This graduate research project investigated the impact on students of a high-stakes, proficiency-based assessment (the AAPPL - ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages), used for Seal of Biliteracy (SoBL) testing at a public high school in New Jersey. The following two questions guided the study:

1) What are students’ anxiety levels and perceptions of preparedness before and during the administration of the AAPPL test?

2) How do the results of the AAPPL test impact students’ self-perceptions and futures as language learners?

Moreover, information gathered from surveys and interviews regarding the specific experiences that test-takers had with the AAPPL assessment will help triangulate the data gathered regarding the aforementioned research questions. Results from this study will be used to inform program level decisions in future years and exam administrations.