AP Chinese Language and Culture
Course Description
AP Chinese Language and Culture is a college-level course that allows students to develop and demonstrate their proficiency in Mandarin Chinese while deepening their understanding of Chinese culture. The course emphasizes real-life communication in the interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes across a variety of topics such as family, education, daily life, and global challenges. Students engage with authentic materials including conversations, articles, videos, and literary texts to enhance their language skills and cultural competence.
Key Components:
- Interpersonal Communication: Engaging in spoken and written exchanges to express ideas and interact with others in Chinese
- Interpretive Communication: Understanding and interpreting written, audio, and audiovisual materials in culturally appropriate ways
- Presentational Communication: Delivering spoken and written presentations in Mandarin on cultural and personal topics
- Cultural Exploration: Investigating contemporary and historical aspects of Chinese culture, such as festivals, social norms, and traditional values, through authentic sources and personal reflection
AP Exam Details
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AP Chinese Language and Culture does not have a traditional written exam. Instead, students complete a computer-based exam in May, which is scored by the College Board and makes up 100% of the AP score. The exam includes:
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Interpersonal Speaking: A simulated conversation in Mandarin Chinese where students respond to prompts in real-time to demonstrate spontaneous speaking ability.
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Interpersonal Writing: An email response in Mandarin that reflects appropriate tone, format, and content for the given scenario.
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Interpretive Communication: Listening and reading comprehension sections featuring authentic audio recordings and written texts in Chinese.
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Presentational Communication: A recorded cultural presentation and a written story narration that showcase organized, fluent, and culturally aware expression.
The exam is evaluated for fluency, accuracy, vocabulary control, and the ability to understand and produce Mandarin across different modes of communication.
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Helpful Info
Art Green Island
College Board
Fiveable
AP Chinese Language and Culture
- From 2020 to 2025, the AP Chinese Language and Culture pass rate (score of 3 or higher) consistently remained high, ranging from 86.9% to 88.7%.
- Over half of test takers scored a 5 in most years, with the highest percentage in 2020 at 66.4% and 51% in 2025, reflecting strong top-end performance.
- Mean scores stayed notably high across all years, hovering around 4.0, making it one of the highest-scoring AP exams overall.
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