive communication. Here, students will encounter questions oriented around printed texts. Altogether, Part 1 of Section 1 will take 40 minutes and is worth 23% of students’ scores.
• Part B also tests students’ skills in interpretive communication across 35 multiple-choice questions. However, in this section, students will need to respond to combined print and audio texts, as well as audio-only texts. Students will have 55 minutes to complete this section, which is worth 27% of their overall score.
• Section 2: Free Response Questions

This section includes four questions and is worth 50% of students’ grades, with each question being worth 12.5%. Students will have 88 minutes to complete this section, though College Board allocates a different amount of time for each question:

In addition to the exam’s structure and weighting, AP German students may also find it helpful to preview the skills that the exam will assess. College Board identifies eight skills that the AP German exam tests:

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• Skill Category 1: Comprehend Text

The first skill category in AP German gauges students’ ability to understand and describe the literal meaning of texts as well as quantitative data. Not surprisingly, this is one of the most prominent skills tested on the AP German exam. 20-30% of multiple choice questions will test this skill, as will all of the free response questions, with the exception of FRQ 4: Cultural Comparison.

• Skill Category 2: Make Connections

Here we have another popular skill category. Skill Category 2 evaluates how well test takers can draw cultural and interdisciplinary connections. Approximately 30-40% of multiple choice questions will test this skill, as do all of the free response questions.

• Skill Category 3: Interpret Text

As its title suggests, this skill category assesses students’ abilities in text interpretation. Once again, 30-40% of multiple choice questions test this skill, as well as Free Response Question 2: Argumentative Essay.

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• Skill Category 4: Make Meanings

AP German’s fourth skill category tests how well students can determine the meaning of familiar and unfamiliar terms—an essential skill for any foreign language student! 10-15% of multiple choice questions will directly assess this competency, as will all of the free response questions.

• Skill Category 5: Speak to Others

The fifth skill category assesses how well students can apply their knowledge of German when speaking to others. This skill is not assessed by any multiple choice questions, but students will be tested in this category by Free Response Question 3: Conversation.

• Skill Category 6: Write to Others

Similar to Skill Category 5, Skill Category 6, tests AP German students on their ability to communicate in writing. Although no multiple choice questions directly assess this skill, students will need to leverage their ability to write in German when completing Free Response Question 1: Email Reply.

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• Skill Category 7: Present Orally

Again, Skill Category 7, where students practice presenting information orally, is not tested by any multiple choice questions. However, students will need to utilize this skill to successfully complete Free Response Question 4: Cultural Comparison.

• Skill Category 8: Present in Writing

Finally, the AP German exam will test students on their ability to present information in writing. This skill will not show up in any multiple choice questions. However, it will be evaluated by Free Response Question 2: Argumentative Essay.

Now that you have a grasp of the AP German exam format, try experimenting with our AP German score calculator to see how the test’s components can impact your overall score.

What can I expect from the AP German free response questions?

Most students are fairly comfortable with multiple choice questions. However, due to their open-ended nature, free response questions can prove challenging. As you will see when using the AP German score calculator, the free response questions are also a major determinant of your score since they are, collectively, worth 50%. Fortunately, College Board shares lots of information about its AP German free response questions, so students know what to expect. Below, you will find a brief description of each free response question and its scoring criteria.

Free Response Question 1: Email Reply

The first free response question tests students on their written communication skills. Specifically, this question asks students to draft a formal response to an email in German. Their response must include a greeting and a closing. It must also respond to questions included in the original email and request additional details about something it mentions. All of the free response questions are scored on a five-point scale. Reviewers for this question will evaluate ‘responses based on their ability to:

• Maintain the exchange and provide required information and details.
• Communicate clearly in the formal register, using appropriate and varied vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.

Free Response Question 2: Argumentative Essay

AP German students will have another chance to harness their skills in writing when responding to Free Response Question 2. Here, students will craft an argumentative essay in German based on three provided sources. Each of those sources will offer a different viewpoint on the assigned topic. These sources will also include printed and audio material. Students have six minutes to read the essay topic and printed sources. They will also have two chances to listen to the audio sources; test takers should take notes as they listen. Afterwards, students will compose an essay that presents and defends their position on the assigned topic, using evidence from their sources to support their ideas. For this question, reviewers will score students based on their ability to:

• Thoughtfully address the assigned topic within the context of an argumentative essay.
• Present and defend their viewpoint in an organized manner.
• Demonstrate their comprehension of the provided sources by integrating evidence into their essays.
• Clearly communicate their ideas using appropriate and varied vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.

