Ten lessons on the revised exam: tones and characters, key sentence patterns, story narration, email response, the project presentation and Q&A, and multiple-choice pacing. Written study guide; no audio.
A study guide to AP Chinese Language and Culture (Mandarin), not a full course. Exam format and units follow the College Board pages for the revised 2026-27 exam. Listening and speaking need real audio practice, which this site does not provide. Chinese examples were not reviewed by a native speaker.
['Intermediate Mandarin']
Course outline
How the revised exam works
Know the sections, timing and modes of communication.
Pinyin, tones and character reading
Use pinyin and tones as a reading and listening tool.
Families and communities: sentence patterns with 是, 有 and 的
Describe people and relationships.
Language and culture: aspect with 了, 过 and 着
Mark completed, experienced and ongoing actions.
Art and creativity: comparison and degree
Compare and describe with 比, 跟...一样 and 得.
Science and technology: 把 and 被 sentences
Handle objects with 把 and passives with 被.
Contemporary life: complements and sentence flow
Add results and directions after verbs.
Story Narration
Tell a clear story from four pictures.
Email Response
Reply to an email in the right register.
Project Presentation, Q&A and multiple-choice pacing
Prepare the speaking tasks and pace the multiple-choice parts.
Sources and curriculum note
Reviewed October 8, 2026. The exam was revised for 2026-27 and goes digital in May 2027; confirm details on AP Central.
Read every lesson below. The interactive reader above contains the same explanations, with visual tools and quizzes.
1. How the revised exam works
Learning goal: Know the sections, timing and modes of communication.
The AP Chinese exam was revised for 2026-27 and moves to a digital exam in Bluebook starting May 2027. Section I is free-response (4 questions, 40 to 45 minutes, 50%): Project Presentation 20%, Project Q&A 15%, Story Narration 7.5% and Email Response 7.5%. Section II is multiple-choice (55 questions, 65 minutes, 50%): 25 listening questions in 25 minutes and 30 reading questions in 40 minutes.
Questions 1 and 2 are based on a project topic released in January of the exam year. Questions 3 and 4 are independent of it, and you have 30 minutes to complete both writing tasks together.
The three modes are interpretive (understanding), interpersonal (two-way exchange, like the Q&A) and presentational (one-way, like the presentation, story and email).
The course emphasizes communication over perfect grammar. A clear, on-task answer with a few errors beats a polished answer to the wrong question.
Worked example
Plan time for the two writing tasks.
30 minutes for both tasks
Story and email are equal in weight
About 15 minutes each
Practice problem and solution
Story Narration and Email Response are each 7.5%. Together what percent of the exam are they? Enter a number.
7.5 + 7.5 = 15.
Mental model: Three modes, four free-response tasks, one project.
Common trap: Spending too long on the story and leaving no time for the email.
2. Pinyin, tones and character reading
Learning goal: Use pinyin and tones as a reading and listening tool.
Pinyin writes the sounds of Mandarin in Latin letters. A syllable has an initial (consonant), a final (vowel part) and a tone. There are four tones plus a neutral tone: first (flat, mā), second (rising, má), third (falling then rising, mǎ), fourth (falling, mà).
Tone changes: when two third tones meet, the first changes to second (nǐ hǎo is said ní hǎo). 不 (bù) changes to bú before a fourth tone (bú shì). 一 changes with the tone that follows.
Listening matters because tone distinguishes words: mā is mother, má is hemp, mǎ is horse, mà is to scold. When you hear a new word, think about the tone before guessing a meaning.
Characters carry meaning and often sound. Many have a meaning part (radical) and a sound part. Reading practice is about recognizing common characters in context, not writing from memory.
Worked example
Say 你好 correctly.
Both syllables are third tone
The first changes to second
Say ní hǎo
Practice problem and solution
How many tones are there, not counting the neutral tone? Enter a number.
First, second, third and fourth.
Mental model: Tone is part of the word.
Common trap: Ignoring tone when listening for a meaning.
3. Families and communities: sentence patterns with 是, 有 and 的
Learning goal: Describe people and relationships.
是 (shì) links two nouns: 她是我的老师. 有 (yǒu) shows possession or existence: 我有两个姐姐. Its negative is 没有, never 不有. Adjectives usually take 很 and not 是: 她很高.
的 shows possession or modification: 我的朋友, 漂亮的房子. It can be dropped for close family: 我妈妈. Between a pronoun and a very close person it often drops.
Measure words appear between a number and a noun: 一个人, 两本书, 三只猫, 一家人. 个 is the general one, and the right measure word is part of correct Chinese.
Families and communities topics ask about family customs, festivals and community roles. Give details: who gathers, what they eat, what they do.
Worked example
Say: I have two older sisters.
Subject 我
有
Number 两 plus measure word 个
Noun 姐姐: 我有两个姐姐
Practice problem and solution
How many measure words are used in 一个人, 两本书, 三只猫? Enter a number.
个, 本 and 只.
Mental model: 是 for nouns, 很 for adjectives, 有 negated with 没.
Common trap: Using 不有 or 是 before an adjective.
4. Language and culture: aspect with 了, 过 and 着
Learning goal: Mark completed, experienced and ongoing actions.
Chinese verbs do not change form for tense. Aspect particles show how an action is viewed. 了 after a verb marks completion: 我昨天看了一部电影. 过 marks experience: 我去过上海, and its negative is 没...过. 着 marks a continuing state: 门开着.
正在 or 在 before a verb marks an action in progress: 他正在吃饭. 了 can also sit at the end of a sentence to show change: 天黑了.
Do not use 了 for every past event. Habitual past actions often have no 了, and a sentence with 了 stops at a boundary: if the object is plain, add a quantity or follow with another clause.
