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, 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.
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
- French
- German
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
Students who wish to take the oral proficiency exam should contact Dr. Mir to set up a date and a time. The OPE will cost $10 whether you pass or not.
Students who have an OPI official rating of Intermediate High or above will automatically earn credit for SPA 214. Please submit OPI transcript to the LAN department office (STV 114) to apply for credit.
Online Readiness Test
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.
Please note that Spanish 111 and 112 have been redesigned so that students who have had some previous experience (1 -2 years) with Spanish should begin in Spanish 112 and not Spanish 111. Spanish 112 now includes a review of 111 at the start of the semester.
Students who begin 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 in STV 114 to request this credit.
However, Spanish programs in high schools and community colleges vary widely, so the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures has developed "readiness tests" 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. The tests are anonymous so we encourage you to not seek help while you complete the test.
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.
Traditionally, students with 0-1 years of high school French have been advised to begin in FRE 111, 2-3 years in 112, and 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.
Traditionally, students with 0-1 years of high school German have been advised to begin in GER 111, 2-3 years in 112, and 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.
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.