<p>My son took 4 yrs. of spanish, but now plans to study Japanese at UVa. Does he still need to take the spanish placement test? Guessing no, but can't find definite answer on the site.</p>
<p>He might as well take it just in case those plans change. It’s only about 20 minutes, if memory serves.</p>
<p>Dean J has given good advice - take it just in case (unless he already has an SAT II score).</p>
<p>What is the difference between the online language placement test and the language test offered at orientation?</p>
<p>Thank you, Dean J, and others. Sounds like good advice to take the placement test should he change his mind later. No, he didn’t take the SAT II in spanish, so not an option unless he takes it in June. So my understanding is that he should take the placement test online, or in person, by orientation?</p>
<p>Yes, take the language placement test in a language you know just in case! My S, a current first-year, decided to branch out and take Russian, after taking Spanish and Japanese in hs. He loves the Russian teacher but has found the class really, really challenging; studying for it takes massive amounts of time he’d rather spend on his math and cs classes, and the low B he has been struggling to get is a drag on his GPA. He’s stuck it out for a year, but is planning to throw in the towel and take the Spanish exam. His four years of HS Spanish will probably allow him to place out, or to finish his lang requirement in only a semester. My advisees have told me similar things about Japanese at UVA: it’s rewarding and well taught, but not easy at all. Of course YMMV if you have a natural talent for languages, which my S doesn’t.</p>
<p>I suspect the online Spanish test is the same one you take on Grounds. Back in the Ice Age when I took it (in 2001) we took it on computers in the language lab. Make sure you review tenses and the subjunctive.</p>