---
title: "AP Latin Short Answer Question Practice"
description: "25 Short Answer Questions written in the AP format, each scored part by part."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-latin/frqs/short-answer"
type: "frq-type-practice"
subject: "AP Latin"
---

# AP Latin Short Answer Question Practice

## What the Short Answer Question asks

The Short Answer Question is FRQ 1 on the AP Latin exam. You get a passage of Vergil or Pliny from the required readings and answer a series of short questions on translation, grammar, scansion, style, and context.

- **15 min**: suggested time
- **8 points**: across parts A to G
- **10%**: of your exam score

| Part | What it asks | Points |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A: Translate and identify | Translate a phrase in context, then identify a case, form, or construction in it | 2 |
| B–G: Six short answers | Meaning in context, antecedents, grammar, content, and background from the readings | 6 |

## How Short Answer Question practice works

1. **Read the passage and every part.** The Latin passage and all seven parts, A through G, 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.

## Sample question

**Juno's divine petition for Latium's future**

Answer the following questions in English unless the question specifically asks you to provide Latin words. Base your answers on the Latin passage below.

Juno Requests the Future of Latium:
  Title: Juno Requests the Future of Latium
  Author: Vergil
  Date: classical Latin
  Source: Vergil, Aeneid 12.819-828
  Content: Illud te, nulla fati quod lege tenetur,
pro Latio <span class="latin-gloss-target">obtestor,</span> pro <span class="latin-gloss-target">maiestate</span> tuorum:
cum iam conubiis pacem felicibus (esto)
component, cum iam leges et <span class="latin-gloss-target">foedera</span> <span class="latin-gloss-target">iungent,</span>
ne vetus <span class="latin-gloss-target">indigenas</span> nomen mutare <span class="latin-gloss-target">Latinos</span>
<span class="latin-gloss-target">neu</span> <span class="latin-gloss-target">Troas</span> fieri iubeas Teucrosque vocari
aut vocem mutare viros aut vertere vestem.
Sit Latium, sint <span class="latin-gloss-target">Albani</span> per saecula reges,
sit Romana potens <span class="latin-gloss-target">Itala</span> virtute <span class="latin-gloss-target">propago:</span>
occidit, occideritque <span class="latin-gloss-target">sinas</span> cum nomine Troia.
  Format: text

Vocabulary:
  - <em>Albanus, -a, -um, adj.</em>: Alban, inhabiting Alba Longa (a city in Italy)
  - <em>foedus, -eris, n.</em>: alliance
  - <em>indigenus, -a, -um, adj.</em>: native
  - <em>Italus, -a, -um, adj.</em>: Italian
  - <em>iungo, -ere</em>: to join
  - <em>Latinus, -a, -um, adj.</em>: Latin, of Latium
  - <em>maiestas, -atis, f.</em>: dignity
  - <em>neu, adv.</em>: nor
  - <em>obtestor, -ari</em>: = oro, -are
  - <em>propago, -inis, f.</em>: offspring
  - <em>sino, -ere</em>: to allow
  - <em>Troas</em>: acc. pl., "Trojans"

Part A (2 points):
  Prompt: (i) Translate in context the phrase nulla fati quod lege tenetur (line 1).
(ii) Identify the case of lege.

Part B (1 point):
  Prompt: Translate in context the phrase pro <em>maiestate</em> tuorum (line 2).

Part C (1 point):
  Prompt: Identify the antecedent of quod (line 1).

Part D (1 point):
  Prompt: Translate in context the phrase vocem mutare viros (line 7).

Part E (1 point):
  Prompt: Identify or describe the grammatical use of the subjunctive verb Sit (line 8).

Part F (1 point):
  Prompt: Identify one and only one action that Juno asks Jupiter not to require of the Latins in lines 5–7 (ne...vestem).

Part G (1 point):
  Prompt: Identify what Paris did that made Juno hostile to the Trojans and thus contributed to the events leading to the Trojan War.

## Questions

**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 mark scansion?**

Pick one notation and keep to it: D and S for dactyls and spondees, or - and u for long and short syllables. You can also switch to handwrite and add a photo of your marked lines.

**How much should I write for each part?**

Only what the part asks. If it asks for one action, give one. A translate-in-context part needs English that shows the Latin syntax, like “in order to” for a purpose clause.

**Which authors are on it?**

Vergil’s Aeneid and Pliny the Younger’s Letters, from the required readings. Each question uses one passage from one of them.

**Are these real College Board questions?**

No. We wrote them in the AP format, with passages from the required readings, and wrote scoring guidelines for each one.

## Related

- [Short Answer Question exam guide](/ap-latin/ap-latin-exam/ap-latin-frqs-short-vergil-pliny/study-guide/ap-latin-frqs-short-vergil-pliny)
- [AP Latin Short Essay practice](/ap-latin/frqs/short-essay)
- [AP Latin FRQs](/ap-latin/frqs)
- Any question by id: the `get_frq` tool on the [Fiveable MCP server](/mcp/docs)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)