AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam Instructions

The 200-word examination instruction list

In AP Japanese Language and Culture, match the response to the task. Use Japanese to present research, answer specific questions, tell a coherent picture story and reply in a register appropriate to the sender.

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

Japanese instructions and response phrases

No.	Instruction or term	Meaning or action
1	特定してください	Identify the item specified by the instruction.
2	描写してください	Describe the scene or feature using relevant details.
3	説明してください	Explain the requested idea, reason or relationship.
4	比較してください	Compare the cases on a common basis.
5	要約してください	Summarise the main points.
6	例を挙げてください	Give a relevant example.
7	資料によると	Attribute information to the source.
8	絵から分かること	What can be observed or inferred from the picture.
9	主な内容	The main content or idea.
10	筆者の意見	The writer’s position or opinion.
11	文章の目的	The purpose of the text.
12	対象となる読者	The intended readers.
13	〜と考えられます	Offer an interpretation or inference.
14	どう思いますか	Give your view on the matter.
15	たとえば	Introduce an example.
16	まず	Introduce the first step or point.
17	次に	Move to the next step or point.
18	一方	Introduce another side or contrasting case.
19	しかし	Signal a contrast.
20	それに対して	Set the next point in contrast with the preceding one.
21	〜にもかかわらず	Acknowledge a circumstance despite which the main point holds.
22	〜ので	Connect a reason or cause to what follows.
23	そのため	Introduce a result or consequence.
24	さらに	Add another point.
25	〜について	Mark the topic under discussion.
26	〜と思います	State what you think.
27	このことから	Draw an inference from the preceding detail.
28	調べたことは	Introduce what you investigated.
29	調査の結果	Introduce the research result.
30	限界の一つは	Name one limit of the study or evidence.
31	その後	Move to a later event.
32	突然	Mark an event that occurs unexpectedly.
33	最後に	Introduce the final event or point.
34	その結果	Explain the resulting event or situation.
35	メールありがとうございます	Thank the recipient for the email in a polite register.
36	お誘いありがとうございます	Thank the recipient for an invitation.
37	よろしければ	Soften a suggestion or request by leaving the choice open.
38	教えていただけますか	Ask politely if the recipient can tell you something.
39	お返事をお待ちしています	Say politely that you look forward to a reply.
40	よろしくお願いします	Close an appropriate request or exchange politely.

Project, listening, reading and speaking terms

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

Story narration and email terms

No.	Instruction or term	Meaning or action
103	Story Narration	Write a connected story based on the four supplied pictures.
104	Email Response	Reply to the sender and address the requests or questions in the message.
105	Visual sequence	Use the picture order and visible details to organise events.
106	Narrative setting	Establish where or when the events occur.
107	Character reference	Make clear which character performs each action.
108	Event link	Connect one event to the next through time, cause or consequence.
109	Plausible inference from an image	Add a detail consistent with the pictures when it helps connect events.
110	Narrative ending	Resolve or close the situation shown by the final image.
111	Maintain narrative continuity	Keep characters, actions and time relationships consistent throughout.
112	Respond to the sender	Address the specific request before adding unrelated information.
113	Email opening	Choose a greeting suited to the relationship.
114	Email closing	Use a closing that fits the audience and purpose.
115	Request clarification	Ask for a specific missing detail when the task or situation warrants it.
116	Tone of an email	Use wording that conveys the appropriate relationship and degree of formality.

Other useful examination wording

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

What AP Japanese Language and Culture requires

College Board lists the regular exam for May 11, 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	Four questions in 40–45 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.
Story Narration and Email Response	7.5% each. Write a story based on four pictures and reply to a message from a friend or community member. Both tasks share 30 minutes.
II · Multiple choice	55 questions in 65 minutes, worth 50%. Listening has 25 questions in 25 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

Use clear transitions so a listener can follow your research answer. In a story, add enough reference words to keep the actors clear. In an email, keep the level of politeness consistent and answer each question from the sender.

Worked examples for common instructions

Attribute a finding

Prompt. A fictional community survey found that more students visited after a library extended its hours. Report the finding.

Answer. 地域の調査によると、図書館の開館時間が延びたあと、利用する生徒が増えました。

Explain a project choice

Prompt. Explain why you compared the opening hours of two centres.

Answer. 放課後に利用しやすいかどうかを調べるために、二つの施設の開館時間を比べました。

Build a connected story

Prompt. Four imaginary pictures show someone leaving home, finding a wallet at a station, handing it to staff and boarding a train. Tell the story.

Answer. 家を出た田中さんは、駅で財布を見つけました。駅員に財布を渡してから、電車に乗りました。

Reply to an invitation

Prompt. A community organiser asks whether you can attend on Saturday and bring a notebook. Respond politely.

Answer. お誘いありがとうございます。土曜日は参加できます。ノートも持っていきます。集合時間を教えていただけますか。

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. 図書館を利用する生徒が増えました。

Add context. 開館時間が延びたあと、放課後に図書館を利用する生徒が増えました。

Add reasoning. 地域の調査によると、開館時間が延びたことで、放課後に利用しやすくなったと考えられます。

Transfer. Try the same explanation with a different setting and identify the evidence that permits the inference.

Practise with the 200 terms

Use four pictures to plan a short story, then reply to a separate short email. Check story sequence and email coverage separately. For project practice, record a 40-second answer to an unprepared follow-up question.

Choose a polite request

Try it. Which phrase can ask the organiser to tell you a detail?

Check. 「教えていただけますか」 asks politely for information. Name the detail first so the request is easy to answer.

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

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