Placement Test Information

Information about language placement and exemption exams

As part of our Core Requirements, all students are required to demonstrate a level of proficiency in a non-English language equivalent to two semesters of college-level study. In addition, some majors and minors require students to achieve a higher level of proficiency. There are several ways to complete this requirement, including taking a language course at the 102 level or higher; demonstrating proficiency through a placement or exemption exam; or submitting qualifying AP or SAT II scores. For complete details about the Core Language Proficiency requirement, visit the Core Program section of the Catalog.

Students with Disabilities: Students with a documented disability or learning difference may qualify for extended time when taking a placement exam. For more information, please contact the office of Disability Services for more information.

International Students: International students whose language of education has been in a language other than English and who have completed six years of elementary education or more in a foreign language are exempt from the foreign language requirement. Such students should contact Prof. Luz Forero for more information.

Do I need to take a Placement Exam?

If you have no experience with a language, you can just register for the 101-level course and do not need to take a placement exam. Note: Students may not take a 101-level language course for credit if they have studied that language for more than one quarter in college or more than one year in high school (grades 10-12).

You must take a placement exam if you are planning to take course in a language for which any of the following are true:

you have taken more than one quarter in college or more than one year in high school (grades 10-12);
you have participated in after-school or weekend language programs; or
you have extensive background in, but no formal training in a language.
you did NOT receive a qualifying score on an AP or or SAT II exam (see chart below).

Placement Exams by Subject

The chart below indicates whether an exam is available online during the summer or if it is only offered in-person. If the exam is available online, follow the link in the left column for more information.

Language	Placement Exam Format
Arabic	In-Person placement exam offered during Orientation. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the placement exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
Ancient Greek	In-Person placement exam can be offered by request. Please contact Prof. Damian Stocking for further details.
Chinese	Online Exam with oral component. Important Note: Online Exam must be completed prior to arriving on campus; students will be able to take the in-person oral component during orientation. Please RSVP if you plan to take the oral component of the Chinese Placement Exam.
French	Online Placement Exam: Available year round for current students; available to new students starting May 1. You can access the exam using the link to the left. Exemption Exam: This exam is only available to students who have already taken the online placement exam and received a placement in FREN 201 or above. Successful completion of the Exemption Exam will fulfill the Core Language requirement. The Exemption Exam is offered during New Student Orientation in August and at other times by appointment. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the exemption exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
German	Online Placement Exam: Available year round for current students; available to new students starting May 1. You can access the exam using the link to the left. Exemption Exam: This exam is only available to students who have already taken the online placement exam and received a placement in GERM 201 or above. Successful completion of the Exemption Exam will fulfill the Core Language requirement. The Exemption Exam is offered during New Student Orientation in August and at other times by appointment. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the exemption exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
Japanese	In-Person placement exam offered during Orientation. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the placement exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
Latin	In-Person placement exam offered during Orientation. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the placement exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
Russian	In-Person placement exam offered during Orientation. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the placement exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
Spanish	Online Placement Exam: Available year round for current students; available to new students starting May 1. You can access the exam using the link to the left. Exemption Exam: This exam is only available to students who have already taken the online placement exam and received a placement in SPAN 201 or above. Successful completion of the Exemption Exam will fulfill the Core Language requirement. The Exemption Exam is offered during New Student Orientation in August and at other times by appointment. Please RSVP if you are planning to take the exemption exam; however, students can still show up for the exam if they did not RSVP.
All Other Languages

Language Exemption

You can fulfill the Occidental College language requirement in different ways, listed below. However, we encourage you to begin study of another language or to continue language study regardless of your proficiency level. Research shows that being bilingual can have cognitive benefits. At the same time, continued language study will help you avoid attrition of foreign language skills. Oxy is committed to help you take advantage of your current language skills and explore ways to maintain them or advance them.

French, German, & Spanish

To access the Spanish, French, or German online placement exams, follow the link below and click "Enroll in Course." Each test is limited to 1 hour and 10 minutes and must be taken in one sitting.

