NEWL/Prototype AP Russian

Metaphor International School offers a special course that prepares high school students for the NEWL (Prototype AP) Russian test, which is administered right here at our school. Successfully passing the exam may give a student a major advantage while applying to a range of US colleges.

Why should I take this exam?

The NEWL (Prototype AP) Russian test is intended for Russian language secondary students who wish to engage in rigorous university-level study before high school graduation. The exam is designed to provide a set of measures of functional proficiency in Russian for use as a predictive assessment for continued language study beyond high school, and as a placement tool by American colleges and universities for entering freshmen with prior study of Russian.

The National Examinations in World Languages (NEWL) was endorsed by the College Board®. It means that a larger amount of higher education schools will recognize the results of the examination, providing examinees with a certain amount of credits in the target language and/or advanced placement in World Language proficiency. You can find more information about NEWL Exam testing and assessment policy on American Councils website.

Exam construct & Scoring details:

NEWL® is an online language assessment, NEWL exams measure functional language proficiency across four skills: reading and listening comprehension, speaking, and writing.

The Prototype AP Russian Examination targets language skills at levels of difficulty that are appropriate for American second language learners of Russian, beginning with Novice High through Intermediate High levels.

The exam takes place in the end of April. Students can also take a practice exam two or three months prior to the actual exam. The practice exam is identical to the actual one and includes four subtests, all of which are aimed at the direct assessment of functional proficiency within interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication, based on authentic speech samples.

Each of the exam sections contributes equally to the overall final grade.

Duration of the Exam:

• Listening (45 minutes);
• Reading (60 minutes);
• Speaking (45 minutes);
• Writing (45 minutes).

Taking into account a short break between the second and third portions, the exam lasts about 3.5 hours.

Reading Comprehension

The reading comprehension section consists of short, authentic texts followed by one to three multiple- choice questions in English. Text types are varied and include a formatted layout, such as announcements, schedules, and brochures, as well as paragraph-length. The topics range from personal information, basic needs, social conventions, and routine tasks, to formal announcements, pamphlets, etc., as well as more advanced topics with lengthier prose text. Topics are those that will be of interest to high school students taking and are in keeping with the Fairness and Equity guidelines as put forth by Educational Testing Services.

Listening Comprehension

The listening comprehension closely parallels that of the reading comprehension section. Authentic spoken stimulus passages may include oral texts, conversations, announcements, radio clips or reports. For listening comprehension, the test-taker plays various roles, depending on the audio stimulus. For example, the test-taker may function as an over-hearer of a conversation or monologue, or may function as the addressee, if the audio is addressed to the test taker. Topics range from personal information, basic needs, social conventions, and routine tasks to formal announcements and reports over the media, to more advanced topics with extended discourse, such as interviews, short lectures, and news items. Similar to reading, topics will be of interest to the high school test-taker and are in keeping with the Fairness and Equity guidelines as put forth by Educational Testing Service.

Practice Exam

The practice exam is optional, for training and practice purposes. We recommend all the examinees to take the practice exam for better performance during the main exam. You can take it anytime at your convenience.

The practice exam is available:

• In both short (1 hour) and full-length (3,5 hours) formats
• Unproctored
• Can be taken remotely at any time

The scores are reported as percentage correct, allowing students to gauge their readiness and become familiar with the exam’s structure, question types, and overall expectations. To learn more, click here.

To register, follow the link and choose one of the formats.

Qualifications for Prototype AP Russian Exam:

• Students must have turned 14 on or before September 1, 2025, to take the 2026 NEWL exams.
• Both heritage and non-heritage learners may take the NEWL exams.

Registration:

The registration information is posted on the American Councils website.

Scoring the Prototype AP Russian Exam

Students’ scores on the writing and speaking sections are combined with the results of the computer-scored multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice scores are converted to proficiency scores using cut-scores, which are set during a standard setting meeting. The scores on each section are combined and their appropriate weighted contribution to the final composite score is factored in. The composite scores for the Prototype AP Russian Language and Culture Exam are converted to the 5-point AP scale:

NEWL (5- point) Grade	Suggested Semester Placement
5	5th (first semester of third-year)
4	4th (second semester second-year)
3	3rd (first semester of second-year)
2	2nd (second semester of first-year)
1	1st (first semester of first-year)

Where can I take the exam?

Beginning in 2026, American Councils will hold the NEWL Main Exam in partnership with Honorlock Inc. through secure online proctoring. Learn more here.

Students must complete the exam:

• In a quiet, private location
• Without any other individuals present

The exam may be taken at home or in another private space. Exams may be flagged if additional people are detected. Learn more here.

How can I prepare for the exam?

Metaphor International School offers a special course that prepares high school students for the NEWL/Prototype AP Russian exam, which is administered right here at our school. Successfully passing the exam may give a student a major advantage while applying to a range of US colleges. Read more>>

For more information please contact us at Events@MetaphorSchool.org

Register Now