Story Narration is FRQ 3 on the AP Japanese exam starting in May 2027. You get four pictures and write a complete story in Japanese, with a beginning, middle, and end that fit all four.
A complete story that fits all four pictures, with relevant details
3 pts
B
Part B: Organization
A clear beginning, middle, and end, with connections between events
2 pts
C
Part C: Language control
Vocabulary, grammar, and register controlled well enough for the task
3 pts
How Story Narration practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
1
Look at the four pictures
The prompt and all four pictures, laid out the way the exam shows them.
2
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.
3
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.
Part A(Discourse Coherence and Register): 0/1 point
While the story has basic coherence, transitional expressions are limited mostly to 「それから」and「そして」equivalents. The register is inconsistent—mixing plain and polite forms (e.g., 「ポチです」vs. 「言いました」) without clear narrative purpose. There is insufficient use of discourse markers and connective devices to earn the coherence point.
Detailed feedback on a practice Story Narration
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 Japanese?
Turn on your computer’s Japanese keyboard and type in kana and kanji. You can also switch to handwrite, write on paper, and add a photo of your page.
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.
Are these real College Board questions?
No. We wrote them in the AP format and wrote scoring guidelines for each one.
More AP Japanese practice
Email Response practice
Email Response prompts with the full email and both requests.
