National Portuguese Exam

Exam Overview

For: Middle to High School Students

Registration: Nov. 1, 2024 – Feb. 21, 2025

Exam Window: Feb. 24 – Apr. 7, 2025

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.

• 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.

PREPARING FOR THE NPE

Exam Content & Practice

  • Interpretative Communication
  • Grammar & Vocabulary Specifications
  • Vocabulary Lists

Interpretive Communication: Reading & Listening

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:

Exam Proctors

Visit our Proctoring section for more information about use of aids, student accommodations, and more.

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