AP French Language and Culture Exam Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

In AP French Language and Culture, separate the instruction from the topic. When asked to compare or justify, use French to make the relationship explicit. In the essay, connect each source detail to the position it helps support.

Start with the list or jump to exam requirements, worked examples, the Fencing Method or practice. The French phrases are study examples. The list also explains English assessment terms.

French instructions and response phrases

No.	Instruction or term	Meaning or action
1	Identifiez	Identify the item specified by the instruction.
2	Décrivez	Describe the relevant features or situation.
3	Expliquez pourquoi	Give a reason connecting the observation to its explanation.
4	Comparez	Compare the named cases using the same criterion.
5	Résumez	Summarise the main information in your own words.
6	Justifiez votre réponse	Use a reason or evidence to support your answer.
7	D’après la source	According to the source. Attribute the information accurately.
8	À partir des données	Use the stated figures or information as your starting point.
9	À quoi renvoie ce mot ?	Identify what the word refers to in the passage.
10	Quelle est l’idée principale ?	Identify the main idea.
11	Le point de vue de l’auteur	The perspective or position of the author.
12	Le but du texte	What the text is trying to achieve.
13	Le public visé	The intended audience.
14	On peut en déduire que	Introduce an inference drawn from the evidence.
15	Donnez un exemple	Give one relevant example.
16	Par exemple	Introduce a particular case or illustration.
17	Tout d’abord	Signal the first point in a sequence.
18	D’une part	Introduce one part of a comparison or two-sided argument.
19	D’autre part	Introduce a second aspect or side.
20	Cependant	Signal a qualification or contrast.
21	En revanche	Set a contrasting feature against the preceding one.
22	Tandis que	Link simultaneous or contrasting circumstances.
23	Même si	Introduce a concession, usually followed by the indicative.
24	Malgré	Acknowledge a factor that might have led to a different outcome.
25	Grâce à	Attribute a result to a helpful cause or contribution.
26	Par conséquent	Introduce a consequence or conclusion.
27	En effet	Provide a reason, explanation or confirmation.
28	De plus	Add a supporting point.
29	En ce qui concerne	Signal the aspect to be discussed next.
30	À mon avis	Introduce a personal judgment or position.
31	Je soutiens que	State a claim you are prepared to support.
32	La source indique que	Attribute a statement or finding to a source.
33	Cela montre que	Explain what the evidence indicates.
34	Il convient de préciser que	Add a detail that clarifies or limits the claim.
35	Cette comparaison révèle que	Explain what the comparison brings out.
36	Dans ma communauté	Locate an example in your own community when relevant.
37	Dans la communauté étudiée	Locate evidence in the community under investigation.
38	Ma recherche porte sur	State the focus of your project.
39	Le résultat principal	Name the main finding.
40	Une limite de l’étude	Identify a boundary on what the study can establish.
41	Pour conclure	Signal the final synthesis or conclusion.

