Spanish Placement Exam

The Spanish language placement exam is administered to determine the level at which students will begin the General Education foreign language requirement or begin studies toward the majors and minors in Hispanic Studies and Latin American Studies.

Incoming freshmen are encouraged to take the online exam during the summer and to register for the appropriate course during the summer pre-registration period. Please refer to the booklet "Designing Your Education," sent by the Associate Dean of Studies for Freshmen and Sophomores in mid-summer.

Access the exam at: http://www.lang.ox.ac.uk/tests/.

Q: Who is required to take the Spanish placement exam?

All students who have taken two years or more of Spanish in high school and who plan to enroll in Spanish courses at the College must take the Spanish placement exam. Take the exam only if you plan to take Spanish your first year at Connecticut College.

Q: Who is not required to take the Spanish placement exam?

• Students with no knowledge of Spanish. Those students should enroll in Elementary Spanish 101.
• Students whose native language is Spanish
• Students who earned a score of 4 or 5 on a Spanish Advanced Placement Exam (AP). A score of 4 or 5 on the Spanish AP exam meets the Connecticut College general education requirement in foreign language.
  

Q: What are the guidelines for taking the placement exam?

• Take the exam only once.
• The use of textbooks or any other external help during the exam is not permitted; doing so would be a violation of the Connecticut College honor code.
• When you complete the exam, record the results for future reference.
• After taking the exam, find the appropriate course level for your score on the Course Recommendation Chart  (See next FAQ)
• Freshmen are encouraged to register for the appropriate course during the summer pre-registration period.
  

Q: What if my knowledge of Spanish is limited?

Those with no knowledge of Spanish should enroll in Elementary Spanish 101. If you have taken two years of Spanish before, you may not take Elementary Spanish 101 for credit.

Q: What course should I register for based on my results on the Spanish Placement Exam?

Consult this table: 

Students who believe they are eligible for placement in Advanced Spanish courses (208, 250, 251 or any of the 300-400 levels) on the basis of proficiency in speaking and writing, an AP score of 4 or 5, etc., must consult Hispanic Studies faculty members.

In all instances, students with questions are encouraged to consult Hispanic Studies faculty members. For course descriptions in the department of Hispanic Studies, consult the Online Course Catalogue.