The purpose of placement testing is to identify which Illinois course is most appropriate for you so that you can pick up your studies where you left off. Placement testing is NOT NECESSARY if you have never studied the language. If you want to begin studying a new language, you can enroll in its elementary-level course.
The purpose of proficiency testing is usually to try to fulfill the General Education language requirement. Most of the language proficiency exams do not award academic credit.
Placement testing and proficiency testing in a less commonly studied language are carried out by the department that offers the language, usually at the beginning of each Fall and Spring semester. The department decides the date and time of the test, the manner in which testing is conducted, and the grading scheme. The department also determines how much academic credit, if any, your performance earns. Credit hours are NOT automatically posted to your academic record simply because you took a proficiency exam. Consult with your academic advisor to find out how your academic record will be affected.
Please be aware that a less commonly studied language MIGHT NOT BE OFFERED every semester. Just as course availability depends on instructor availability, placement testing and proficiency testing also depend on the availability of an instructor who is qualified to assess your four language skills - reading, writing, listening, and speaking. If testing is not available when you wish to test, please check with the department that is responsible for the language to see what your options are.
A fee may be charged to defray the cost of administering and grading a proficiency exam. The student is responsible for paying any fees that are charged.
CHINESE PLACEMENT TESTING:
- If you are a currently enrolled student who wishes to study Chinese, please take the "Chinese Placement Test for Continuing Students" at your earliest convenience. You can log in with your NetID, self-enroll into the test, and see your course placement recommendation upon completion.
- If you are a new freshman for Fall 2019, please log in through New Student Placement Testing.
CHINESE PROFICIENCY TESTING: This exam serves solely to fulfill the General Education language requirement and does not give you a course placement. It is offered online at the Testing Center and consists of listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and essay writing. (Speaking is optional and does not count towards your final score.) To pass, you must do well in all three sections. Strong performance in one area does not compensate for weak performance in another. To schedule an appointment, contact Melissa Minarik at the Testing Center at least 5 business days before your desired test date.
IF YOUR LANGUAGE IS NOT LISTED ABOVE:
You may make arrangements to take an external exam from one of the institutions whose test results we accept for LOTE purposes, if that institution offers your language. Please note that you are responsible for all proctoring and testing fees. You should plan on taking the exam during Fall or Spring semester, as faculty are not usually available during the summer to administer language tests.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign accepts test results from the following institutions:
- Brigham Young University - BYU's FLATS exams assess through the third level of a language. Before registering for a BYU exam, please check with your academic advisor to confirm the language requirement that you need to fulfill. All programs in the Gies College of Business, most programs in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and some programs in the College of Fine & Applied Arts require demonstration of fourth-level proficiency rather than third-level proficiency.
After verifying that the institution offers an exam in the language that you want to test in, your next step is to contact our Testing Center and make arrangements to test under proctored conditions.
For other questions, please contact pnp@illinois.edu or call 217-265-6248 during business hours.