Project, listening, reading and speaking terms

No.	Instruction or term	Meaning or action
42	Project Presentation	Explain what your research found in response to the official project prompt.
43	Project Q&A	Answer four recorded questions about your research, developing each response within the time allowed.
44	Personalized Project Reference	Submit the required presentation outline through the AP Digital Portfolio.
45	Course Project Packet	Use the official project prompt and source materials released in January.
46	Submit as final	Complete the AP Digital Portfolio submission step by the deadline.
47	Presentation outline	Organise your findings and evidence under the current requirements for the reference.
48	Findings	What the research shows in the scope of the question.
49	Community context	Name the group, location or situation so cultural observations are specific.
50	Cultural practice	Describe an action or convention and identify where it is observed.
51	Cultural product	Identify an object, text, institution or other creation associated with a community.
52	Cultural perspective	Explain an attitude, value or assumption using evidence tied to its context.
53	Within-community variation	Recognise that practices or views can differ within the same community.
54	Cross-community comparison	Compare two specified communities on a shared feature.
55	Avoid overgeneralisation	Limit a claim to the places, groups and sources that support it.
56	Interpretive communication	Understand the meaning and purpose of language heard, read or viewed.
57	Presentational communication	Organise a message for an audience through speaking or writing.
58	Interpersonal communication	Respond appropriately to another person’s message or questions.
59	Listening item	Use the audio and question wording to determine the required meaning or detail.
60	Reading item	Use the text, its context and its purpose to support your choice.
61	Listen for gist	Identify the overall point before tracking individual details.
62	Listen for a shift	Notice a change in position, speaker, time or tone.
63	Listening cue	Use a signal such as an introductory phrase or contrast marker to follow structure.
64	Track the speaker	Identify who said the detail before interpreting its significance.
65	Paraphrase recognition	Identify an answer that restates the idea using different words.
66	Text type	Identify whether the source is an announcement, interview, advertisement, article or another form.
67	Communicative purpose	Explain what the message is trying to do, such as inform, persuade or invite.
68	Register	Use language appropriate to the audience and relationship.
69	Audience cue	Use a greeting, tone or wording to infer who is being addressed.
70	Context clue	Use nearby words or situation details to infer meaning.
71	Reference word	Identify the person, thing or idea to which a pronoun or expression refers.
72	Inferred meaning	Give a conclusion supported by clues rather than directly stated.
73	Explicit detail	A fact or point stated directly in the source.
74	Sequence marker	Use a word or phrase that tells the reader what happened first or next.
75	Cause marker	Identify language that introduces a reason.
76	Contrast marker	Identify language that sets different ideas or cases against each other.
77	Concession marker	Acknowledge a point that qualifies or complicates the main claim.
78	Result marker	Identify language that introduces what follows from an action or reason.
79	Specific illustration	Use a concrete detail to make an explanation testable or understandable.
80	Supporting detail	Select a detail that directly backs the main idea or answer.
81	Development of a response	Extend an answer with a reason, example or comparison as the prompt requires.
82	Direct opening	Start with an answer to the question before adding context.
83	Response time	Use the stated time limit to select one clear point and enough support to develop it.
84	Intelligibility	Use pronunciation, pacing and wording that make the message understandable.
85	Circumlocution	Describe an idea using familiar language when the precise word is unavailable.
86	Self-correction	Repair an error briefly and continue communicating the point.
87	Transition	Show how the next sentence or point relates to the previous one.
88	Specific source attribution	Make clear which report, interview or other source supports a point.
89	Relevant citation	Refer to the source that actually supports the information given.
90	Project limitation	Explain where the project’s evidence or scope restricts the conclusion.
91	Follow-up question	Listen for the precise aspect requested before using details from your project.
92	Same comparison criterion	Use a common feature such as access, cost or participation in both cases.
93	Speech pacing	Use pauses and an even rate so the audience can follow the explanation.
94	Preparation notes	Use permitted planning time to organise points rather than composing every sentence.
95	Key detail from audio	Capture the fact, viewpoint or example most relevant to the question.
96	Independence from the project	Use the writing task’s own prompts and sources where it is assessed separately.
97	Bluebook recording	Record the spoken response in the testing app when instructed.
98	Timed digital writing	Type within the section limit and reserve a short review period.
99	Fully digital	Complete the exam responses through the test application.
100	Multiple-choice question	Select the answer that fits the whole prompt and its source.
101	Free-response question	Create the requested written or spoken response.
102	Response language	Use the target language in the response as directed.
103	Proofread for meaning	Check that wording, tense and reference choices express the intended message.

Argumentative essay terms

No.	Instruction or term	Meaning or action
104	Argumentative essay	State and defend a position using the print and audio sources provided.
105	Source viewpoint	Identify the position or interpretation expressed in a particular source.
106	Synthesis across sources	Bring evidence from multiple sources together to support a shared point.
107	Evidence from audio	Accurately paraphrase or attribute a relevant idea heard in the recording.
108	Evidence from print	Select and attribute a relevant detail from the written material.
109	Bridge between sources	Explain whether the second source supports, qualifies or challenges the first.
110	Position statement	Give the answer to the issue the essay asks you to take a position on.
111	Counterpoint	Describe a competing argument fairly before responding.
112	Rebuttal	Explain why a competing argument does not defeat the stated position.
113	Evidence commentary	Explain why the example or fact supports the claim.
114	Scope of a thesis	Keep your position within the groups, conditions and issue named.
115	Source-based introduction	Introduce the issue and your position without spending the opening summarising each source.
116	Integrate the quotation	Use a short quotation where useful and explain its contribution in your own words.
117	Synthesize in the conclusion	Show what follows from the combined reasoning rather than merely repeating source names.