Access the French, German, and Spanish Placement Exams

Using SAT II and AP Scores for Placement

Students who have taken an SAT II or AP exam in French, German, or Spanish may be able to use their score for placement instead of taking Occidental's placement exam. Please note that the official AP or SAT II test scores must be received by Occidental from the testing agency before you can be registered in the relevant course.

Language	201-level course	202-level course
French	AP 4; SAT II (either) 560 or above	AP 5; SAT II (either) 690 or above
German	AP 4; SAT II (either) 550 or above	AP 5; SAT II (either) 680 or above
Spanish	AP 4; SAT II (either) 560 or above	AP 5; SAT II (either) 690 or above

Satisfying the Requirement with Existing Proficiency

If you are placed in a 201-level course or above, you may be able to satisfy the Core Language Proficiency Requirement without taking any additional course work:

If you were placed into a 201-level or higher course by an SAT II or AP score , you are automatically exempted from the requirement.
If you were placed into a 201-level or higher course by Occidental's Online Placement Exam , you will need to take an additional Exemption Exam.

Important Note: Only students who have already completed the online placement exam for French, German, or Spanish and received a placement in the 201-level course or higher will be allowed to take the exemption exam. The exemption exam is offered during orientation each August and may be offered at other times by special request. Please contact the Language Education Specialist for more information.

Chinese & Japanese

Chinese Placement

Important Note: The online portion of the Chinese Placement Exam must be completed prior to arriving on campus; students will be able to take the oral portion during Orientation in August.

The Chinese Placement Exam is offered in two parts: an initial online exam and an in-person interview. To take the online portion of the Chinese Placement Exam, follow the link below and click "Enroll in Course."

Chinese Placement Exam

Japanese Placement

The Japanese Placement Exam is offered in-person during Orientation. At other times, the exam be offered by special arrangement with the Language Education Specialist.

Using SAT II and AP Scores for Placement

Students who have taken an SAT II or AP exam in Chinese or Japanese may be able to use their score for placement instead of taking Occidental's placement exam. Please note that the official AP or SAT II test scores must be received by Occidental from the testing agency before you can be registered in the relevant course.

Language	201-level course	202-level course
Chinese	AP 4; SAT II w/ Listening 550 or above	AP 5; SAT II w/ Listening 680 or above
Japanese	AP 4; SAT II w/ Listening 540 or above	AP 5; SAT II w/ Listening 670 or above

Satisfying the Requirement with Existing Proficiency

If you are placed in a 201-level course or above by either an SAT II/AP score or the Orientation placement exam, you are exempt from the Core Foreign Language Requirement. (Note: Some majors may require additional language study.) All students are welcome and encouraged to study languages, even if they have fulfilled their requirement using existing proficiency!

Latin & Ancient Greek

We offer an in-person Latin placement exam during Orientation. At other times, students should contact the Language Education Specialist to make special arrangements.

Students who have experience with Ancient Greek should contact Prof. Damian Stocking to discuss placement.

Using an AP Score for Latin Placement

Students who have taken the AP exam in Latin may be able to use their score for placement instead of taking Occidental's placement exam. Please note that the official AP or SAT II test scores must be received by Occidental from the relevant testing agency before you can be registered in the relevant course.

Exam	Score of 1-3	Score of 4-5
AP Latin	You should take the placement exam	Placement in LATN 201

Satisfying the Requirement with Existing Latin Proficiency

If you are placed in a 201-level course or above by either an AP score or through the in-person placement exam, you are exempt from the Core Foreign Language Requirement. (Note: Some majors may require additional language study.) All students are welcome and encouraged to study languages, even if they have fulfilled their requirement using existing proficiency!

All Other Languages

For some languages not taught at Occidental, students may be able to fulfill the Core Language requirement by taking the ACTFL oral proficiency interview (OPI) and the writing proficiency test (WPT). For more information, please contact the Prof. Luz Forero.

International students whose language of education has been in a language other than English and who have completed six years of elementary education or more in a non-English language may be able to complete the language requirement by submitting educational documents. Such students should contact Prof. Luz Forero for more information.