AP Chinese vs other certs in this field — is it worth it salary-wise?

For what it's worth from someone who's been through it:

The AP Chinese is one of those exams where the practice tests really do prepare you well. The style of questioning is pretty consistent. If you're comfortable with "AP Chinese" material under timed conditions, you'll be fine.

The one thing I'd add: read the question stems very carefully. They sometimes add a qualifier that completely changes the right answer and it's easy to miss when you're going fast.

Also check whether you need to schedule the exam in advance — some testing centers book up 2-3 weeks out.

Went through this exact question when I was prepping. The AP Chinese material on "AP Chinese" is actually not as bad as it looks — once it clicks it clicks.

What helped me was finding one resource that explained it from first principles instead of just giving me the "right answer." Made a huge difference on the scenario-based questions.

Also: don't underestimate the importance of reviewing your wrong answers more than your right ones. I learned more from 20 wrong answers than 200 correct ones.