Proficiency Exam Explanation

UCSD students may wish to have it certified that they have attained a level of conversational and reading proficiency that is adequate to conduct every-day life in a secondary language. Revelle and Eleanor Roosevelt Colleges require such certification for the baccalaureate degree. In addition, some UCSD departments have an undergraduate language requirement as part of their major program. The Linguistics department has accepted the responsibility of evaluating such proficiency for French, German, Italian, Russian and Spanish. Students may take proficiency examinations in other languages when qualified testers are available.

2020-21 Remote Proficiency Exam Procedures

All Languages

1. All languages: Submit the Proficiency Exam Form to request to take the exam.
2. Requests will be reviewed and screened by the Language Program office.
   1. Note: Proficiency Exams only need to be completed if required for college/major/minor language requirements or for certain Study Abroad programs. If you are looking to figure out which course to take, you will need to complete a placement test. More information about placement can be found here.
3. If approved, you will be contacted by the Language Program with instructions. Exams will be administered in one of two ways depending upon the language requested:
   1. You will be provided with access to a Canvas module that will contain a reading in the target language and you will be asked to record and upload videos responding to questions about this reading in your target language.
   2. You will be provided with a name of a Proficiency Exam Administrator to contact to coordinate a 1:1 interview in which you will be given a reading in the target language followed by a conversation with the Proficiency Exam Administrator.
4. Results
   1. Canvas module: These results will be graded in batches twice per quarter and you will be notified by the Language Program office if you passed or failed.
   2. 1:1 interview: The Exam Administrator will inform you if you have passed or failed at the end of your interview. They will submit your results to the language office.
   3. All: Passing results will be recorded on your transcript and degree audit by the end of the quarter in which you completed your exam (and in many cases before the end of the quarter).

In-person Proficiency Exam Procedures

1. The reading portion of the proficiency examination dates can be found on Triton Link under "Placement and Proficiency Exams Schedule".
2. If you pass the reading portion, you will then be scheduled to take the oral portion of the exam.
3. Once you have passed both portions of the proficiency exam (in the same quarter) you will have satisfied your language requirement.

Proficiency Examination in language other than those listed above:

1. Review the Exam Procedures for Students.
2. Find your Approved Test Administrator.
3. Prior to the exam, provide your Test Administrator with the Guidelines for Test Administrators and the Examination Form.

PLEASE NOTE: The proficiency exam is not the same as the placement test. The placement test will tell you in which level of the language you are approved to enroll. The online placement test is available in French, German, Italian and Spanish here.