Language Placement Exams
Have you completed at least two years of a language in high school? Have you never taken a college credit course in that language? If so, you are required to complete the online foreign language placement examination.
Not all majors specifically require you to complete a foreign language, but completing a two-course sequence of a foreign language at the intermediate level will fulfill one of your General Education requirements ("Cultures & Civilizations," to be precise). Completing and doing well on the online foreign language placement exam gives you a boost before you even take your first college course! It means you can skip the beginner language courses and move directly to the intermediate level, and therefore closer to completing your GenEd requirements.
What Can I Expect?
The online placement exam is a series of multiple-choice questions focusing on vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. It should take you approximately ten to forty minutes to finish the exam. The introductory survey must be completed in order for the exam to be evaluated.
It is important to note that there is no advantage to using anything other than your own brain power to complete the language examination. If you place at a level above your actual knowledge, you'll find yourself out of your league in a class that's beyond your abilities—perhaps even risking a failing grade. Save yourself some future stress, be honest with yourself, and don't try to exceed your limits!
Placement
Your exam score will determine your placement in the appropriate course. If you place into a 200-level course, you will receive six credit hours of elementary language credit upon successful completion of a 200-level course in the same language, provided you do not enroll and receive credit for any 100-level courses in the same language. If you place into a 300-level course, you will receive six credit hours of intermediate language credit upon successful completion of a 300-level course in the same language, provided you do not enroll and receive credit for any 200-level courses in the same language.
If you place into 200- or 300-level courses and do not wish to continue in the language but wish to receive six credit hours of 100- or 200-level credit for your online exam, you may do so by completing a proctored placement exam during the fall and confirming the results of your online placement examination.
Let's Go!
To get started, choose the language you completed in high school by selecting the appropriate link below. If you completed multiple languages in high school, please complete multiple tests. Tests may only be completed once—they may not be retaken.
Please Note: There is a 24-hour delay for Chinese, French, Russian, German and Spanish exam scores to be reported to your advisor. Therefore, we recommend taking those exams at least one day prior to your advising session. For students taking Latin, please allow three days for scores to be reported. Thank you!
Chinese
French
German
Latin
Russian
Spanish
If you do not see your language listed above, it means there is not an online placement examination for your language. Please consult your advisor at orientation and he or she will guide you through the next step in testing for your language.
In fact, you will review all of your options with your advisor during summer orientation—so take the language placement examination(s) online now, write down your score or print your results, and bring them with you to orientation!
» Finished with this step? Next up...Pre-Orientation Homework!
*Students who need interpreters, transcribers, or materials in alternate formats must contact Disability Services at 865-974-6087 V/TDD two weeks in advance. Disability Services requires documentation in order to verify the disability and the need for the accommodation(s).
