AP Deutsch – Frau Boshier
Wichtige Informationen zum neuen Deutsch AP Examen (German Language AND Culture Exam)
Essential:
Understanding:
authentic sources: texts, podcasts, interviews, videos
Communication:
written: formal Email + Persuasive Essay
oral: conversation + cultural comparison
Grammar:
Grammar is not tested discretely – but when you write your persuasive essay you need to show that you
have good control of complex structures (and verb endings, i.e. subject verb agreement and capitalization
of Nouns and basic word order HAVE to be correct!)
I will give you hand-outs with lists of instructions you need to be able to understand and I will also post
those in our classroom. You will receive words for you persuasive essay and for speaking. You need to
know phrases that allow you to state you position, give opinions and compare the US and Germany
culturally. You will get all this from me
Also: Keine Panik! Keine Angst!
The Exam
(copied from College Board)
Ready to put your German language and culture studies to the test—and gain some college credit in the
process? The AP Exam evaluates your use and understanding of both written and spoken language.
About the Exam
The AP German Language and Culture Exam assesses your proficiencies in the Interpersonal,
Interpretive, and Presentational modes of communication. The exam is 3 hours long and includes both a
95-minute multiple-choice section and an 85-minute free-response section. The multiple-choice section
accounts for half of your exam grade, and the free-response section accounts for the other half.
Multiple-Choice Section
Section I, the multiple-choice section, primarily assesses Interpretive Communication by asking you to
identify main points, significant details, purpose, and intended audience of a variety of texts and to
make inferences and predictions based on them. Some questions require you to show understanding of
cultural or interdisciplinary information contained in the text. Each selection is accompanied by a
preview that provides contextual information.

Section I, Part A, consists of a variety of authentic print
materials (e.g., journalistic and literary texts, announcements,
advertisements, letters, maps, and tables).

Section I, Part B, consists of a variety of authentic audio
materials, including interviews, podcasts, public service
announcements, conversations, and brief presentations. This
section is divided into two subsections. The first subsection
includes audio texts that are paired with print materials; the
second consists solely of audio texts. You will have time to read
the preview and skim the questions before listening to the audio.
All audio texts will be played twice.
Free-Response Section
Section II, the free-response section, assesses Interpersonal and Presentational Communication by
requiring you to produce written and spoken responses.

In the writing portion, you will demonstrate your ability to write in
the Interpersonal mode by reading and replying to an e-mail
message. Then using the Presentational mode, you will write a
persuasive essay based on three sources that present different
viewpoints on a topic. You will read an article, study a table or
graphic, and listen twice to a related audio. Then you will have 40
minutes to write an essay in response to a prompt using the
information from all three sources to present and defend your own
viewpoint. You will have access to the print sources and any notes
you may take on the audio during the entire 40-minute writing
period.

