Placement Exams
Language Evaluation (Placement) Exams
The Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures understands that some students have already begun their language acquisition before attending the University of Arkansas, whether it be during secondary education or personal contact with the culture. In such situations, it can be difficult to gauge which class to enroll in within the department. In order to help with this problem, we have created placement exams to assess your language ability and give a recommendation of which class you should attend in a given language.
We have placement exams for the following languages:
- French
- Japanese
- Latin
- Spanish
- Russian
- German
These exams are accessible through Blackboard. Follow these steps to "self-enroll:"
- Click on "Courses" in the left-hand menu
- Top-right corner, click "Course Catalog"
- Search for the keyword "placement"
- Choose the appropriate placement exam
NOTE: French, Latin, Spanish placement exams are located in the course "WLLC.placement"
For students of German:
If you have previously studied German in high school or at another institution, please contact Dr. Kathleen Condray (condray@uark.edu) in lieu of an exam to discuss placement.
For students of Russian:
If you have studied Russian before and want to be placed in a higher class, please contact Prof. Berkovich (nadezdab@uark.edu) to arrange the placement test.
Language Evaluation Exams
After much time and effort spent learning a new language, it is beneficial to acquire a certification which can prove that you can speak a recognized and standard level of that language. The World Languages, Literatures & Cultures department is proud to offer two internationally recognized language proficiency exams, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the Goethe Institute German Certification Exams.
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), administered by The Japan Foundation, is an internationally accredited Japanese language examination designed to measure the examinees' Japanese language skills. In 2008, The Japan Foundation has designated The University of Arkansas as the 9th official U.S. test site of the annual Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
The JLPT is conducted at five different levels of proficiency, and successful JLPT examinees will be issued an official certificate of proficiency. A JLPT certificate provides more than material evidence of language proficiency for the successful examinees. Because the JLPT is conducted based on the internationally standardized measure, successful examinees in this test effectively prove competitive in equal terms with those in nationally prominent institutions.
The Japanese Program strongly encourages students at the University of Arkansas as well as other institutions in this region to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Foreign language proficiency by a credible measure is becoming increasingly important in this global era, and the JLPT provides an instrumental goal in Japanese language learners' pursuit of the level of proficiency that is recognized worldwide.
Learn more information about the exam or contact Dr. Tatsuya Fukushima.
Russian Oral Proficiency (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)
If you need to obtain proof of your oral skills, the Russian program offers the OPI exam. For more information, please contact Prof. Berkovich at nadezdab@uark.edu.
More information on the OPI is available here: https://www.actfl.org/assessments/postsecondary-assessments/opi
Test d'Évaluation de Français
The Test d'Évaluation de Français is an international reference examination that measures an individual's level of knowledge and skills in French.
Three versions of the test will be offered by the French section of the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Arkansas: the general TEF, TEF Canada and TEF Québec. The general TEF assesses an individual's general language proficiency through a written and oral exam.
The TEF Québec assesses proficiency in oral and written French, but is specifically designed for immigration and/or university study in Québec. TEF Canada is used as part of immigration and citizenship procedures.
Fall Proficiency Exam Information
The test will be administered by the French Program in the Department of World Languages from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, October 29, 2022.
The cost to take the general TEF is $130 and $125 for TEF-Québec and TEF-Canada is. Payment is due no later than one week before the exam. The TEF is open to anyone who would like an official assessment of their French proficiency.
The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 19, 2022. For more information about TEF or to register for the test, contact Dr. Kathy Comfort at kcomfort@uark.edu.
Goethe Institute Exams
The University of Arkansas's German program is an official Goethe-Institut Pruefungszentrum, or Testing Center, currently licensed to offer the B1, B2, and C1 Goethe exams.
The Goethe-Institut German Proficiency Exam is an internationally-recognized assessment tool, corresponding to the European proficiency framework, and graded according to extremely rigorous standards. We encourage our undergraduate majors to take the B1 exam as part of GERM 4003 (Adv. II); our graduate students take the C1. Students outside the UA are also welcome to take the exams. Students who have had between 350 and 650 contact hours of German classes (6 semesters, plus 2 additional courses) generally take the B1; 650-800 hours generally take B2; 800-1000 hours generally take C1.
The exams are usually offered in April each year; you must register with Dr. Hoyer by the end of February to take the exam.
For more information about the exams, contact Dr. Jennifer Hoyer.