Taking an AP Spanish Language and Culture class can give you quite an advantage when you finally decide to get into the college of your dreams.
The test will be fairly difficult, especially if you're not a native speaker, and considering that you'll have to understand the context of contemporary values and family life of Spanish-speaking communities. Not to mention deciphering native speaking.
You can score a 5 in the language and culture exam only through constant practice and immersion. Of course, you also have to start with learning the concepts. We'll help you get through it with this list of the best AP Spanish Language and Culture exam books today.
5 Best AP Spanish Language & Culture Books in 2022
1 - 5 Steps to a 5 - AP Spanish Language & Culture Exam Book Reviews (Editor's Choice)
The 5 Steps to a 5 AP Spanish Review book is an easy to follow prep book that provides five steps to prepare for the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam and eventually help you score a 5.
Based on our research, the author has more than 20 years of experience in the Spanish language study niche, the reason why this book is a favorite among the best AP Spanish Language and Culture books.
It starts with creating a study plan and ends with taking a full-length practice test to gauge your progress while the exam day is nearing. The book aims to match the latest course syllabus for adequate preparation.
It includes full-length practice tests, answer keys, and test-taking tips to help you score a 5. You'll find an MP3 CD with complete audio programs to enhance your Spanish listening and speaking skills.
- Enough number of practice tests
- Includes an MP3 CD for the listening section
- Plenty of exam prep tips
- Includes an online resource
- Not for last-minute studying
2 - AP Spanish Book - Reviews of Best AP books
The AP Spanish Language and Culture book is also one of the best AP Spanish prep books available in print and online download.
You'll have access to the digital format once you buy the print student edition with a digital course license.
In this AP Spanish Language and Culture review book, you'll find a Teacher's Guide, answer key, script, and other materials to support learning in both print and downloadable editions. The AP exam book also includes a DVD that contains MP3 files for the listening and speaking sections of the AP Spanish test.
Based on our research, some of the key features offered by this AP Spanish book include:
- E-text compatible with the entire device, including multimedia file
- Interpersonal presentation of writing and speaking tasks
- Downloadable audio files
- Auto-graded interpretation
- Good for reading and listening
- Includes online resources
- Review tools are saved in DVD format
- Easy to read
- Need to purchase a digital course license to get the online resources
3 - Princeton Review - Cracking the AP Spanish Language & Culture
Another book written by the Princeton Review experts, the Cracking the AP Science Language & Culture book is an updated and more modern approach to the AP Spanish exam preparation.
Cracking the AP Spanish includes a CD to understand better both the AP Spanish language concepts and the actual question formats. Based on our research, the books contain tested test-taking strategies that present the most common mistakes and ways to avoid them.
For each AP exam problem, there are step-by-step tips to decipher the cause and determine the solution. You'll also find several tactics to help you study smarter for your AP exam. These features made it stand out among the best AP Spanish books today.
An audio CD is provided in this Cracking the AP Spanish review book to enhance your listening and speaking skills when it comes to the practice tests.
The free-response section also includes comprehensive scoring guidelines so you can track your progress during your AP Spanish exam preparation.
- Ideal practice resource for both students and teachers
- Suitable for upper-level Spanish
- Speaking and listening sections are impressive
- Not for beginners
4 - AP Spanish Language and Culture Premium: With 5 Practice Tests (Barron's Test Prep)
The AP Spanish Language and Culture Premium book is a prep book produced by Barron's, one of the pioneers of standardized exam review books and courses.
Based on our research, the book's content review section covers the core concepts of the AP exam to hone your speaking and reading skills. We like how the book is also updated to mimic the current College Board AP exam outline.
Barron's AP Spanish Language and Culture review book has a dedicated section that aims to improve your Spanish language reading, writing, speaking, comprehension, and grammar.
This review book also comes with full-length practice tests to gauge your progress along the way.
One downside that we noticed is that Barron's review book may be a little expensive than most of the books on our list.
- Comprehensive review book
- Contains full-length practice tests
- Comes with an MP3
- A bit on the pricey side
5 - Barron's AP Spanish Flashcards
Barron's AP Spanish flashcards are good supplemental materials for your AP Spanish Language and Culture textbook and prep book.
These tools cover the core concepts of the subject for mastery, especially as the AP exam is nearing. Barron's flashcards provide good vocabulary sections so you can recheck everything you've learned during your comprehensive review.
These study guides come in handy for students who already have a good understanding of the AP Spanish language. Hence, we do not recommend it for beginners.
- Good supplements
- Covers the key concepts of the AP exam
- Good for last-minute studying
- Not for beginners
AP Spanish Exam Key Information
The AP Spanish exam is 3 hours long and has 2 sections: multiple-choice questions and free-response section.
Section 1: It consists of the multiple choice section with a total of 65 questions, answerable within 1 hour and 35 minutes.
- Part A: 30 questions on the print materials to be answered within 40 minutes
- Part B: 35 questions on the audio materials to be answered within 55 minutes
Section 2: It consists of the free response section, answerable within 1 hour and 28 minutes.
- Part A: Written responses to be answered within 70 minutes
- Part B: Spoken responses to be answered within 18 minutes
Related Article: What's the Cost of an AP Test?
AP Course Summary
As one of the foreign language AP courses, AP Spanish Language allows you to be proficient in different modes of communication. The AP Spanish course is structured based on various themes to integrate culture, content, and language elements.
In this College Board course, you'll learn about Spanish contemporary life, aesthetics, families and communities, global issues, science, and technology. The Advanced Placement Spanish Language course also allows you to explore the country's history and develop your appreciation for different practices in art, music, and other elements of the Spanish culture.
At the end of the course, you're expected to develop the following competencies:
- Spoken and written interpersonal communication
- Gather information from audio-visual resources
- Gather information from printed materials
- Produce Spanish language presentations
- Plan and produce written Spanish presentations
And The Best AP Spanish Book Is...
We've read quite a number of AP Spanish study materials for this review, both online and in print. While all of these review resources are helpful, we think there's one particular prep book that stood out, and that's AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language and Culture Examination.
It contains a comprehensive discussion of the key concepts of AP Spanish, which is something that you need to understand first before you continue with the practice exams. It also includes an ample amount of practice tests. We find the MP3 CD helpful for the test's listening section.
For other recommendations, you may also check out the Princeton Review – Best AP books. The book includes good materials and procedures with effective tips for the upcoming AP Spanish exam.
Our #1 Recommendation
5 Steps to a 5 - AP Spanish Language & Culture Exam Book Reviews
- Enough number of practice tests
- Includes an MP3 CD for the listening section
- Plenty of exam prep tips
- Includes an online resource
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