Language Placement Testing Times and Locations
Information for Fall 2019 Incoming Students
Language placement and validation of proficiency exams take place on Tuesday, September 17, 2019.
| Language | Location | Time | Exam Format | Notes |
| Arabic | Kresge Hall 4531 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Online placement/ oral interview |
All students with any prior experience with the language (formal or informal) must take the online placement test, which includes an extensive questionnaire about their experience with the language. Students will then be notified by the MENA placement coordinator via email about their placement or will be invited to take an oral validation exam which will last 15 - 20 minutes per student. Students should attend this session if they have questions about which Arabic class to take, or if they have been invited via e-mail to take a validation exam. |
| Chinese | Harris Hall 107 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Essay test/ oral interview |
Students with prior experience in Mandarin Chinese should have completed the online placement test before this test. Please bring your own pencil. |
| Czech | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | Written test/ oral interview |
To schedule please contact Prof. Elisabeth Elliott: eelliott@northwestern.edu. | |
| French | Kresge Hall 2380 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written test/ oral interview |
The interview/validation test will take about 30 minutes total, and students can stop by anytime between 3 to 5:00 pm. However, please arrive no later than 4:30 in order to be done by 5:00 pm. |
| German | Kresge Hall 3317 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written composition/ oral interview |
Students take the placement exam online over the summer and will be notified of their results via email. Students should attend this session if they have questions about which German class to take, or if they have been invited via e-mail to take a validation exam (written and oral). |
| Ancient Greek | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | Written test/ oral interview |
To schedule please contact Prof. Ryan Platte: ryan.platte@northwestern.edu. | |
| Hebrew | Kresge Hall 4531 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written test/ oral interview |
All students with any prior experience with the language (formal or informal) must take the paper placement test, which includes an extensive questionnaire about their experience with the language and, in some case, an oral validation exam which will last 15 minutes per student. Students should attend this session if they have questions about which Hebrew class to take, or if they need to take the paper placement exam and an oral exam. |
| Hindi-Urdu | Kresge Hall 2325 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written test/ oral interview |
• Students who received a score of 5 or above on the Hindi or Urdu high-level IB exam, or who took the 10th or 12th grade Hindi or Urdu Board/Standardized Examination and scored 70% or above, should bring a copy of their IB exam or Standardized exam grade sheet and submit it to Dr. Rami Nair at the start of the placement/proficiency exam. • The Hindi and Urdu placement/proficiency tests consists of both oral and written components. Both components will be tested on the same day. • Please see the Dept. of Asian Languages and Cultures website for more information on who should take the Hindi-Urdu placement exam. • Students should fill out the online questionnaire before they come to take the placement test. |
| Italian | Crowe Hall 2-143 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Oral interview | Please attend if you are interested in Italian and have questions about Italian courses or if you have taken the online placement test and need to complete it with an interview. |
| Japanese | Kresge Hall 2524 | 1:00-5:00 pm | Online and written exams | See Dept. of Asian Languages and Cultures website for more information on Japanese language placement. Students can start taking the test as early as 1:00 p.m. |
| Korean | Kresge Hall 2415 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written test/ oral interview |
Please come 10 minutes early with your student ID and pen. Students should complete the online exam prior to coming to the validation exam. The validation will take approximately 60 minutes. |
| Latin | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | To schedule please contact Prof. Francesca Tataranni: f-tataranni@northwestern.edu. | ||
| Persian (Farsi) | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | Oral interview, reading and writing | Interested students should contact Mazyiar Faridi at MaziyarFaridi2011@u.northwestern.edu to schedule an interview time. | |
| Polish | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | To schedule please contact Prof. Kinga Kosmala: kinga.kosmala@northwestern.edu. | ||
| Portuguese | Kresge Hall 3535 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written test/ oral interview |
All students with prior experience studying Portuguese should take the online placement exam prior to arriving on campus. All students who take the online exam must also complete the oral assessment. Please be at the testing room right at 3:00 pm. The exam should take approximately 30-45 minutes. |
| Russian | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | Online exam should be completed before arriving on campus. Email Prof. Elisabeth Elliott at eelliott@northwestern.edu with questions about placement results or the Russian language program. | ||
| Spanish | Kresge Hall 2430 | 3:00-5:00 pm | Written composition/ oral interview |
The Spanish reassessment is only for students who earned "reassessment" on the placement exam. It will take about 30 minutes total, and students can stop by anytime between 3:00 to 5:00 pm. However, please arrive no later than 4:30 in order to be done by 5:00. There will be an additional reassessment held on Monday, September 23, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm in Kresge Hall 2430. |
| Swahili | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY | Written test/ oral interview |
To schedule please contact Prof. Peter Mwangi at peter.mwangi@northwestern.edu. | |
| Turkish | BY APPOINTMENT ONLY |
Oral interview, |
To schedule please contact Prof. Oya Topçuoğlu at oya.topcuoglu@northwestern.edu. |