Language Placement at the UA

The UA has entrance and graduation second language proficiency requirements.

Your major and degree program determines whether you need to meet a two or four semester proficiency requirement. To learn about the second language proficiency requirement in your major and degree program see the APPR Academic Program Requirements Reports.

The entrance language placement exam tests how much you already know in a language and whether you need to take any more language classes to meet your language graduation requirement. You will typically take language placement exams at New Student Orientation .

French, German, Latin and Spanish language placement exams are given at the COH Instructional Computing labs in Modern Languages 511. The exams are computer-based, multiple choice questions on reading and grammar and take about 20 minutes. Your proficiency score places you in to a course level that best fits your language skills. You can take a language placement exam for each language you have studied. Your strongest language may be the one you choose to meet your graduation requirement.

If you have studied Hebrew, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Navajo, Tohono O'odam or American Sign Language, you probably won't be able to take a language placement exam at Orientation.

Language placement exams for these languages are given by language departments in the Colleges of Education, Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, typically at the beginning of the semester. You should contact the appropriate department to learn how to take a language placement exam in these languages.

Even though you may not be able to take one of these placement exams at Orientation, you can still register for a class in these languages. Read the course descriptions in the General Catalog and contact the language department if you have any questions. Then enroll in the class that seems most appropriate to your skill level. If your proficiency score when you take the language placement exam places you into a different course level, you may need to do a Change of Schedule form.

Spanish was part of your home life as you grew up. How does that factor into language placement at the UA?

If you grew up in a home where Spanish was spoken you may be able to take a Heritage Learner of Spanish placement exam. The exam is offered by the College of Humanities during language placement testing at New Student Orientation. Many heritage learners often place in to higher level classes by taking the Heritage Learner of Spanish language placement exam sometimes fulfilling their graduation requirement at entrance placement.

Will you take a language placement exam at Orientation?

Most likely but there are a few exceptions.

You may not take a language placement exam if you have earned college credit by exam through the AP Advanced Placement, CLEP College Level Examination or the IB International Baccalaureate programs.

If you have received written confirmation of your AP, CLEP or IB score by the time you attend Orientation, bring it with you! You will need to show it to be exempt from taking a language placement exam. If you have not yet received your score, you will need to take a language placement exam.

If you have taken college level language classes or are currently enrolled in a language class at another institution, those classes need to be evaluated by the Admissions Transfer Center before you come to Orientation.

If your classes are counted for credit toward your graduation requirement you will not have to take a language placement exam. If your classes are not evaluated before you attend Orientation, you will need to take a language placement exam.

For more information regarding language placement at the UA, contact the language departments or talk to your academic advisor .