Other useful examination wording

No.	Instruction or term	Meaning or action
118	Identify	Name or pick out the item the question specifies.
119	State	Express the required point directly and clearly.
120	Describe	Report the relevant characteristics, events or pattern.
121	Explain	Connect the result to its cause, mechanism or reasoning.
122	Compare	Set the items side by side on the same relevant feature.
123	Contrast	Show how the items differ on a shared point of comparison.
124	Interpret	Say what a statement, result or display means in context.
125	Justify	Give evidence for the claim and explain how that evidence supports, qualifies or defends it.
126	Evaluate	Weigh relevant evidence or criteria before reaching a judgment.
127	Determine	Work from the given information to establish an answer.
128	Select	Choose only the number of options requested.
129	Check	Test the answer against the original instruction or condition.
130	Analyze	Break the information into relevant parts and explain how they relate.
131	Distinguish	Give the feature that lets the reader tell two things apart.
132	Infer	Use clues to reach a conclusion the material implies.
133	Support	Supply evidence that helps establish the claim.
134	Evidence	A fact, detail or observation that supports a claim.
135	Claim	An assertion that can be tested against evidence or reasoning.
136	Context	The surrounding information that helps determine meaning.
137	Summarise	Select the central points and leave out minor details.
138	Define	Give the precise meaning used in the subject or question.
139	Outline	Give the main steps or points in brief.
140	Give	Supply the requested fact, example or result.
141	Name	Supply the correct term, person or item.
142	List	Set out the requested items separately.
143	Indicate	Make the chosen feature or answer clear.
144	Complete	Fill in what is missing while keeping the supplied structure.
145	Locate	Find the specified detail, point or region.
146	Refer to	Use the specified passage, figure or notes when responding.
147	Based on	Ground the answer in the material named in the question.
148	According to	Use what the specified source says.
149	In context	Use the meaning that fits this passage or situation.
150	Most likely	Choose the conclusion with the strongest support among the options.
151	Best supported	Prefer the conclusion backed most directly by the evidence.
152	Explicit	Stated directly in the source.
153	Implicit	Suggested by the source and recoverable from clues.
154	Example	A particular case used to make a general idea clear.
155	Conclusion	The result reached after considering the reasoning or evidence.
156	Assumption	A premise taken as given for the purpose of the question.
157	Condition	A requirement that must be satisfied.
158	Constraint	A restriction that shapes the possible answers.
159	Criterion	A standard used to choose or judge an answer.
160	Source	The particular text, figure, notes or data supplied for use.
161	Passage	A stretch of text provided for reading and answering questions.
162	Statement	A complete assertion to examine or respond to.
163	Option	One of the choices the question offers.
164	Section	A group of questions or tasks within a test.
165	Figure	A numbered graph, image or diagram referred to in the task.
166	Table	Information arranged in rows and columns.
167	Graph	A visual display of data or a mathematical relationship.
168	Diagram	A drawing showing features, structure or relationships.
169	Trend	The broad direction or pattern over a range.
170	Pattern	A regularity visible across observations or examples.
171	Scale	The intervals or measurement relationship used in a display.
172	Illustrate	Make an idea clear with a relevant example or diagram.
173	Demonstrate	Show how a fact, process or result can be established.
174	Arrange	Put items into the order or grouping requested.
175	Sequence	Put stages into a meaningful order.
176	Classify	Assign each item to a category using the stated rule.
177	Order	Sort items by the criterion given in the prompt.
178	Omit	Leave out the indicated item or detail.
179	Include	Make sure the requested part appears in the response.
180	Exclude	Keep the named item or category outside your answer.
181	With reference to	Tie each important point to the specified material.
182	With examples	Support the answer with concrete cases from the appropriate material.
183	Two reasons	Give two distinct explanations for the relevant result.
184	Subpart	Treat each separately lettered or numbered question as its own instruction.
185	Scoring guidelines	Review what the released rubric accepts for each point.
186	Course and Exam Description	Check College Board’s guide for the named AP course and exam year.
187	Explain one way	Give one specific example and show how it meets the stated condition.
188	Support the claim	Give evidence that bears on the exact claim in the question.
189	Limitations	Identify specific boundaries on the conclusions that the method can support.
190	Strengths	Explain features that make the evidence or method fit the purpose.
191	Counterexample	Give one valid case that disproves a general claim.
192	Perspective	Explain the viewpoint from which a claim or event is presented.
193	Bias	Identify a systematic leaning and explain how it may shape the evidence.
194	Implication	Explain what would follow if the claim or finding holds.
195	Effect	Explain what changes or what impression a choice creates in context.
196	Compare both	Keep each named text, case or object visible across the same comparison points.
197	Purpose	Identify why a text, study or source was produced.
198	Author’s claim	Find what the named author argues or asserts.
199	Source attribution	Identify the origin of information clearly enough for readers to trace it.
200	Evaluate a claim	Use relevant criteria and explain the strengths or limits of the reasoning.

