Study Resources: Spanish with Writing
Besides studying basic vocabulary, you should understand and be able to apply the grammatical principles that make up the language. To improve your reading comprehension, read passages from textbooks, short magazine or newspaper articles, or other Spanish-language materials of your choice. To improve your listening comprehension, look for chances to hear the language spoken by native speakers and to converse with native speakers. Take advantage of opportunities to join organizations with Spanish-speaking members, to attend Spanish movies, or to listen to Spanish-language television or radio broadcasts.
Practice
View the video tutorial on how to use the Spanish with Writing toolbar when entering your writing tasks responses.
Online Resources
These resources, compiled by the CLEP test development committee and staff members, may help you study for your exam. However, none of these sources are designed specifically to provide preparation for a CLEP exam. College Board has no control over their content and can't vouch for their accuracy.
FAQ
What is the difference between the Spanish Language exam and the Spanish with Writing exam?
Although both exams are designed to measure knowledge and ability equivalent to that of students who have completed one to two years of college Spanish language study, the Spanish with Writing exam contains multiple-choice questions and a mandatory writing section while the Spanish Language exam only includes multiple-choice questions. The exams also differ with regard to:
- number of questions found on each exam
- Spanish Language, approximately 121 multiple-choice questions
- Spanish with Writing, 100 multiple-choice questions and two writing tasks
- how much time is given to complete each exam
- Spanish Language, approximately 90 mins
- Spanish with Writing, 110 mins
- percentage of questions focused on a particular subject matter
- Spanish Language
- 15% Section I. Listening: Rejoinders (short answer to a reply)
- 25% Section II. Listening: Dialogues and Narratives
- 60% Section III. Reading
- 16% Part A. Discrete sentences (vocabulary and structure)
- 20% Part B. Short cloze passages (vocabulary and structure)
- 24% Part C. Reading passages and authentic stimulus materials (reading comprehension)
- Spanish with Writing
- 10% Section I. Listening: Rejoinders
- 20% Section II. Listening: Dialogues and Narratives
- 45% Section III. Reading
- 13% Part A. Discrete sentences
- 15% Part B. Short cloze passages
- 17% Part C. Reading passages and authentic stimulus materials (reading comprehension)
- 25% Section IV. Writing
- Writing: Interpersonal
- Writing: Presentational
- Spanish Language
Is the current Spanish Language exam changing?
No. There will be no changes to the current Spanish Language exam. The CLEP Program is introducing a new separate exam called Spanish with Writing that includes a writing section and will be offered in addition to the current Spanish Language exam.
Which CLEP Spanish exam should students take?
Before determining which CLEP Spanish exam a student should take, students should consult the department that is responsible for setting their institution’s CLEP credit policy to ensure the student will receive the credit they need for a qualifying score on either the Spanish Language or Spanish with Writing exam.
Once the student has confirmed their institution's credit policy, they should consider the knowledge and skills each exam measures and their own proficiency in each of the exam subject areas. If a student feels confident in their Spanish writing skills, they should review the Spanish with Writing exam writing prompts to determine whether they think they’d perform well on the exam. If so, the student should register for the Spanish with Writing exam. If the student does not feel comfortable writing an email or essay in Spanish, then perhaps the Spanish Language exam is more suited to their needs.
Which exam should my institution grant credit for: Spanish Language or Spanish with Writing?
To ensure all students with varying skills of Spanish benefit from their college’s CLEP credit policy, we recommend that institutions grant credit for both CLEP Spanish exams. ACE recommends credit-granting scores for both the Spanish Language and Spanish with Writing Exams.
For Spanish Language, ACE recommends:
- Level 1: 6 credits for a score of 50, which is equivalent to a first-year course grade of C*
- Level 2: 9 credits for a score of 63, which is equivalent to a second-year course grade of C*
For Spanish with Writing, ACE recommends:
- Level 1: 6 credits for a score of 50, which is equivalent to a first-year course grade of C*
- Level 2: 12 credits for a score of 65, which is equivalent to a second-year course grade of C*
* For the CLEP World Language exams, material taught in first- and second-year language courses is incorporated into a single exam, covering both Level 1 and Level 2 content. The amount of credit awarded will be determined by the exam score; ACE recommends different credit-granting scores and amounts of credits at Level 1 and Level 2.