How Do I Know if I Need to Take the Spanish Placement Test?
Students with AP or IB exam scores:
If you have taken the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB- HL) exam, you may already have earned credit and established your language placement. A score of 4 or 5 on the language and/or literature exam will earn you credit and will establish your placement. Once your AP or IB scores are received by the Registrar, any credit you may have earned will be applied. Please fill out the Spanish Placement Survey to help us determine your credit and placement.
Students with two years of Spanish in High School
If you, like many entering freshmen, have taken only two years of Spanish in high school, your placement is Spanish 102. This course is designed for students who took Spanish in their first and second year of high school and need some review at the beginning. If this is your situation, you do NOT need to take the placement test, simply register for Spanish 102.
Students with Spanish through junior or senior year in high school
If you have taken Spanish through your junior or senior year of high school, and you did not take an AP or IB exam, or you received AP test scores of 3 or below, or IB scores of 4 or below, the placement test will give you a much better idea of the level that is right for you. Please contact one of the Spanish professors below to sign up for the next placement test (during the first advising week of each semester - early November and early April)
- Dr. Patrick Duffey, Professor of Spanish
- Dr. Julie Hempel, Professor of Spanish
- Dr. Elena Olivé, Professor of Spanish
Heritage Speakers
If you are a heritage speaker of Spanish (you grew up in the US and your family speaks Spanish at home), you should take the placement test to see what level of Spanish you have achieved. (If you also took the AP or IB exam and received a score of 4 or 5, please follow the instructions for AP or IB instead as it may give you course credit and we want you to receive that credit)
Native speakers
If you grew up in a Spanish-speaking country and have transcripts from the eighth grade or higher, you can receive a waiver for the language competency after showing your transcripts to the chair of the CML department.
College transfer credit
If you took a college-level Spanish course at another institution, this course will give you transfer credit and determine your placement. Please see the CML chair for any clarification in this area.
Also, note that taking the test in no way commits you to continue in Spanish and if you place high enough you may earn language competency.
Little to no experience with Spanish
If you would like to start Spanish courses and have never studied Spanish, or had only one year of the language in high school, your placement is Spanish 101. You do not need to take the placement test, simply sign up for the course. Students with other placements recorded may not take 101, this beginning course is intended for students with very little or no experience with the language.
If you are still unsure of your placement and have not taken AP or IB exams, please fill out this three question survey. Alternative Spanish Placement Survey