The speaking portion assesses speaking in the Interpersonal mode
by asking you to respond to questions as part of a simulated
conversation. You will be provided a preview of the conversation,
including an outline of each exchange. This portion also assesses
speaking in the Presentational mode by requiring you to make a 2minute presentation in response to a prompt on a cultural topic. In
your presentation, you will compare cultural features of your own
community to those found in an area of the German-speaking
world with which you are familiar. You are encouraged to cite
examples from materials you've read, viewed, and listened to, as
well as from personal experiences and observations.
Section
Number of
Questions
Percent of
Final Score
Approx. 95
minutes
Section I: Multiple Choice
Part A
Interpretive Communication:
Print Texts
Part B
Interpretive Communication:
Print and Audio Texts (combined)
Interpretive Communication:
Audio Texts
Time
Approx. 40
minutes
30 questions
50%
35 questions
Approx. 55
minutes
Approx. 85
minutes
Section II: Free Response
Interpersonal Writing: E-mail Reply
1 prompt
15 minutes
Presentational Writing: Persuasive Essay
1 prompt
Approx. 55
minutes
Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation
5 prompts
Presentational Speaking: Cultural Comparison
1 prompt
50%
20 seconds
for each
response
2 minutes to
respond
Section I:
Multiple Choice Part:
You need to understand print texts and audio texts.
So read and listen a lot:
Go to to my school website, and also to:
Deutsche Welle – Deutsch lernen and study anything that takes your fancy
ARD Mediathek: http://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/servlet/
WDR Mediathek: http://www.wdr.de/mediathek/html/regional/index.xml
discovery.de
history.de
planet wissen
quizlet.com (vocab practice)
You will get each listening twice and you can take notes. You might want to just listen the first time and
get the gist and take notes the second time. Most of the time you can get by without taking notes, I think.
The questions for the multiple choice are not always straightforward factual questions. They go beyond
that and you might be asked to comment on the style (formal, informal, factual, emotional) of a text.
E.g.: Wie würden Sie Ihre Anfrage formulieren? (when writing to a company)
or: Wie würde sich Anja am Ende des Interviews verabschieden?
or: Welche Überschrift passt am besten zu dem Text?
Section 2:
Free Response Part
Write very clearly/legibly!! A Happy AP grader is a generous grader! Write every second line. Then
corrections can be done neatly.
Write in pen.
A. E-mail:
You will have to write a formal email reply.
Sehr geehrter Herr Mey, / Sehr geehrte Frau Mey ,/ Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
After the comma do not capitalize the first word.
Use: Sie / Ihr / Ihnen etc.
Könnten Sie mir bitte mitteilen/sagen, ob…
Wie hat Ihnen der Film gefallen?
Wie geht es Ihrem kranken Hund?
end with:
Mit freundlichen Grüßen (NO COMMA)
Karl Bauer
Respond to
ALL questions in the Email. And ALWAYS ask for more details, more information.
Könnten Sie mir bitte sagen, wann / wo / wie viel / ob…. /
Ich brauche noch ein paar mehr Informationen. Wann.... Wie ....
Use idiomatic expressions:
Es gibt... / In Deutschland gibt es...
Es macht Spaß / Es hat mir Spaß gemacht / Es würde mir Spaß machen…
Ich spiele gern Gitarre.
Ich würde gern...
Ich freue mich schon auf...
Ich interessiere mich für...
Ich habe lange auf diese Gelegenheit gewartet.
Kann ich mit dem Bus dahin kommen?
Mit dem Fahrrad fahren ist umweltfreundlich.
Use opinions:
Ich finde das interessant, weil .... / Ich glaube, dass ...
Use different tenses:
Ich habe schon als Au Pair gearbeitet.
Es war... / Ich hatte / Es gab
Ich würde ...
Ich möchte...
In der Zukunft werde ich...
B. Persuasive Essay
(You will get lots of notes from me / lots of lists of expressions you need on a separate sheet.)
You will get 3 different sources with 3 different viewpoints. (print and audio)
You can take notes during listening.
Write a MINIMUM of 170words.
Write clearly, every second line.
 In your essay present the different viewpoints and give your own view: Meiner Meinung nach
(Verb)
 Use the sources to support your arguments and identify the sources (Im ersten Artikel steht… Die
Grafik zeigt…) Make sure you cite from all sources.
 Organize your ideas before you write. Use a graphic organizer.
 In the introduction state what you are going to explain or indicate your position regarding the
question.
 In each paragraph, support your ideas with information from the sources.
 Make sure you demonstrate that you have interpreted (understood) and synthesized the three
sources to support your ideas in your essay. Avoid paraphrasing / plagiarizing.
 Conclude your essay. Do not simply repeat your introduction; synthesize your ideas; combine your
ideas/arguments in a coherent paragraph.
 If you make a mistake, cross out your word and correct on the empty line above.
 Use different tenses, idiomatic expressions and complex structures (weil, wenn, obwohl) and good
transitions: Zuerst…, Zweitens…, Zum Schluss…
 Use: Vorteil / Nachteil // für / gegen // auf der einen Seite – auf der anderen Seite
 Proof read for capitalization of nouns, Subject/Verb agreement (Die Leute sagen… Man sagt…) and
word order. (Meiner Meinung nach gibt es in Deutschland…)
C. Conversation
You will have one minute to preview the outline of the conversation and then you need to respond to
questions on the CD – try to fill the 20 seconds as much as you can even if it feels unnatural.
Martin stellt Ihnen eine Frage.
Sie antworten ihm.
Martin spricht über ein Problem.
Sie kommentieren und fragen warum.
Martin sagt Ihnen einen Grund.
Sie geben ihm einen Rat.
Martin bittet Sie um einen Ratschlag.
Sie machen ihm einen Vorschlag.
Martin bedankt sich und macht einen Vorschlag.
Sie akzeptieren und machen einen Vorschlag.







Read the outline and information carefully. You can make notes.
WATCH your register: formal or informal - Sie / du? The instructions address you formally (Sie).
But in this specific dialogue Martin is your friend – so you address him as ‘du’!!
When you listen to the questions and give your responses and fill the 20 seconds. Show what you
can do! (Throw in a ‘WEIL’ sentence and a different tense – Ich habe … vergessen, weil….)
If you have difficulty saying something, rephrase using words and phrases you know.
Check off the conversation with a pencil as you go along!!! So you know where you are at all
times.
Have greeting and good-bye ready (formal and informal)!!
If you make a mistake, correct yourself. The Grades LOVE a quick self-correction!
D. Cultural Comparison
Make sure you have section in you Notebook for notes on cultural comparisons:
E.g.:
different school systems, different ways to deal with environmental problems, opinions on nuclear power,
immigration, nationalism, different ways to celebrate certain festivals…
You have to give an oral presentation - after a 4 minute preparation you need to speak for 2 minutes.
 Read the question very carefully – start jotting down ideas.
 Use the two minutes you have to organize and think about what you want to say. Use graphic
organizers. / Jot down key words.
 Use transitional words. (Im Vergleich zu... / Aus meiner Erfahrung... / Ich habe gelesen/gehört,
dass ...)
 If you make a mistake, correct yourself.
 Practice using circumlocution.
 Use the entire two minutes to speak.
 Show what you can do!! (weil / wenn / obwohl… / different tenses)
 Watch you time.
E.g.:
Deutschland will total auf Atomkraft verzichten.
Vergleichen Sie die Perspektiven zu diesem Problem, wo Sie wohnen, mit Perspektiven in deutschsprachigen
Regionen? Sie können in Ihrem Vortrag Beobachtungen, Erfahrungen oder das, was Sie gelernt haben, beschreiben.