Placement Test FAQs

1. Who needs to take a placement exam?

All students wanting to enroll in French, German, Italian, or Spanish need to take the placement exam.

For Chinese or Japanese, only students who have studied the language before, or already speak the language because they grew up in a home where that language was spoken, should contact the director of that program to determine their proficiency level. Students who have no background with the language do not need to take a placement test and can be enrolled in the first level.

2. How do I take the placement exam?

For French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the test is online at this link. The pre-test questions will direct you how to proceed based on your responses. Students are allotted 40 minutes to complete the test. The placement exam determines the course level at which you should start or continue your language studies. Results will post to PAWS overnight, at which time you’ll be able to enroll in the appropriate course.

Students who already speak one of these languages because they grew up in a home where that language was spoken should contact the director of that language program to determine their proficiency level.

For Chinese or Japanese, the program directors for those languages conduct the exam in person, whether the student has studied the language formally or speaks it at home. Students who need a placement exam should contact the appropriate program director for an in-person exam.

3. Who is exempt from the language requirement?

Students who have received any of the following:

• 650 or higher on the College Board Subject Test
• 5 on the AP exam
• 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level examination
• an ACTFL certificate with a rating of Intermediate Low or higher

are exempt from any language requirement for their major, pending confirmation by the department chair. Students who wish to take a language course still need to take a placement exam.

TCNJ does not accept the NJ Seal of Biliteracy or dual enrollment courses to fulfill the language requirement. These students must still take a placement test. 

Incoming first-year students who took a language AP exam are encouraged to take the language placement test even if they are still waiting for their test results. An AP score of 5 fulfills the language proficiency requirement, and the Office of Records and Registration will record that score in PAWS. Students who fulfill their language requirement with their AP score may typically continue in that language at the 200 level if they wish, and apply those courses toward an academic minor in that language.

Students who enter with an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science from a New Jersey community college (not from any other type of institution) are exempted from all liberal learning requirements, including the language proficiency requirement. However, students whose majors require language courses above the 103 level (such as International Studies, Spanish/Spanish Education, or World Languages and Linguistics) will need to take the placement exam to start or continue their language studies to fulfill the level required by their major.

4. How long do I have to wait to get my score?

Your test score will display immediately after submitting your last answer. You will also get your score in email. Scores will post to PAWS overnight, at which time you’ll be able to enroll in the appropriate course.

5. What if I completed 4 or more years of language study in high school?

Students who completed 4 or more years of language study in high school are required to take the placement exam. Students who have completed four or more years of study (or its equivalent) in high school in French, German, Italian, or Spanish will not receive credit for 101 if they place into it. In this case we recommend that you fulfill your language requirement with a different language. Students who have taken Latin in high school and place into Latin 101 will receive credit for that course.

6. Does my placement test result automatically enroll me into the class?

No. Your placement score simply tells you the appropriate course level to enroll in.

7. What happens if I earn an exemption score on the online test?

Students will be instructed to contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures office to validate their exemption score. These students should make an appointment by writing wlc@tcnj.edu.

8. I’m a native/heritage/fluent speaker of a language that’s not taught at TCNJ. Can I use my proficiency in this language to test out of my language requirement?

If you’d like to fulfill your language requirement with an oral proficiency interview in a language not taught at TCNJ instead of taking classes, you can do so; the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) may offer a proficiency exam for it. The test is an interview via webcam on your computer by an oral proficiency examiner, and lasts from 15-30 minutes. The exam costs approximately $165, payable by the student. You can see the list of languages, get more information, and register at their website, www.languagetesting.com.

If you score a rating of Intermediate Low or above, the World Languages department will place a note in PAWS stating that you have fulfilled your language proficiency requirement.

If you are a first-year student and intend to fulfill your language requirement with an oral proficiency interview, please notify the Program Assistant or chair for your major so that they can account for that when creating your schedule. You can find that contact information on your department’s website. (https://academics.tcnj.edu/)

LTI registration instructions (as of 24 September 2024)

1. Go to: www.languagetesting.com
2. Select your language.
3. Select the option in the right column that reads
   I am a student and I want to take an ACTFL assessment to showcase my language proficiency for personal use. Click Choose Test.
4. On the next page that says “ACTFL OPI $165.00 | 15-30 minutes,” click Select Test and Continue to Schedule
5. Enter your scheduling information and click Next (you need no additional services)
6. Click Next to create a login and pay for your exam.
7. After you’ve taken the oral proficiency exam, LTI will send you a link to download a certificate with your results. Forward the PDF of that certificate showing your rating of Intermediate Low or above to wlc@tcnj.edu to have a note added to your PAWS account.

9. What if I’m a transfer student?

Transfer students who wish to trasnfer language credits or who will continue studying a language at TCNJ must take the placement test in that language. Students will receive transfer credit for the levels they place out of.

10. What are the online placement score ranges?

French | German | Italian

01-25 = 101
26-45 = 102
46-59 = 103
60+ = Exempt

Spanish

1-26 = 101
27-52 = 102
53-61 = 103
62+ = Exempt

All
90 = exempt (a heritage speaker of that language, had an oral proficiency interview, see their advising note in PAWS)
99 = 101 (never studied the language, can be enrolled directly into the first level with no placement test)

11. What if I still have questions?

For Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish
Contact:  Department of World Languages & Culture
Email: wlc@tcnj.edu
Phone:  609.771.2235

For Latin and Greek
Contact: Dr. Holly Haynes, Co-Coordinator of Classical Studies
Email: haynes@tcnj.edu
Phone: 609.771.2106

For American Sign Language
Contact: Steven Singer, Coordinator of the Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Program
Email: singers@tcnj.edu
Phone: 609.771.2805