At the University of Montevallo, you will have the opportunity to take a world language placement exam, which is designed to place you into the appropriate level of language if you have previous knowledge of the language or took it in high school or at another institution. There are many benefits to taking a placement exam. Should you pass into an intermediate level of language, you may be able to finish your language requirement sooner. In addition, if you pass into a higher level, you may choose to major or minor in the language, thus allowing yourself the opportunity to get into the upper-level courses sooner than if you had started in the introductory classes. Selecting to major or minor in a language will provide you another skill in your life that may be advantageous to your career plan: International Business, Teaching, Interpreting, Translating, Missions… the possibilities are endless.
For those of you who have taken French, German or Spanish in high school and if you plan to enroll in a language course this semester, we invite you to take the world language placement exam sponsored by the Department of English and World Languages.
For Incoming Students:
The Department of English and World Languages recommends that all entering students who have prior knowledge of French, German or Spanish and who plan to continue their language studies at UM take a placement exam to ensure correct placement in college-level language courses.
Who should take the exam?
Students who plan to continue prior language studies of French, German or Spanish at the college-level.
Why do we test?
The placement exam is a good predictor of your language abilities; proper placement makes your language studies more successful.
What is tested?
Vocabulary and grammar skills in one of the common target languages: French, German or Spanish.
When should I take the exam?
Two options: 1 – Online from home, 2 – On campus during Orientation/Registration
1 – Online from home
- It is strongly recommended that you take the exam at least 2 weeks prior to coming to campus for Orientation/Registration. This will ensure that your score is processed and you are able to enroll in the appropriate level class during Orientation/Registration. The online exam takes less than one hour and can be taken from the convenience of your home.
- In order to access the exam, please contact our departmental Administrative Assistant at (205) 665-6410 Monday-Friday between 8am and noon. You will receive a username, password, and instructions for taking the exam online.
2 – On campus during Orientation/Registration
- If you choose to take the placement exam on campus, you will be notified of the time of the exam upon arrival.
Note: Taking the UM placement exam and/or being placed in a higher-level language course does not grant actual credits for the courses that are skipped. It simply allows students to check off that requirement for their degree completion, thus allowing them to progress more quickly in their language studies and to further their degree requirements.
For Current UM Students:
This exam is available for you at any time during the semester. Please see the Administrative Assistant in the World Languages Office (Humanities Hall 101) to schedule a time for the exam.