What AP French Language and Culture requires

College Board lists the regular exam for May 6, 2027. The exam is fully digital in Bluebook, including the speaking recordings. The revised format introduces a project released in January and assessed through two speaking tasks on exam day.

Exam component	Format and weighting
I · Free response	Three questions in 65–70 minutes, worth 50%.
Project Presentation	20%. Prepare for 3 minutes and present for 3 minutes in response to the project prompt.
Project Q&A	15%. Answer four prerecorded questions about the project, with 40 seconds for each response.
Argumentative Essay	15%. Write from print and audio sources. The 55 minutes include two opportunities to hear the audio.
II · Multiple choice	55 questions in 80 minutes, worth 50%. Listening has 25 questions in 40 minutes and reading has 30 questions in 40 minutes.
Project reference submission	Submit your Personalized Project Reference as final through the AP Digital Portfolio by April 30, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

The Personalized Project Reference is a presentation outline submitted before the exam. The school provides a printed copy on exam day. The remaining writing task or tasks use their own material and are separate from the project topic.

AP is a U.S.-based programme offered domestically and internationally. Confirm local registration, reporting and submission arrangements with your school or testing centre.

Read the task before planning your answer

Listen for markers that reverse or narrow a claim, such as en revanche and même si. In project answers, name the place or community examined and describe the specific evidence before making a broader interpretation.

Worked examples for common instructions

Identify the requested action

Prompt. A message says «Veuillez confirmer votre présence avant vendredi». What does the sender want?

Answer. L’expéditeur demande aux destinataires de confirmer leur présence avant vendredi.

Attribute a finding

Prompt. A fictional survey of students at one school reports that more students use a study room when it stays open later. Attribute the finding and limit its scope.

Answer. D’après l’enquête menée dans cet établissement, davantage d’élèves utilisent la salle d’étude lorsqu’elle ferme plus tard. L’enquête ne porte que sur cette école.

Answer a project follow-up

Prompt. Your project compares opening hours of two community centres. The question asks why you compared the hours.

Answer. J’ai comparé les horaires pour déterminer quels services sont accessibles après les cours. Ce critère permet d’évaluer les deux centres de la même manière.

Connect print and audio evidence

Prompt. A fictional article shows demand for evening activities. An interview explains why staffing is limited. Defend a phased approach.

Answer. Je propose de commencer par une soirée par semaine. L’article montre qu’il existe une demande, tandis que l’entretien explique pourquoi une ouverture quotidienne serait difficile.

Use the Fencing Method to build an answer

Start with a short and accurate response. Add the detail that makes it specific, then explain the connection the question asks for. Say or type the response again with a new example.

Start. Le changement facilite l’accès.

Add context. Le centre reste ouvert après les cours.

Add reasoning. D’après l’enquête, les élèves interrogés peuvent utiliser le centre plus tard, ce qui réduit le conflit avec leurs horaires de cours.

Transfer. Try the same reasoning with a source that reports weekend use.

Practise with the 200 terms

Choose a short print source and an audio source about the same issue. Summarise each in the target language, then write one paragraph showing how both relate to your position. For project practice, record a 40-second answer to an unprepared follow-up question.

Choose a connector

Try it. You have stated that a service is popular. Next you want to explain that it remains expensive. Which connector works?

Check. «Cependant» or «en revanche» can introduce the cost as a contrast.

Frequently asked questions

Can I practise with older released questions?

Use older questions for reading, listening and language practice. Use the current exam information and official examples for the 2027 tasks, section order and timing.

Official sources and next reading

College Board AP French Language and Culture exam information · 2027 AP dates and deadlines · College Board world language exam administration

Top 200 Vocabulary Word List for AP French Language and Culture | Must Know Words for Common Examination Instructions