Important Revisions to the AP® Italian Exam
AP world language and culture courses and exams were revised to include the same skills, assess students with similar exam designs, and focus cultural tasks on authentic sources. Additionally, all AP world language and culture exams have transitioned to digital to modernize and improve students’ test-taking experience. The courses and exams that were revised include French Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, Spanish Language and Culture, Chinese Language and Culture, and Japanese Language and Culture.
What’s Changed?
Course Revisions
- Course frameworks for 6 AP world language and culture courses are aligned across skills and learning objectives.
- A course project requires students to use source materials in the target language to prepare for authentic speaking tasks on exam day.
Course Project
- In 2026-27, the course project is drawn from the theme of Unit 3: Art and Creativity and focuses on music as a lens for exploring cultural products, practices, and perspectives across the target language world.
- A Course Project Packet will be released annually in January of the exam administration year.
- Students will use source materials in the target language to prepare for authentic speaking tasks on exam day.
- Prior to the exam, students will submit a Personalized Project Reference (PPR)—an outline of their presentation—by April 30 through the AP Digital Portfolio.
- On exam day, students will present their project by responding to speaking free-response questions in Bluebook. They’ll be given a printed version of their PPR to reference.
- A project manual will be included in the appendix of the course and exam descriptions (CEDs) to help teachers understand the required project components and facilitate students’ preparation for and completion of the course project.
Exam Revisions
- All 6 AP world language and culture exams will move to the Bluebook digital testing application. Paper exams will be discontinued.Note: Wired headsets with microphones will be required. CD players, handheld digital recorders, and the Digital Audio Capture (DAC) app will no longer be used.
- Exam items will be reorganized, streamlined, and standardized to ensure a smooth digital exam-taking experience and maintain the core tasks and objectives.
- Current speaking free-response questions (FRQs) will be replaced with authentic speaking tasks aligned to college-level courses that students will prepare for in advance and complete on exam day.
- The FRQ scoring guidelines will be updated.
What to Expect
Spring 2026
- Revised CEDs that include project manuals are now available on this page under Resources.
Summer 2026
- New practice exam for each course, including a sample course project
- Professional learning opportunities to prepare teachers, including AP Summer Institutes and the AP Annual Conference
Fall 2026–Spring 2027
- AP Classroom resources updated throughout the school year
- Professional learning opportunities to help teachers plan and teach their course
- Course Project Packet released in January 2027
Critical Resources for Teachers
Italian Comprehensive Course and Exam Description
Syllabus Development Guide
Sample Syllabus #1
Sample Syllabus #2