Academic Options >> Language Study >> Placement

Language Placement

In order to receive credit for a language course at the elementary or intermediate level, all students who have previously studied the language must have a placement score. The only students exempt from having a placement score are those who have never studied the language before.

French and Spanish offer computerized exams. Other departments offer written placement exams at the beginning of each semester.

Exams for Arabic, Chinese, Italian, Hebrew, Russian, Latin and German are written and can be taken upon arrival on campus. The schedule and location of these exams will appear on the New Student Orientation website during the preceding summer.

Students wishing to be evaluated in a modern language other than those taught by the language departments should consult the Penn Language Center.

Credit will not be given for a language course taken at a lower level than a student's placement score indicates.

Students who feel their placement scores do not accurately reflect their language level, or students who have other questions about their language study, should make an appointment to speak with the coordinator of their particular language program.

Students who have taken the SATII exam as part of their application to Penn may use that score to place them in the proper level:

*Students who score between 600 and 640 can be exempted from the Language Requirement if they pass an oral exam. Students may sign up for this exam in the Romance Languages Department office before the end of the first week of classes.

 **Students who score between 600 and 640 in German, can be exempted from the Language Requirement if they achieve a rating of intermediate or better on an oral exam. Students may sign up in the German Department office before the end of the first week of classes.

 ***Students who score under 700 in Hebrew, must sign up to take the placement exam in the office of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. A score of 70 or above on Part 2 of the Jerusalem Examination also exempts students from the Language Requirement in Hebrew.