National Spanish Challenge

Divisions of Competition

The National Spanish Challenge has five Divisions of Competition (A – E) based on the student’s grade level, and the student’s experience and/or exposure to learning Spanish.

Please use either of the following charts to guide you to the correct division for your students:

Placement by Immersion Experience

Immersion

Grade	Experience	Division
1st – 3rd	• Is in a full/partial immersion* program • Has been privately tutored for 2+ years • Has studied in a Spanish-speaking country • Has had more than 1 year of Spanish immersion in preschool	Division D
4th – 8th	• Is in a full/partial immersion* program • Has been privately tutored for 2+ years • Has studied in a Spanish-speaking country	Division E

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Non-Immersion

Grade	Experience	Division
1st – 3rd	Has no experience studying Spanish other than in the classroom.	Division A
4th – 8th	• Has just begun studying Spanish and has no experience studying Spanish other than in the classroom. • Is in a strictly oral program	Division B
5th – 8th	Has studied Spanish for several years	Division C

*For purposes of the National Spanish Challenge, partial immersion is defined as “Any program with 500 minutes-per-week in Spanish.”

Placement by Grade Level

1st – 3rd Grade

Divison A	Has no experience studying Spanish other than in the classroom.
Divison D	• Is in a full/partial immersion* program • Has been privately tutored for 2+ years • Has studied in a Spanish-speaking country • Has had more than 1 year of Spanish immersion in preschool

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4th Grade

Divison B	Has just begun studying Spanish and has no experience studying Spanish other than in the classroom
Division E	• Is in a full/partial immersion* program • Has been privately tutored for 2+ years • Has studied formally in a Spanish-speaking country

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5th – 8th Grade

Divison B	• Has just begun studying Spanish • Is in a strictly oral program
Division C	Has studied Spanish for several years
Division E	• Is in a full/partial immersion* program • Has been privately tutored for 2+ years • Has studied formally in a Spanish-speaking country

*For purposes of the National Spanish Challenge, partial immersion is defined as “Any program with 500 minutes-per-week in Spanish.”

Visual Chart

Specifications

The National Spanish Challenge has different types of questions in Five (5) individual sections. For a more detailed guide, click the button below to download the Specifications for the National Spanish Challenge.

Test Content

The National Spanish Challenge has different types of questions in Five (5) individual sections. For more detailed examples, click the button below to download specific question types that students may encounter while taking that National Spanish Challenge.

Practice Material

AATSP Exams (NSE) switched testing platforms in 2022. 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.

NEW in 2023 – The FREE NSC PREP!

NSC Ribbons

Students participating in the National Spanish Challenge (NSC) will receive the following awards based on the number of points that they earn.* Results are usually available on or around April 28th, and Ribbons are mailed directly to schools. Printable certificates are also available for download.

Division A

Non-Immersion

• Orange Ribbon: Excellent Achievement (30-45 Points)
• Bronze Ribbon: Outstanding Achievement (46-60 Points)

Division B

Non-Immersion

• Purple Ribbon: Excellent Achievement (46-68 Points)
• Silver Ribbon: Outstanding Achievement (69-92 Points)

Division C

Non-Immersion

• Blue Ribbon: Excellent Achievement (62-100 Points)
• Gold Ribbon: Outstanding Achievement (101-135 Points)

Division D

Immersion

• Purple Ribbon: Excellent Achievement (52-77 Points)
• Silver Ribbon: Outstanding Achievement (78-105 Points)

Division E

Immersion

• Blue Ribbon: Excellent Achievement (80-119 Points)
• Gold Ribbon: Outstanding Achievement (120-160 Points)

Click on a Division to view corresponding NSC Ribbon prizes:

• All
• Division A
• Division B
• Division C
• Division D
• Division E

* Although this information provides guidance on deciphering student placement on the NSC, the NSE staff insists that educators await the release of official results reports to proctoring teachers before announcing prizes to their students.