<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 07/31/98
000 C000000 792953
000 D000000 N
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000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
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000 J000000 A
001 A000000 THE AMERICAN FUNDS TAX-EXEMPT SERIES I
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001 C000000 2028425665
002 A000000 1101 VERMONT AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 600
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002 C000000 DC
002 D010000 20005
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004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
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007 C010100 1
007 C020100 THE TAX-EXEMPT FUND OF MARYLAND
007 C030100 N
007 C010200 2
007 C020200 THE TAX-EXEMPT FUND OF VIRGINIA
007 C030200 N
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007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
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008 A00AA01 CAPITAL RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT COMPANY
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008 C00AA01 801-8055
008 D01AA01 LOS ANGELES
008 D02AA01 CA
008 D03AA01 90071
008 D04AA01 1406
010 A00AA01 WASHINGTON MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
010 C01AA01 WASHINGTON
010 C02AA01 DC
010 C03AA01 20005
010 C04AA01 3521
011 A00AA01 AMERICAN FUNDS DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
011 B00AA01 8-17168
<PAGE> PAGE 2
011 C01AA01 LOS ANGELES
011 C02AA01 CA
011 C03AA01 90071
011 C04AA01 1406
012 A00AA01 AMERICAN FUNDS SERVICE COMPANY
012 B00AA01 84-00316
012 C01AA01 BREA
012 C02AA01 CA
012 C03AA01 92622
012 C04AA01 2205
013 A00AA01 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B01AA01 LOS ANGELES
013 B02AA01 CA
013 B03AA01 90071
013 B04AA01 2889
015 A00AA01 THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK
015 B00AA01 C
015 C01AA01 BROOKLYN
015 C02AA01 NY
015 C03AA01 11245
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022 C000001 38867
022 D000001 38163
022 A000002 PAINEWEBBER INC.
022 B000002 13-2638166
022 C000002 8647
022 D000002 5962
022 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
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022 A000006 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
066 A00AA00 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
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<PAGE> PAGE 10
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<PAGE> PAGE 11
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<PAGE> PAGE 12
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SIGNATURE HOWARD L. KITZMILLER
TITLE SR. VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUL-31-1998
<PERIOD-END> JUL-31-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 94284
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 100172
<RECEIVABLES> 1502
<ASSETS-OTHER> 78
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 101752
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<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
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<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 6326
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 5410
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 2
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 617
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 5888
<NET-ASSETS> 101450
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 5230
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 737
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 4493
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 698
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 37
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 5228
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 4491
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 642
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 1252
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 548
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 212
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 14793
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 561
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 405
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 737
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 92828
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 16.02
<PER-SHARE-NII> .78
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .14
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> .78
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> .12
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 16.04
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .79
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 2
<NAME> THE TAX-EXEMPT FUND OF VIRGINIA
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
<S> <C>
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<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUL-31-1998
<PERIOD-END> JUL-31-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 108556
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 114411
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</TABLE>
August 28, 1998
To the Board of Trustees of
The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series I
In planning and performing our audit of the financial
statements of The American Funds Tax-Exempt Series I (the
"Trust") for the year ended July 31, 1998, we considered its
internal control, including control activities for safeguarding
securities, in order to determine our auditing procedures for
the purpose of expressing our opinion on the financial
statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-SAR,
not to provide assurance on internal control.
The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing and
maintaining internal control. In fulfilling this
responsibility, estimates and judgments by management are
required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of
controls. Generally, controls that are relevant to an audit
pertain to the entity's objective of preparing financial
statements for external purposes that are fairly presented in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
Those control activities include the safeguarding of assets
against unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition.
Because of inherent limitations in internal control, errors or
fraud may occur and not be detected. Also, projection of any
evaluation of internal control to future periods is subject to
the risk that it may become inadequate because of changes in
conditions or that the effectiveness of the design and
operation may deteriorate.
Our consideration of internal control would not necessarily
disclose all matters in internal control that might be material
weaknesses under standards established by the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants. A material weakness
is a condition in which the design or operation of one or more
of the internal control components does not reduce to a
relatively low level the risk that misstatements caused by
errors or fraud in amounts that would be material in relation
to the financial statements being audited may occur and not be
detected within a timely period by employees in the normal
course of performing their assigned functions. However, we
noted no matters involving internal control and its operation,
including controls for safeguarding securities, that we
consider to be material weaknesses as defined above as of July
31, 1998.
This report is intended solely for the information and use of
management and the Board of Trustees of the Trust and the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
