NATIONAL PORTUGUESE EXAM
Overview
The National Portuguese Exam (NPE) is an online test that engages students in achievement (what a student knows) and performance (what a student is able to do). The NPE is intended for Middle School and High School students of Portuguese.
The NPE is intended as a motivational, extra-curricular activity and competition for students of members of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish & Portuguese (AATSP). It is designed for the purposes of assessment, placement, and proficiency testing, intended for Middle School and High School students who are studying the Portuguese language.
There are four Competition Levels for students to participate in (Levels 1-4). At the National level, students are able to receive medal placement (gold, silver, bronze, honorable mention) based on their scores and are eligible to apply for several types of scholarships (Global Citizen Scholarship, Junior Study Abroad Program, Senior Scholarship).
Teachers receive individual reports for each student disaggregating data in various ways so that teachers can identify strengths and weaknesses of individual students for specific standards, measurement categories, and learner outcomes; show growth from one year to the next; and/or report other variables as needed!
Exam Overview
For: Middle to High School Students
The 2024 National Portuguese Exam (NPE) Window Is Now Closed.
Cost Information
There are two costs associated with administering the exam: student cost and instructor cost.
Student Cost
$5.00 per student
Teacher/Instructor Cost
Giving the NPE is an exclusive benefit for AATSP Members with an active membership.
• First-Year Membership: $45
• Membership Renewal: $65
MORE INFORMATION
About the Exam
Measurement
Format & Length
Levels
Categories
Prizes
Suggestions
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 Achievement Section of the test assesses Content Standards through specifications for vocabulary and specifications for grammar.
The Proficiency 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:
Achievement exam (vocabulary and grammar) is 40 minutes.
Proficiency exam (reading and listening) is 40 minutes.
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:
Level 1
Students where the course content is equivalent to the second-half of 1st year high school Portuguese (eg. Grade 8) or entry-level for any program where the course content is equivalent to a full year of high school Portuguese. (Grades 6-12)
Level 2
Second level of high school Portuguese. (Grades 7-12)
Level 3
Third level of high school Portuguese. (Grades 8-12)
Level 4
Fourth level of high school Portuguese. (Grades 9 – 12)
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.
Classroom Experience
A student whose only contact with Portuguese is in a classroom setting.
Outside Experience
A student who has had specific experiences with Portuguese beyond the classroom, for example:
• The student’s native language is a romance language (Catalan, French, Galician, Italian, Sicilian, Spanish, Rumanian, etc.)
• The student has been enrolled in a Portuguese immersion or dual language program for the prior 3 years or more.
• The student is a heritage speaker who has had exposure to Portuguese but limited practice in their home environment. The student may hear or speak some Portuguese at home.
• The student has participated in an elementary Portuguese language program during grades K-6 for three years or more. Note: This specification only applies to Level 1. Any student taking the Level 2 exam or above who participated in an elementary Portuguese program may be placed in the CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE category.
For the purpose of the NPE competition, an elementary Portuguese language program is defined as having had 30 minutes or more of language instruction per week for three years or more during Grades K-6.
Bilingual
A student who comes from a home where Portuguese is the predominant language.
• The student has grown up in a home where Portuguese is predominantly spoken.
• The student is bilingual to some degree in both Portuguese and English.
Please Read: Teacher Discretion is Advised
Category placement is at the instructor’s discretion. We recommend reading the following indications before making a decision:
Outside Experience vs. Bilingual
The following language experiences may place a student in either the outside experience category or in the bilingual category. The instructor should use discretion when making a decision as to which category is appropriate for their student:
• A student has lived (after age 6) in a Portuguese speaking country for more than a year.
• The student has studied in a Portuguese speaking country for more than 4 months.
• A student whose principal language at home is Portuguese, or a mixture of Portuguese and English.
• A student whose principal language outside the home is Portuguese, or a mixture of Portuguese and English.
Native Speakers
Native Portuguese speakers should compete in the Bilingual Category only. The teacher may need to evaluate the appropriate Competition Level of the NPE for these students to maintain the integrity of these National Exams.
• Foreign exchange students.
• Students who were born in and who have studied the Portuguese language formally in a native classroom environment before moving to the United States.
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.
PREPARING FOR THE NPE
Exam Content & Practice
Interpretative Communication
Grammar & Vocabulary Specifications
Vocabulary Lists
Practice Material
Interpretive Communication: Reading & Listening
The National Spanish Examinations assess Interpretive Communication in Reading Comprehension and Listening Comprehension.
Reading Comprehension
The student is given (1) a context in English, (2) an authentic text in Portuguese and (3) a question based on one of the learner outcomes below and then followed by four answer choices. Learner outcomes increase in difficultly as the student progresses to higher levels.
Authentic texts are printed material / texts that have been produced by and for native speakers for a culturally authentic purpose, and may include:
- A sign
- Lists of words and phrases
- A schedule
- A personal note, letter, postcard
- Instructions / directions
- A posting on social media
- Menus
- Labels
- An advertisement, poster or notice
- A narrative
- A brochure
An excerpt or passage from:
- an article
- a letter
- an essay
- a journal / diary
- a magazine
- a book or novel
- a news source
- an editorial
- a short story
- a poem
- a legend
- a fable
- a fairy tale
- a website
Listening Comprehension
The student is given (1) a context in English, (2) an authentic text in Portuguese and (3) a question based on one of the learner outcomes below and then followed by four answer choices. Learner outcomes increase in difficultly as the student progresses to higher levels.
Authentic texts are spoken passages that have been produced by and for native speakers for a culturally authentic purpose, and may include:
- A conversation
- A description
- A set of instructions / directions
- A film or video clip
An excerpt or passage from:
- a news bulletin
- a radio broadcast
- a speech
- an article, a letter
- an essay, a magazine
- a play
- a newspaper
- an editorial
- a short story
- a poem
- a legend
- a fable
- a fairy tale
- a website
Test Content
The Achievement section assesses accuracy in vocabulary and grammar, while the Performance section assesses interpretive communication such as reading and listening comprehension.
Grammar Specifications
Vocabulary Specifications
Vocabulary Lists
Practice material is added periodically. Click on the buttons below to request access to view the NPE vocabulary lists:
Practice Material
Our exams switched testing platforms in 2022. NPE instructors will find pre-loaded practice content and mini-exams for teachers and students in their Lingco Language Labs account.
A FREE Practice was created in order to give teachers and students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new Lingco Language Labs platform before formal examination time. It’s a great preview tool for instructors who wish to test the platform to ensure that it runs smoothly on school computers before confirming a formal exam registration.
The PREP includes Free Practice for the NSE, NSA, and NSC.
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Start the Conversation
ENHANCING OPPORTUNITIES
Information For Schools
Are you a teacher who is interested in administering one of our exams in your school? Click the button below and download our PDF conversation starter for teachers, instructors, and administrators.
EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES
Information For Individuals
Are you a parent or student who is interested in participating in one of our exams? Click the button below and download our PDF conversation starter for parents and students.
Exam Proctors
Visit our Proctoring section for more information about use of aids, student accommodations, and more.