Foreign Language Placement Exams

Non-Proctored
Placement Exams Only Good for Course Enrollment
Check the Proficiency Exams Page for Satisfying Language Requirements & Placement

Foreign language requirements for an undergraduate degree are based on the requirements for your college AND in some cases for your major. Most Bachelor of Science degrees do not have a foreign language requirement, but a specific major may have one. For example, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences does not have a foreign language requirement, but their major in International Agricultural Development does. To confirm, it is best to speak with both your college and your major advisor as soon as possible since some majors require as many as two years of foreign language proficiency.

Adding a double major?
It is important to consider any additional language requirements early, if you are considering adding a major with a foreign language requirement in the future. In an effort to avoid retention issues from your high school foreign language study as well as course scheduling challenges in the junior or senior year, it is strongly suggested that students take a language placement exam as a freshman even if a student does not have a foreign language requirement within his or her current academic plan. It is likely that students will place higher on a foreign language placement or proficiency exam as they have just completed studying the language prior to admission.

Yes, I have a foreign language requirement – what do I do to fulfill the requirement?

You can fulfill the requirement in 6 ways:

  1. Foreign Language Proficiency Exam (Proctored) - demonstrate your foreign language proficiency with an in-person, supervised assessment exam. Please see the Proficiency Exams page.
  2. College Board Subject Test – scoring at least a 550 on a College Board Foreign Language Subject Test**
  3. College Board Advanced Placement Examination – scoring a 5, 4 or 3 on any foreign language College Board AP Exam.**
  4. International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination – score 7, 6 or 5 on French A1, A2 or B Exam, Italian A1 Exam, Latin A1 Exam, or the Spanish A1 Exam taken in high school.**
  5. Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) – students may satisfy the requirement by attaining certification of the IGETC completion.**
  6. Course completion in college – completing the equivalent of 15 unit level of proficiency in one language.  Example – completion of SPA 3 or JPN 3.

IMPORTANT NOTE

  • If you have already successfully completed the second or third year of a language in the tenth grade or higher in high school, and you decide to start over and take a level 1 class in the same language at UC Davis, the grade on your UCD transcript for the first level class will automatically be Pass/No Pass. This will not affect your GPA (the units will still count toward graduation though).
  • If you have already completed any of the above requirements but you have more questions, please contact a Foreign Language Advisor in Sproul Hall: https://langlit.ucdavis.edu/staff

Are you ready to Take a Proctored Foreign Language Placement Exam (Only Good for Course Enrollment)? 

The Davis Language Center administers placement exams to UCD students only. You may take each language exam once during your academic career. This includes any exam taken during Aggie Orientation. 

  • Please check the links in the left column in the following language sections before taking your exam.
  • You must use your uc davis email account when you take a placement exam.
  • If you have any questions regarding your placement level, please contact Mary Ryan ([email protected]).

Available Placement Exams:

FRENCH* **
GERMAN
SPANISH
RUSSIAN

For Course Enrollment
(Non-Proctored)
(Click for Exams)

These exams are web-based, computerized, and adaptive (that is, the exam selects each test item as you proceed based on the answer given to the previous question). The exam takes one hour or less to complete and all questions are multiple-choice. Your results will be issued immediately. You do not need to study for this exam - it is a placement test to determine your current language proficiency. 

French Students:

* Please go to https://frenchanditalian.ucdavis.edu/placement-guidelines-french-language for complete information on French placement guidelines.
** If you are a Heritage French Speaker, (anyone who attended French schools or have French-speaking parents) should contact Professor Julia Simon: [email protected] 

ITALIAN

For Course Enrollment
(Non-Proctored)

(Quick-Start Guide)
(Video Guide)

The Italian exam is a computer-based multiple choice test with a one hour time limit. Your score will be issued immediately. To get the recommended course level, please take your score to the Italian Coordinator listed in the email you will get that has your results. Anyone who has had significant exposure to the Italian language through formal classroom study or from living with heritage speakers should take the Italian placement exam.
JAPANESE

For Course Enrollment
(Non-Proctored)
(Quick-Start Guide)
(Video Guide)

To enroll in a Japanese language course at UC Davis for the first time, students with prior Japanese study or experience must take the Placement Test to determine the appropriate course level. The Placement Test consists of two parts:

STEP 1: Computerized Test (approximately 1 hour)
Complete the multiple-choice test, which covers grammar, reading, and listening comprehension.

STEP 2: Oral Interview (approximately 20–30 minutes)
After completing the Computerized Test, email the Japanese Program Lead Instructor, Junko Ito ([email protected]), to schedule your oral interview.

Notes Regarding the Computerized Test:

  • The test may be taken only once and is used exclusively for course placement. Retaking the test will be considered academic misconduct and may result in disciplinary action.
  • Results are valid for one year from the test date. If you plan to take a Japanese course after that period, please contact the Japanese Program Lead Instructor for guidance.
  • Students currently enrolled in or who have previously completed a Japanese course may not use the Japanese Placement Test to skip course levels. The placement test is not intended for acceleration within the course sequence. Exceptions (e.g., study abroad requirements) require prior approval from the Japanese Program Lead Instructor.
CHINESE

For Course Enrollment
(Non-Proctored)
(Quick-Start Guide)
(Video Guide)

The purpose of the computerized Chinese Placement Evaluation is to identify the level of your Chinese proficiency and to direct you to the appropriate Mandarin Chinese course for your level. 

