Foreign Language Placement Examinations

SAT II Subject Test

If you have already completed your SAT IIs and did not take an exam for a foreign language, we strongly encourage you to take one. The last testing date is the May/June test. If you are unable to take the test in May/June, you must take a Foreign Language Placement Test during the College's Summer or Fall orientation sessions.

For specific foreign language placement and exemption available based on SAT II Subject Test scores, consult the Foreign Language Placement Index.

Advanced Placement (AP) exam

Foreign language placement comes by the awarding of advanced standing credit (course exemption and academic credit hours) or by the awarding of Advanced Placement (course exemption but no credit hours.)

For specific foreign language placement and exemption available based on AP exam scores, consult the Foreign Language Placement Index.

You will not receive credit for introductory language courses if the courses duplicate the credits you earned through your test scores.

Higher-level International Baccalaureate (IB) exam

Qualifying scores of 5, 6, or 7 on higher-level IB examinations may satisfy some or all of the foreign language requirement by qualifying a student for placement or exemption. The College awards no credit for standard-level IB examinations. Upon departmental recommendation, we will consider an award for one, and no more than two, semesters of College introductory-level credit. Scores below a 5 on the higher-level exam may be sufficient for higher-level placement (no credit will be awarded.) Such advanced placement decisions must be made by the appropriate department. The College of Arts and Sciences accepts only IB scores sent directly from IB North America. Their web address is http://www.ibo.org

For specific foreign language placement and exemption available based on IB exam scores, consult the IB Exam Placement Index.

College Summer and Fall Orientation Foreign Language Placement Tests

Placement examinations for French, Spanish, Latin, Russian, and German are offered during the Summer Orientation sessions. Students should take one of these exams if:

• they didn't take the SAT II Subject Test
• they haven't earned credit through the 202 language course level as a result of their AP test score
• they plan to start learning a new language at U.Va.

Students who don't take an SAT II test and fail to attend Summer Orientation may take a placement test on the Monday of Fall Orientation before classes start. However, they will have to make a best estimate as to which language level they think they will place into and adjust their schedule once they receive the results of their placement exam. Be aware that this course of action is risky, as it may be too late to switch to the correct level once the exam scores are received.

For specific foreign language placement and exemption qualifications based on the scores of these exams, consult the Foreign Language Placement Index.

NYU 16 point Foreign Language Proficiency Test (for foreign languages not taught at U.Va.)

If you wish to try to earn exemption in a language not taught at UVA, you must follow the two-step procedures below:

1. Attend a required meeting on Monday, August 22 at 9:00 A.M. in 345 New Cabell Hall. Bring either $385.00 in cash ($365 for the test and $20 handling fee) to purchase two money orders (0.90c each) or a credit card and $20.00)) in cash for one money order. Complete the NYU registration form.
2. Take the exam which will be administered on September 20 from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. in 215 New Cabell Hall.

The NYU Foreign Language Proficiency exam tests three skills: listening, reading, and writing. Students are required to answer questions about a listening comprehension passage, to translate into English and into the test language, and to write a short essay in response to a selection of general topics and a 350-word essay on a more complex subject. In this section, students are required to write about abstract ideas, support an argument, hypothesize, and write in longer paragraphs. Students are given three hours to complete the 16-point exam. Dictionaries and other reference materials may not be used. The tests do not require knowledge of technical terms or specialized vocabulary.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Results will be available to students who take the test eight weeks after the test date, i.e., on November 16 at the latest.
• You must score at least 14 out of 16 points to be exempted from your foreign language requirement.
• No credit is awarded for any score (including the highest score).
• You will NOT be reimbursed nor be placed into a lower course level if your score is 13 or below since the test is for EXEMPTION only; it is not a placement test.
• If your score is 13 or below, you must start a new language or continue a language you began in high school in order to satisfy the College’s foreign language requirement.

For additional information, please contact Christine Zunz at or call her office at (434) 924-8873 in order to schedule an appointment.