Foreign Language Placement Test

Student Lounge College Life
1

I was curious about the language placement tests - if you are placed in a higher level (based on your results), do you get credit for the level(s) that you were exempt from? Or does this vary by school?

For example, if you are placed in Spanish 201 (exempt from 101 & 102) based on your results, would you still get credit for 101 & 102, or no?

I’m sorry if my wording is funky & sorry if the question is stupid :stuck_out_tongue: I’m just curious b/c I’m having trouble finding info on this.

2

Usually placement tests grant you just that- placement. There’s no credit attached to it, just what level you start at (which is what an exemption implies).
However, if you need credit for foreign language for your degree, usually placing above the required terminal course (for example, placing into 5th semester when you need 4 semesters) means you are exempt from the requirement.

3

Agree with the above. I know of no school that gives credit based on placement tests, although I’m sure some exist. If you need credit, take the AP test.

4

Actually - at my school, if you pass the class you placed into with at least a C, you’ll get up to 8 hours of credits for the classes you placed out of. So, since I placed into level 303, I would get credit for 201 (4 hrs) and 202 (4 hrs).

5

At my school, if you have taken 4 years of the same foreign language in high school (doesn’t matter if AP was involved or not)**, you receive credit for 101/102 in that language - 6 credits. No placement test involved. No formal standardized exam.

**I think there is a grade minimum - like four years with a minimum grade of B+

6

At my school, if you somehow happen to test out of the highest language level (for example, for Japanese, the highest level is JPN 113), you have to take other courses within that language department in place of it if you’re majoring in that language.

7

Schools vary, but what is probably most common is that you are just exempt from having to take 101 and 102 for major and/or general education requirements (if applicable) and can start in 201 if you wish to continue studying that language.