AP Chinese Story Narration Practice
120 Story Narration prompts written in the AP format. Pick one, look at the four pictures, and write your story in Chinese. Fiveable scores each Story Narration response part by part on the AP rubric.
Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
120 questions
sorted by unit
Family Visit to Grandparents to Maintain Family
Unit 1: Families in China
Directions: In this task, you will be asked to write in Chinese for a specific purpose and to a specific person. You should write in as complete and culturally appropriate a manner as possible, taking into account the purpose and the person described.
The four pictures present a story. Imagine you are telling the story to your pen pal in China, Li Hua. Narrate a complete story as suggested by the pictures. Give your story a beginning, a middle, and an end.
What the Story Narration asks
Story Narration is FRQ 3 on the AP Chinese exam starting in May 2027. You get four pictures and write a complete story in Chinese, with a beginning, middle, and end that fit all four.
- 15 min
- to write the story
- 8 points
- across rows A to C
- 15%
- of your exam score, with FRQ 4
Part A: Narrative development
A complete story that fits all four pictures, with relevant details
3 pts
Part B: Organization
A clear beginning, middle, and end, with connections between events
2 pts
Part C: Language control
Vocabulary, grammar, and register controlled well enough for the task
3 pts
Story Narration skill sheet
Every rubric point on one page: what earns it, what to do and what to avoid. Tap the sheet to see it full size.
How Story Narration practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
Look at the four pictures
The prompt and all four pictures, laid out the way the exam shows them.
Write on a 15-minute timer
The time to plan for on exam day. Pause it or turn it off, and your response saves as you go.
Submit for a score out of 8
Your response is scored against the scoring guidelines written for that question. Your first score is included.
Feedback on every part
A summary at the top tells you what to work on next. Below it, each part shows whether you earned the point and what the scoring guidelines were looking for.
Detailed Feedback
Part Organization: 2/2 points
Earned the point. Your story is very easy to follow from beginning to end. You addressed Editor Wang properly, developed the sequence logically, and used effective transitional words like '突然', '可是', and '这个时候' to connect your ideas.
Questions about the Story Narration
How many responses can I get scored?
You can read every question without a plan. Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
How do I type in Chinese?
Use the pinyin or bopomofo input above the editor, or your computer’s own Chinese keyboard. You can also switch to handwrite, write on paper, and add a photo of your page.
Can I write in traditional characters?
Yes. Simplified and traditional characters are scored the same. The pinyin input above the editor has a traditional option.
How is Story Narration different from the Email Response?
Story Narration asks you to tell a story from four pictures. The Email Response asks you to answer every request in an email, in a register that fits the sender.
What makes a strong story?
A clear beginning, middle, and end that stay consistent with all four pictures. Sequence words and a sentence on what changes from one picture to the next hold it together.
More AP Chinese practice
Email Response practice
Email Response prompts with the full email and both requests.
Write your first Story Narration
Pick one from the list, or let us choose for you.
Teaching AP Chinese? Assign these Story Narrations to your class