Language placement question

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
1

<p>I am confused about how students place out of the language requirement completely. Kid took language placement test online and placed into semester 3. My understanding is that with the online placement test, you can only test out of 2 semesters, and that to test out of the third semester, there is a pencil and paper exam that can only be taken on campus. Is this correct? </p>

<p>If there is, in fact, an on-campus exam to test out of semester 3, do you need a particular score on the online exam to be eligible to sit for the next one? If so, what score?</p>

<p>I hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance for the info.</p>

2

<p>This link might answer your question. It seems that if you place high enough on the language placement, you must take it again in person to prove that you actually took the test.</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/382175-paper-pencil-foreign-lang-placement.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/382175-paper-pencil-foreign-lang-placement.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>Thanks, Columbia! I wonder what the cutoff score is to be able to take that second test, or at what point the email arrives.</p>

4

<p>Did anyone here on CC get the email that you scored high enough to take the paper and pencil test at USC?</p>

5

<p>I took it last night and got placed into the 3rd semester of french. My question is.... what if we DON'T want to test out of the third semester?</p>

6

<p>^you don't have to. From what I understand, the pencil/paper test is just if you want to try to.
Columbia, I'm not sure you are REQUIRED to take if you you did well on the online one, but rather that if you want to place out altogether. Am I mistaken?
The warning though is that if you do worse on it, you may risk being put down to 2nd.</p>

7

<p>Also, at orientation, it was made known that you can request to be placed in a lower class if you are not comfortable in the 3rd semester one.</p>

8

<p>okay, good....so if I want to stay at my current 3rd semester placement I shouldn't have to take a paper-and-pencil test once I get there? I'll already have enough going on, especially since I'm not going to orientation.</p>

9

<p>Does anyone know for sure whether Columbia_Student or Sequoia is right about being required to take the pencil-and-paper test??</p>

10

<p>My D had the opportunity to take the test last August but chose to take Spanish III instead as she plans to continue with Spanish at USC. So if you mean are you required to take the pencil-and-paper test if you qualify for it, the answer is no, you don't have to. Incidentally, she was really glad she stuck with the third semester assignment as she said the teacher moved very quickly. She took it in the spring semester so she had been away from Spanish for 8 months or so. She enjoyed the class and did well.</p>

11

<p>I spoke with an administrator in the office that does language testing a couple of weeks after I posted the original question with an unrelated question, but asked about language just to be sure. I was told that you can only place out of two semester online. To test out of the third semester, you must take a paper and pencil test. The downside of taking the paper and pencil test is that if you do not score well, even though you tested out of two semesters online, you may be placed back in semester one or two. You are not required to take the paper and pencil test, which seems fair, given the possible risk involved in taking it. If you want to be completely sure about your own situation, I recommend phoning. The people at the testing office were very friendly.</p>

12

<p>great, thanks! Yesterday I sent an inquiry via their 72-hour form but my question was sufficiently answered here, so now I'm not worried. I'm satisfied with my 3rd semester placement and want to stay with French anyway.</p>