Placement Exam REQUIRED for the Following Courses
Anyone who has had significant exposure to the Chinese language (Mandarin, Cantonese, or other dialects) through formal classroom study or living with native speakers and wants to register for a Chinese LANGUAGE course (CHN 1, 2, 3, 1A,1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5, 6, 111, 112, 113, 111A, 118, 120, 120V, and 150) should take the placement evaluation. If you have never studied the Chinese language in a formal setting or lived with Chinese speakers for a significant period, no placement evaluation is required; you should enroll in a Chinese 1 class.
有中文背景或在其他地方学习过中文的学生，如果希望注册现代汉语语言课程 （包括 CHN 1, 2, 3, 1A,1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5, 6, 111, 112, 113, 111A, 118, 120, 120V, and 150)， 都要先参加分班考试。

If placed into
如果你被分到		You CAN take
可以选		You CANNOT take
不可以选
CHN 001CHN 001 (or 1A in summer)CHN 002, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150, 160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 002CHN 002CHN 001, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150, 160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 003CHN 003CHN 001, 2, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150, 160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 1BLCHN 1BLCHN 001, 2, 3, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150, 160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 2BLCHN 2BLCHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150, 160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 3BLCHN 3BL, 160CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 004CHN 004CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150, 160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 005CHN 005CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 6, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150,160; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 006CHN 006, 160CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5, 111, 112, 113, 120, 150; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 111CHN 111, 160CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 112, 113, 120, 150; & 130, 131, 132, 133, 134
CHN 112CHN 112, 160; &
130, 131, 132, 133, 134		CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5, 6, 111, 113, 120, 150
CHN 113CHN 113, 160; &
130, 131, 132, 133, 134		CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 120, 150
CHN 120CHN 120, 160; &
130, 131, 132, 133, 134		CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 150
CHN 150CHN 150, 160; &
130, 131, 132, 133, 134		CHN 001, 2, 3, 1BL, 2BL, 3BL, 4, 5,6, 111, 112, 113, 120

Placement Exam NOT REQUIRED for These Courses
You are not required to take the placement test to register for courses in Classical Chinese (CHN114, 115, 116, 140), Chinese linguistics (CHN 160), and Chinese literature and culture (CHN 9, 10, 11, 50, 100A, 100B, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109A, 109C, 109D, 109E, 109G, 109H, 109I, 110, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134) .
注册古代汉语 (CHN114, 115, 116, 140)，汉语语言学 (CHN 160)，和文学与文化等课程 (CHN 9, 10, 11, 50, 100A, 100B, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109A, 109C, 109D, 109E, 109G, 109H, 109I, 110, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134)，则可直接注册，不需要参加分班考试。

Computerized Placement Exam
The Chinese Placement Evaluation consists of a background survey and a multiple-choice exam including listening, grammar, and reading. It may take up to 60 minutes, depending on your Chinese competence, to complete both the survey and the exam. You will receive your placement result immediately upon completing the exam, both on your screen and also in an email. The computerized Placement Evaluation does not assess your spoken Chinese competence. Based on the course you're placed into, please select an available section in the quarter you desire.  After that, please schedule an in-person interview with an instructor by emailing a copy of your report. 

  • During academic quarters, please contact the instructor of the section you select.
  • During breaks (Summer, Winter, and Spring), please email the lead instructor.

Please be aware that your oral proficiency, handwriting ability, and other language skills may be assessed during the interview.

To ensure proper placement, the instructors may move you to a different course based on your in-class performance, even after the course starts. 

To take the online Chinese Placement Evaluation, go to:  https://ucdlc.ucdavis.edu/internal-foreign-language-exams. (This is for information about which class to take. It will not fulfill any requirements)

Please keep in mind that if you wish to take a Chinese Proficiency exam in order to fulfill the UC Davis foreign language requirement, then the exam MUST be taken in-person and proctored at the Davis Language Center (in Olson Hall, Room 53). You do not need an appointment, but check our current hours, and then come at least 90 minutes before we close. https://ucdlc.ucdavis.edu/hours (A proctored Proficiency exam can also serve as a placement exam.)

ATTENTION: the online Chinese exam can ONLY be taken once every two years unless you are returning from a Chinese program outside of UC Davis or an internship from a Chinese-speaking country.

Middle East and South Asia (ME/SA) Languages:

ARABIC
HINDI
PERSIAN
PUNJABI
For Course Enrollment
(Non-Proctored)
(Quick-Start Guide)
(Video Guide)

The purpose of the digital test is to enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of a ME/SA language for the purpose of placement in the ME/SA language program, or if you would like to assess your proficiency for other purposes. The automated, confidential evaluation of your placement test will include instructions regarding which UC Davis course you should register for based on your knowledge of the language. If your evaluation instructs you to register for any course other than Level 001, please share your evaluation with the ME/SA Undergraduate Advisor so that they can assist you in registering for the appropriate course.

 
All Other Language Placement Exams or questions about foreign language requirements
(Register/Arrange)

Contact:

Mary Ryan
[email protected]
53 Olson Hall
(We have access to many, many language exams. If we can help, we will. Even if you are fluent in a less commonly spoken language, please email Mary. We can probably still help.)