Free Response Question 3: Conversation

While the first two free response questions test students’ writing abilities, the third assesses their speech and listening skills. For this question, students will engage in a simulated conversation with a recorded interlocutor. Before speaking, students will receive an outline of the conversation, so they will have a general understanding of how they are expected to respond at each stage. Students will provide five responses over the course of the conversation and will have 20 seconds to complete each response. Reviewers will grade students on their ability to:

• Maintain the exchange while providing required information with appropriate details.
• Communicate clearly, using appropriate and varied vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.
• Use a consistent register when speaking, as well as appropriate pronunciation and intonation.

Free Response Question 4: Cultural Comparison

For the final free response question, students will apply their knowledge of German culture to compare one aspect of a German-speaking community to another. Students may present information that comes from their studies, observations, or direct experiences. Reviewers will score presentations based on how well students:

• Address the topic by drawing a thoughtful and well-supported comparison with sufficient detail and examples.
• Present information in an organized and comprehensible fashion.
• Communicate clearly, using appropriate and varied vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.
• Maintain a consistent register while using appropriate pronunciation and intonation.

Knowing what skill(s) each free response question tests can help you feel more at ease on exam day. We also recommend utilizing the many resources College Board provides to help students prepare for the free response section. These include sample free response questions, scoring guidelines, and sample audio prompts. After practicing these questions, try using the AP German score calculator to see how your performance on each free response question contributes to your overall score.

What is the average AP German score?

Now that we have a better understanding of the AP German exam format, you might be wondering: how well does the average student do on the exam? To help answer this question, we’ve provided an overview of AP German students’ exam scores from 2023 below:

In reviewing these statistics, we can see that the majority of AP German students, 66%, pass their exam, meaning AP German is not among the hardest or easiest AP classes in terms of exam performance. Based on these results, the average score for AP German is 3.11.

How to get a 5 on AP German?

In reviewing AP German students’ scores, you may have noticed that scores were fairly evenly distributed along the five-point scale. While a decent percentage, 19%, earned a 5, a significant portion of students, 34%, earned a 2 or a 1. These results would render students ineligible to receive credit or advanced placement at most U.S. college and universities. So, how can you earn a 5 in AP German? Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to this question. To earn a 5 in AP German, students will need to have a high level of proficiency reading texts, creating written responses, and engaging in conversations in German. We can also look to previous students’ performances to identify common pitfalls that may have impacted their scores.

For example, in 2023, AP German students found questions that focused exclusively on reading comprehension to be more challenging than questions that tested their listening abilities. Not surprisingly, students also struggled more with Free Response Question 2: Written Argument. This pattern makes sense given that FRQ 2 requires students to read multiple sources to create a written response.

While these trends were true for many AP German students last year, it’s important to remember that they aren’t universal. In using our AP German score calculator, you’ll see that there are many different ways to earn a 5. All of this is to say that each student’s experience and performance will differ. For this reason, it’s important to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in AP German to help you perform your best.

Tips for Success in AP German:

So, how exactly do you identify your strengths and areas of improvement? Below, you’ll find a few strategies to support your success in AP German:

1) Do your research.

If you’ve made it this far, you already have a great understanding of the AP German exam format, as well as tools that can support your preparation like the AP German score calculator. But don’t stop here! Continue reading about the AP German exam by reviewing free response sample questions and responses, audio scripts, and speaking prompts. Closely reviewing these materials will ensure you know exactly what to expect on exam day.

2) Mix it up.

When preparing for an exam, it’s easy to glaze over and become a passive learner. However, effectively preparing for your AP German exam will require that you have multiple competencies. As we’ve already discussed, you’ll need to be able to read, write, listen to, and speak in German. Your exam preparation should reflect the diversity of skills you’ll be tested on. So, make sure you engage in different types of activities and practice to strengthen each of these skills. In addition to reading texts in German, engage in activities that force you to apply your knowledge in new ways. Try conversing with classmates, both verbally and in writing, in German. Or try streaming your favorite TV shows in German to test your aural comprehension. The more varied and active your exam preparation is, the better off you’ll be.

3) Practice and create a study plan.

Finally, nothing can take the place of good, old-fashioned practice, which, in the case of AP German, means taking a practice test. Once you’ve taken a practice test, use our AP German score calculator to quantify your performance. Then, use your results to identify your weaknesses so you know what skills or question types warrant more attention. By personalizing your study strategy, you’ll increase your chances of earning a high score on your AP German exam while also improving your overall proficiency.

AP German Score Calculator – Additional Resources

Looking for additional AP resources? Consider reading the following posts:

• When do AP scores come out?
• AP Score Calculators
• SAT Score Calculator
• ACT Score Calculator