National Portuguese Exam

What does the NPE measure?

 The National Portuguese Examinations are standards-based assessments which evaluate both content standards (what a student knows) and performance standards (what a student is able to do) over various levels of secondary instruction (grades 6-12).

The Content section of the test assesses Content Standards through specifications for vocabulary and specifications for grammar.

The Performance section of the test assesses Performance Standards as defined by the National Spanish Examinations Proficiency Levels. This section assesses Interpretive Communication: both Reading Comprehension and Listening Comprehension.

Exam Format & Length

The format and length of the National Portugese Exam for all levels (1-4) is as follows:

Content exam (vocabulary and grammar) is 50 minutes.

Performance exam (reading and listening) is 50 minutes.

Students will have 25 minutes for each subsection in the Content Section (50′ total) and 25 minutes for each subsection in the Performance Section (50′ total). This exam will be tracked and timed. For a more detailed guide on format and length, download the most recent NPE Format & Length chart.

Competition Levels

The National Portuguese Exam (NPE) offers four levels of competition, ranging from Level 1 – Level 4. Level placement is at the teacher’s discretion, however, as a general recommendation we suggest placing your student in the level that corresponds to the same Spanish course in which they are enrolled. This allows students with like-exposure to compete with each other.

For example:

For a more detailed guide on placement, download the Instructional Hours chart.

Competition Categories

The National Spanish Exams are used to measure performance (interpretive communication) and achievement of students who are studying the Spanish language in the United States. In order to allow students with like-exposure to compete against one another, the NSE has defined three categories of exam competition. 

Please Read: Teacher Discretion is Advised

The instructor should use discretion when making a decision as to which category is appropriate for their student(s).

We recommend reading the following indications before making a decision:

Prizes

Students with outstanding scores on the NPE are recognized as follows:

Prêmio de Ouro

Students scoring at or above the 95th percentile (the 99th percentile is the highest).

Prêmio de Prata

Students scoring from the 85th through the 94th percentiles.

Prêmio de Bronze

Students scoring from the 75th through the 84th percentiles.

Medals are mailed directly to schools addressed to one teacher. Students with outstanding results are also eligible to apply for our student scholarship programs.

• Many teachers choose to give the Achievement exam and the Proficiency exam on two separate days during the normal class period. These days do not have to be consecutive.

• If a teacher or a student is absent on the day of the administration of the exam, the exam may be administered on a different day, as long as the exam window is still open.

• Teachers who are new to the new Lingco Language Labs platform or administering the exam in a new school setting are encouraged to use the FREE Practice to test the platform and ensure that it runs smoothly before registering for the exam.