It is recommended that students begin to satisfy the Language Requirement in their first semester and continue to take courses consecutively until the requirement is fulfilled. Students planning to continue with a language that they have studied previously should read about language placement below. Students who decide to start a new language at Penn should anticipate that it will require four full semesters of course work to achieve competency in the language and to fulfill the Language Requirement.
At the time they first enroll in a beginning- or intermediate-level language course, all students who have previously studied that language must have a placement score. The only students exempt from having a placement score are those who have never studied the language before. Credit will not be given for a language course taken at a lower level than a student's placement score indicates.
Some language departments offer online exams for placement in the summer or on a rolling basis. Other language departments offer in-person exams at the beginning of each year. Students should check the departmental and the New Student Orientation website for information on individual exams.
Students wishing to be evaluated in a modern language other than those taught by the language departments should consult the Penn Language Center.
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.
S.A.T.II Exam Scores and Registration Guidelines
Students who have taken the S.A.T.II exam prior to the beginning of their first semester at Penn may use that score to place them in the proper level:
| S.A.T. II | Score | Register for |
| French | Under 380 | FREN 0100 (FREN 110 prior to Summer 2022) |
| 380 - 440 | FREN 0210 (FREN 121 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 450 - 540 | FREN 0300 (FREN 130 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 550 - 640* | FREN 0400 (FREN 140 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 650 or above | Exempt | |
| German | Under 350 | GRMN 0100 (GRMN 101 prior to Summer 2022) |
| 350 - 440 | GRMN 0200 (GRMN 102 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 450 - 540 | GRMN 0300 (GRMN 103 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 550 - 640** | GRMN 0400 (GRMN 104 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 650 or above | Exempt | |
| Hebrew | 700 or above*** | Exempt |
| Italian | Under 380 | ITAL 0100 (ITAL 110 prior to Summer 2022) |
| 380 - 440 | ITAL 0200 (ITAL 120 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 450 - 540 | ITAL 0300 (ITAL 130 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 550 - 640* | ITAL 0400 (ITAL 140 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 650 or above | Exempt | |
| Japanese | Students who score 650 or above may satisfy the requirement by demonstrating oral proficiency in an interview. | |
| Korean | Students who score 700 or above may satisfy the requirement if they pass the speaking and writing components of the Korean Proficiency Test during New Student Orientation. They do not need to take the online part of the Korean Proficiency Test. | |
| Latin | Under 450 | LATN 0100 (LATN 101 prior to Summer 2022) |
| 450 - 540 | LATN 0200 (LATN 102 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 550 - 590 | LATN 0300 (LATN 203 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 600 - 640 | LATN 0400 (LATN 204 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 650 or above | Exempt | |
| Russian | Under 350 | RUSS 0100 (RUSS 001 prior to Summer 2022) |
| 350 - 440 | RUSS 0200 (RUSS 002 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 450 - 540 | RUSS 0300 (RUSS 003 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 550 - 640* | RUSS 0400 (RUSS 004 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 650 or above | Exempt | |
| Spanish | Under 380 | SPAN 0100 (SPAN 110 prior to Summer 2022) |
| 380-440 | SPAN 0200 or SPAN 0210 (SPAN 120 or SPAN 121 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 450 - 540 | SPAN 0300 (SPAN 130 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 550 - 640* | SPAN 0400 (SPAN 140 prior to Summer 2022) | |
| 650 or above | Exempt |
*Students who score between 600 and 640 can be exempted from the Language Requirement if they pass an oral exam.
**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 and wish to continue in the language must take the placement exam offered during New Student Orientation.