Language Placement and Placement Exams
If you have previous experience in a language offered at Illinois State, you can take our Online Placement Exams (Readiness Tests) in French, German, Italian, or Spanish to determine the appropriate Illinois State course level for you. Your score on this test will help you to make a more informed decision about which course to start with at Illinois State. It does not confer any course credit or grade, and it will not serve to block or permit your enrollment in a given course.
For details about skills that are covered in our French, German, Italian and Spanish courses, and for placement tests, please scroll down to that language.
If you would like to know at which level to place for a language at ISU for which we do not offer a placement exam (Chinese, Latin, Japanese), jump to those sections. You’ll find details about our Chinese, Latin, and Japanese courses by level and by language and the skills that are covered to get a sense of which level is right for you, so please scroll to that language.
If you have previous experience in a language not offered at Illinois State, ISU will accept certification via LTI (Language Testing International), an organization affiliated with ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages). You will find more information about this process at the following page under Language Proficiency Assessments.
For more information or for placement advice about other ISU-offered languages that do not have placement tests, contact Academic Advisor Laura Edwards.
Spanish
SPA 214 Oral Proficiency Exam
Students who come in with strong oral skills in Spanish can receive credit for SPA 214 by taking an Oral Proficiency Exam with one of our faculty.
Students may take the OPE if they meet any of the following:
- grew up in a Spanish-speaking / bilingual household
- attended a Spanish immersion school
- regularly converse in Spanish with friends or family members without much difficulty
- earned a score of 5 on the AP Spanish Language or Literature Exam
The OPE is an interview all in Spanish over Zoom that takes between 15-30 minutes. Students who wish to take the OPE should fill out this online form to set up a date and a time. The OPE will cost $10 whether you pass or not. If you miss the appointment for your exam, you will not be able to make another appointment until the following semester, unless your absence falls under the Student Absences due to Service as a Volunteer Emergency Worker policy or the Student Bereavement Policy.
Students who have an ACTFL OPI official rating of Intermediate High or above will automatically earn credit for SPA 214 and should not take this exam. Please submit OPI transcript to the LAN department office (STV 114) to apply for credit.
Online Readiness Test
Placement Guidance for Spanish Courses at Illinois State
Generally, students with 0 years of high school Spanish are advised to begin in SPA 111, 1-2 years in SPA 112, and 3-4 years in SPA 115.
Students who have had some previous experience (1-2 years) with Spanish should begin in Spanish 112 and not Spanish 111. Spanish 112 includes a review of 111 at the start of the semester.
Heritage speakers of Spanish should consider Spanish 120. Spanish 120 is intended for heritage speakers who are very comfortable speaking Spanish in a variety of situations and have had some instruction in Spanish grammar and/or reading and writing in Spanish (including Spanish 115 at ISU). If this does not sound like your situation, please take the readiness test above. Please contact the instructor, Marinelly Castillo with placement questions.
Students who begin in an Illinois State Spanish course at the 112 level or higher and earn a C or better will earn credit for free (CAP) for up to 8 hours that they skip to begin at a higher level. Students must fill out a CAP form to request this credit.
Since Spanish programs in high schools and community colleges vary widely, so the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has developed this readiness test to help you decide which of our courses is right for you. After you take the test, you will see a recommendation based on the score you received.
Below you will find a link to the multiple choice, online readiness test for Spanish. The test is confidential but the advisor has access to the results in order to better help you if you have questions or concerns. For this reason, we ask you to give your name. The test should take between 30-40 minutes to complete. We encourage you to not seek help while you complete the test so that you place in the level of Spanish that is right for you.
Please consider that ALL of our Spanish classes are taught in Spanish and oral skills (speaking) are emphasized in the classroom. If your experience with Spanish is not recent, we recommend that you register for a lower Spanish class than you may have anticipated.
Please contact Dr. Edwards with questions or concerns about the test and/or your results.
On these linked pages, you’ll find details about our Spanish courses by level. Take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of which course level is right for you.
French
Traditionally, students with 0-1 years of high school French have been advised to begin in FRE 111, 2-3 years in 112, and 3-4 years in 115.
However, French programs in high schools and community colleges vary widely, so the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has developed placement tests to help you decide which of our courses is right for you. These are placement tests to help you determine whether you are ready to begin at a given level.
Students who begin in an Illinois State French course at the 112 level or higher and earn a C or better will earn credit for free (CAP) for up to 8 hours of FRE course(s) that they skip to begin at a higher level. Students must fill out a
CAP form to request this credit.
On the following pages, you’ll find details about our French courses by level. Take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of which course level is right for you.
German
Traditionally, students with 0-1 years of high school German have been advised to begin in GER 111, 2-3 years in 112, and 3-4 years in 115.
However, German programs in high schools and community colleges vary widely, so the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has developed placement tests to help you decide which of our courses is right for you.
Students who begin in an Illinois State German course at the 112 level or higher and earn a C or better will earn credit for free (CAP) for up to 8 hours of GER course(s) that they skip to begin at a higher level. Students must fill out a
CAP form to request this credit.
In German, there is one general placement test to help you determine whether you are ready to begin at a given level. Do not feel that getting all of the questions correct is the only way that to be placed at a higher level; on the contrary. Read the key to understand how the scoring and placement work.
On the following pages, you’ll find details about our German courses by level. Take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of what course level is right for you.
Chinese (Mandarin)
Traditionally, students with 0-2 years of high school Chinese have been advised to begin in CHI 111 (fall only), 2-3 years in 112 (spring only), and 3-4 years in 115 (fall only).
On the following pages, you’ll find details about our Chinese courses by level. Take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of which course level is right for you.
Italian Readiness Test
A general rule of thumb is if you've taken 1 year of HS Italian, take Italian 111, offered in fall semesters-only. If you've taken 2-3 years of high school Italian, take Italian 112, offered in spring semesters-only. If you’ve taken 3-4 years of high school Italian, you can begin in Italian 115, offered in fall semesters.
However, Italian programs in high schools and community colleges vary widely, so the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures has developed this placement test to help you decide which level of Italian is right for you.
Students who begin in an Illinois State Italian course at the 112 level or higher and earn a C or better will earn credit for free (CAP) for up to 8 hours of ITA course(s) that they skip to begin at a higher level. Students must fill out a
CAP form to request this credit.
Please email this completed test to Dr. Laura Edwards for evaluation and feedback.
On the following pages, you’ll find details about our Italian courses by level. Take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of what course level is right for you.
Latin
Traditionally, students with 0-2 years of high school Latin have been advised to begin in LAT 111 (fall only), 2-3 years in LAT 112 (spring only), and 3-4 years in LAT 115 (fall only).
On the following pages, you’ll find details about our Latin courses by level. Take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of which course level is right for you.
Japanese
Traditionally, students with 0-2 years of high school Japanese have been advised to begin in JPN 111 (fall only), 2-3 years in JPN 112 (spring only), and 3-4 years in JPN 115 (fall only).
On the following pages, you’ll find details about our Japanese courses by level. Scroll to the page related to German and take a look at the skills that are covered to get a sense of what course level is right for you.