Language and culture topics ask about dialects, writing and traditions. Compare with your own experience, and use 过 to talk about what you have tried.
Worked example
Say: I have been to Shanghai.
Experience, so 过
我去过上海
Practice problem and solution
In 我去过上海, 我看了电影, 他正在吃饭, 门开着, how many use 了, 过 or 着? Enter a number.
Common trap: Putting 很 in front of an adjective after 比.
6. Science and technology: 把 and 被 sentences
Learning goal: Handle objects with 把 and passives with 被.
把 moves the object before the verb: 我把作业写完了. The pattern is subject + 把 + object + verb + something (a result, complement or 了). The object is definite, and the verb cannot stand alone: not 我把作业写.
被 marks a passive: 手机被弟弟弄坏了. Subject + 被 + agent + verb + result. Passives often show an unwelcome result, and the agent can be dropped: 手机被弄坏了.
Negatives and adverbs go before 把 or 被: 我没把作业写完, 他已经被选上了. Putting 没 after 把 is a common error.
Technology topics ask about benefits, risks and the future. Use 把 to describe what a device does: 手机把世界连在一起.
Worked example
Say: I finished my homework.
Object is definite: 作业
Pattern: 我把作业写完了
Practice problem and solution
How many parts are in subject + 把 + object + verb + result? Enter a number.
Subject, 把, object, verb and result.
Mental model: 把 and 被 need a result after the verb.
Common trap: Putting 没 after 把.
7. Contemporary life: complements and sentence flow
Learning goal: Add results and directions after verbs.
A resultative complement shows the outcome: 看懂 (read and understand), 听见 (hear), 做完 (finish making), 找到 (find). A directional complement shows movement: 拿出来, 走进去, 跑回来.
Potential complements use 得 or 不: 看得懂 (can understand), 看不懂 (cannot). They express ability in a specific situation.
Use connectors to build paragraphs: 因为...所以, 虽然...但是, 不但...而且, 如果...就, 先...然后. Connectors make a spoken answer sound organized.
Contemporary life topics include school, work, health and media. Answer with a reason and an example: 因为我常常用手机学习, 所以我的中文进步了.
Worked example
Say: I cannot understand this.
Verb 看
Potential negative 不 懂
我看不懂
Practice problem and solution
How many connector pairs are listed (因为...所以, 虽然...但是, 不但...而且, 如果...就)? Enter a number.
They are four.
Mental model: Verb plus result or direction; pair connectors.
Common trap: Using 得 for negative potential instead of 不.
8. Story Narration
Learning goal: Tell a clear story from four pictures.
Question 3 gives four pictures and asks for a story. It is 7.5% of the score and shares 30 minutes with the email, so plan about 15 minutes. Your job is to tell what happens in each picture in a clear order and to make the story coherent.
Use sequence words: 先, 然后, 接着, 后来, 最后. Add time words (有一天, 突然) and feelings (很高兴, 有点担心). Use 了 for finished events and 着 for background states.
Give each picture at least two sentences: who, where, what happened, and what the character felt. Add a short ending that says what the person learned or did next.
Do not invent a story that ignores the pictures. Cover all four, in order, before adding extra detail.
Worked example
Tell picture one.
有一天: time
小明在公园里: who and where
他看见一只小狗: what happened
Practice problem and solution
Four pictures at two sentences each. How many sentences? Enter a number.
4 times 2.
Mental model: Cover every picture in order with sequence words.
Common trap: Skipping a picture.
9. Email Response
Learning goal: Reply to an email in the right register.
Question 4 gives an email from a friend or member of the community and asks for a reply. It is 7.5% of the score and shares 30 minutes with the story. Read the email twice and mark every question or request.
Register matters. To a friend use 你 and a warm greeting: 亲爱的小李, 你好. To a teacher or stranger use 您 and a formal one: 尊敬的王老师, 您好. Close with 祝你一切顺利 or 此致敬礼 for formal.
Answer every question in the email, in order, and add one or two details of your own, such as a question back. Use polite expressions: 谢谢你的来信, 希望你...
Check person, register and every request before you stop. A missed question costs more than a missed character.
Worked example
Reply to a teacher's invitation.
Greeting: 尊敬的王老师, 您好
Thanks and answer
Close: 此致敬礼
Practice problem and solution
An email has 3 questions and you answer 2. How many questions are still unanswered? Enter a number.
3 - 2 = 1.
Mental model: Match register and answer every point.
Common trap: Forgetting one of the questions.
10. Project Presentation, Q&A and multiple-choice pacing
Learning goal: Prepare the speaking tasks and pace the multiple-choice parts.
Question 1 gives 3 minutes to prepare and 3 minutes to present your project findings. Question 2 has 4 pre-recorded questions with 40 seconds to answer each. Answer the question first, then add a reason or example.
Strong presentations have a direct answer, two or three pieces of specific evidence from research (names, dates, places), a comparison to your own experience and a short conclusion.
Multiple-choice: Listening has 25 questions in 25 minutes (about 60 seconds each), Reading has 30 questions in 40 minutes (about 80 seconds each). Read question stems before the audio, find key words in texts, and watch for answers that repeat a word but change its meaning.
Study plan: practice speaking aloud with a timer, shadow audio for tone, and read short texts daily. Real audio practice is needed for listening and speaking, which this written guide cannot give.
Worked example
Pace the listening section.
25 minutes is 1500 seconds
25 questions
60 seconds each
Practice problem and solution
Listening has 25 questions in 25 minutes. How many seconds per question? Enter a number.
1500 divided by 25.
Mental model: Answer first, specific evidence, pace the multiple-choice.
Common trap: Memorizing a script and ignoring the question.