Placement Exams
Introductory Courses and Placement
Students who have had two or more years of high school Spanish are not eligible to take Elementary Spanish (101 or 102) and must take a placement test.
Students who have grown up in Spanish-speaking homes and/or who have received any formal education in Spanish must also take the placement test, and they may not take elementary (101-102), intermediate (131-132), or conversation courses (203-204); they should instead take the sequence of language courses designated for native speakers, which is specially tailored to their needs, or upper-level courses, in accordance with their placement test results.
The only students who are not required to take the placement test are non-native speakers who have had less than two years of high school Spanish. Please note, however, that if you have had fewer than two years of high school Spanish and choose to take the placement test, you must enroll in the level in which you are placed.
If you are unclear on whether you need to take the placement exam or not, please contact the department.
Placement Exam/OPIc/WPT
NOTE: Information on the Placement Exam
Placement exams are now open. Students that intend to take Spanish and Portuguese classes (except 101 and 102) MUST take the placement exam to determine their level of proficiency. If you are planning on taking a course within our department this semester, you cannot do so unless there is a placement score on record. Placement results are listed in your Degree Navigator profile at the bottom of your MY COURSE LIST page.
If you have studied less than 2 years of Spanish or Portuguese in high school or are transferring credits in Spanish or Portuguese from another university, you DO NOT need to take a placement exam.
If you have any questions about placement, please send an e-mail to Dr. Joseph Casillas or to Jerlene Rodriguez.
Placement Exam
The placement exam is designed to measure your overall ability in Spanish and/or Portuguese. It consists of: listening comprehension (Spanish only), vocabulary and grammar, reading skills and literature appreciation.
Who Should Take the Placement Exam?
Students with 2 or more years in Spanish and/or Portuguese or are Native speakers are required to take the placement test.
Transfer students who receive credits for courses in Spanish do not need to take the Spanish Placement Test. Transfer students must consult with the Undergraduate Director or SAS Transfer Center for course credit approval. Students who receive AP credits do not need to take the placement exam. Registration is not required for the placement test.
When Will I Receive My Exam Results?
Test results will be posted on "My Course List" in Degree Navigator within a week of the exam. Degree Navigator will display test scores, as well as, the level of course you placed into.
What Courses Can I Register For?
All students are required to take the course into which they place. Under no circumstances may a student register for a course lower than the one to which they have been assigned.
Students who have had 2 or more years in Spanish may not enroll for credit in Spanish 101 and 102, Elementary Spanish I. These classes are reserved for beginners.
Online Placement Test Links: Spanish & Portuguese |
Portuguese test Click here to take the Portuguese Placement Exam. |
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Spanish test: Click here to take the Spanish Placement Exam. |
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For more information about testing, please click here. |
*Note: The Portuguese and Spanish placement tests are open as of March 3, 2025*
OPIc - Oral Proficiency Interview (computerized) and WPT-Written Proficiency Test
The Language Institute OPIc and WPT test schedule has been published on the World Language Institute website at: http://tlc.rutgers.edu/student-services-side/testing-side-menu/actfl-opi
Students taking Spanish courses 389/499 should register as soon as possible if planning on taking one or both of these tests this semester.
Registration questions may be directed to Daissy Santamaria at 848-932-7883.
