AP Latin

It has two sections. Section I is 52 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 5 minutes, worth 50% of the score. Section II is 5 free-response questions in 1 hour 55 minutes, also worth 50%. The exam is fully digital and taken in Bluebook.

It includes 20 discrete sight questions, short sets on sight and syllabus prose and poetry, and two 10-question long sets on syllabus passages. Questions ask you to define words, read for comprehension, identify forms and syntax, scan dactylic hexameter, recognize stylistic features, and apply cultural and historical knowledge.

Question 1 is short answer with 6-8 subquestions. Question 2 is a translation with 15 segments. Question 3 is a short essay with 2 subquestions. Questions 4 and 5 are short essays on the project prose and poetry passages, each with 2 subquestions.

Students analyze four nonsyllabus project passages and complete two in-class checkpoint tasks: a written draft summary and an interpretive product supported by evidence from the Latin text. Teachers submit checkpoint scores in the Digital Portfolio, and these contribute 2% of the final AP exam score.

It is generally considered demanding because it requires sustained reading of unadapted Latin at speed, precise grammatical control, and the ability to write analytical essays about texts. Students who have not built reading fluency before the course often struggle with the sight passages and the timed translation.

Yes. AP exams are offered once a year, so a retake means registering again and sitting the exam in a later administration. Scores from each administration are reported separately. Check your school's ordering deadlines, which fall well before the exam date.

Start with the syllabus texts, rereading them in Latin while reviewing grammar and vocabulary in context. Add regular sight translation to build speed, then practice scansion and stylistic identification. Finish with timed essay and translation practice, since Section II rewards organized, evidence-based writing.

Losing grip on sight passages by reading word-by-word instead of for structure, mistranslating the 15 translation segments, and writing essays that summarize rather than cite Latin evidence. On multiple choice, misreading context-dependent vocabulary and confusing similar grammatical forms are frequent errors.

The exam is scheduled once per year in the May administration; the posted date for the 2027 administration is Friday, May 14, 2027, Session 2. Confirm start times and any changes with your school's AP coordinator, since dates are set by College Board.

It is a fully digital exam taken in the Bluebook app, covering both the multiple-choice and free-response sections. Practice in Bluebook beforehand so you are comfortable with the interface, timing displays, and how to type Latin text and essays.