Site updated Tuesday 08/23/2021
Foreign Language Placement Tests/Self Evaluations
(for finding out where your language skill/knowledge lines up with our courses; then you will know what course to take first)
Online Placement Tests / Self-Evaluations
You can access our online placement tests or self-evaluations below to assist you with placement. For this, please click "Online Test ↓|" or "|Self-Evaluation ↓|" next to a language. If you use the self-evaluation for placement, and you register for a language course, you should notify your instructor before the first day of class. At that time, help your instructor confirm that you chose the appropriate level. There can be both academic and financial consequences for staying in a course that is not proper placement; please work with your instructor about placement decisions.
In-person Placement Tests
We have Italian, Latin, and Spanish placement tests in our lab. You do not need to sign up for these tests. These tests can only be taken one time. If you want to take one or more of these placement tests, please come to campus and bring your own earphones that can be plugged into our PC’s. You will find building/room, days/times and calendar below. If GMU is closed for inclement weather during these times, our testing lab will also be closed. The last day for these tests in the SPR22 semester is Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The calendar for SU22 testing is TBD.
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Arabic |Online Placement Test ↓| Naglaa Hussein / nmahmou4@gmu.edu |
Chinese |Online Placement Test ↓| Xi Chen / Xchen8@gmu.edu |
French |Online Placement Test ↓| Raluca Romaniuc / rromaniu@gmu.edu |
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German |Self-Evaluation ↓| Natalia Dudnik / ndudnik@gmu.edu |
Italian Kristina Olson / kolson4@gmu.edu |
Japanese |Self-Evaluation ↓| Manako Fujiwara / mfujiwar@gmu.edu |
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Korean |Online Placement Test ↓| Jihye Moon / jmoon9@gmu.edu |
Latin Martin Winkler / mwinkler@gmu.edu |
Russian |Self-Evaluation ↓| Jim Levine / jlevin2@gmu.edu |
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Spanish |Online Placement Test ↓| Alexia Vikis / avikis@gmu.edu |
Persian |Self-Evaluation ↓| Maziar Valamotamed/mvalamot@gmu.edu |
Portuguese (No placement test available) please contact: Tatiana Queenan / tqueenan@gmu.edu |
For questions, please email language@gmu.edu
Foreign Language Waivers and Tests
FOR MORE WAYS TO SATISFY YOUR FOREIGN LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS OTHER THAN WHAT IS DETAILED BELOW, AND INFO ABOUT A FOREIGN LANGUAGE EXEMPTION, PLEASE SEE THIS CHSS WEBSITE:https://academicaffairs.chss.gmu.edu/ugradpolicies/ugpolicies/flwaiver
The Department of Modern and Classical Languages (MCL) has discontinued the awarding of three credits for any kind of language waiver. For passing one of our language waiver tests (placed beyond all 200 levels of a language), students who have a foreign language requirement for their major will instead receive a language waiver (satisfying required language courses). In satisfying their foreign language requirements, we submit the information to the registrar for processing.
You are permitted to take each language waiver test only one time.
In-person Waiver Tests
Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Persian, Russian, and Spanish tests are offered in our computer lab on campus. You do not sign up for these tests. See the calendar below for days of the tests. If you would like to take one of these in-person waiver tests during spring break week, please call our office to inquire. If GMU is closed for inclement weather during these times, our testing lab will also be closed. These tests run through Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The calendar for SU22 testing is TBD.
Please arrive at 1:00pm at 5100 Horizon Hall or 5008 Horizon Hall on days marked in green and bring your own earphones that can be plugged into our PC’s. You will be allowed 60-90 minutes to take the test depending on the language. For questions call 703-993-1220.
Remote Waiver Tests
If you cannot come to campus to take the test, we do have remote waiver tests for French, Korean, and Spanish. For the remote tests, we ask that you first take the placement test, and see that you place into course number 201 or higher. Links to these are found in the highlighted area under the Placement heading above. If you complete the eval/placement test well as described above, you are ready for a remote waiver test. Please sign up using this link:
Sign up for a remote Foreign Language Waiver Test
If you want to take one of these tests this semester, please sign up by April 27. It may take five days after you sign up to be invited to take the test, and the testing closes for the SPR22 semester on May 4, 2022. The calendar for SU22 testing is TBD.
Waivers for Languages We Do Not Teach
Students who are native speakers of a language other than English and other than the languages taught at GMU, can also be tested and waive their GMU foreign language requirement. At least one semester or more before their graduation date, a student can be tested by an acceptable examiner in the language. It is best to get the examiner approved by our advisor, Xi Chen. xchen8@gmu.edu Like all other language waivers, no credit is given. Here is the link to the procedures and forms.
Waiver Forms (used for being tested elsewhere for languages not taught at GMU)