Language Placement Exam
What is the Language Placement Exam?
The Language Placement Exam is intended to help OSU students take a language course that matches their level of experience in that language, while potentially earning credit for courses they might skip over. More detailed information can be found here.
Who should take a Language Placement Exam?
- If you speak the language at home.
- If you took the language in high school.
- If you think you might want to major or minor in the language, plan to study abroad, or need to take a language to meet the requirements for a degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Don’t take it if you went to a high school where the language was the primary language of instruction (for instance, if you took math or history in this language).
Why take the exam?
- It’s not required, but it is highly recommended.
- You can earn up to six credits retroactively if you take the class you place into and earn a B or better.
- Students who start at the proper level usually do better.
- You get to the fun stuff sooner.
What languages are offered?
Placements tests are available for:
- French
- German
- Russian
- Spanish
What if I need placement in another language?
Contact the department. We can help you figure out the correct level. We also offer:
- ASL
- Chinese
- Japanese
- Korean
- Latin
- Greek
- Biblical Hebrew
Is this the same as the CLEP Exam?
This is a different exam. If you are interested in taking a CLEP test, please contact University Assessment and Testing.
How do I take the exam?
When you are ready to take the exam, follow these steps:
- Click the registration form below and fill out the required information. You will need to log in with your OSU email address and password.
- Once the information is submitted, you will be directed to the testing site, where you must create an account and log in to proceed.
- After logging in, choose which language exam you would like to take.
- When you have completed the exam, you will receive a results page with a course recommendation. You may wish to save this information for later, but the results will also be shared with your advisor.
If you need assistance or have any further questions about the language placement exam, please contact Nick Howland.