Foreign Language Placement Exam

Do I Need to Take the Exam?

If you identify as a heritage Spanish speaker, do not take the Spanish placement exam. Instead, contact askfl@niu.edu.

If you’re pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, you need to fulfill a foreign language requirement. If you plan to fulfill this requirement by studying Spanish at NIU and you have previous experience with the language, you need to take the placement exam.   

If you anticipate receiving transfer credit for college-level study of a language, you don’t need to take a placement exam. Simply register for the course that follows the highest-level course for which you have transfer credit.

How to Take the Exam

1. Access the exam registration system.
2. Under Choose a Group, select Spanish Placement Test.
3. Complete the rest of the form, using your NIU student email address.
4. Check your NIU email account for a link to the exam. It can take several days for the link to arrive. Be sure to check your spam/junk folder. If you don’t receive the link after 10 days, email testing@niu.edu.
5. The link will only work one time, so don’t click on it until you’re ready to take the exam.  When ready to test, click on the link.

Results

After you take the exam, you’ll see your Spanish course placement: 101, 102, 201 or 202.

If your assignment reads “See Department,” contact the Department of World Languages and Cultures at 815-753-1501 or askfl@niu.edu.