Language Course Placement
Students with any prior knowledge of Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish should take the Placement Exam to match their current language abilities to the course most suitable for their level.
You might be surprised to find out that you place into a higher class than you expected.
A 101-level world language course is for true beginners or those with very little prior experience. If you’ve had 2 or more years or more of a high school language course, then you will likely be in 102 or higher.
The online language exams are free and quick—usually less than 20 minutes.
Talk to the language instructor if you have doubts about the placement recommendations from your placement test.
You’ll need to create a free account to take a language placement exam.
Dr. Nagai created the Japanese Placement Evaluation.
She will advise your course placement based on your results.
Retroactive Credit
Students can get retroactive credit for lower-level courses if they earn a “A” or “B” in a WSU language courses at the levels:
- 102
- 201
- 202
- 301
For example, a student who places into SPAN 201 and earns an “A” or “B” may buy the credits for SPAN 101 and SPAN 102.
Apply for Retroactive Credits
To be eligible, you must:
- have completed the original WSU course
- have received an official grade in the course
- be enrolled in a degree program at WSU with a minimum 2.00 GPA
- be enrolled at WSU during the semester in which the credits are requested
Contact your instructor to start the application for retroactive credits. You will be billed $50 per credit and receive a grade of “P” (pass) in the appropriate course(s).
The World Languages faculty reserves the right to vary these guidelines when necessary.