Rules of the Placement Exam System

FREE CREDIT: If you place into courses at the second, third, or fourth semester level (or beyond), and complete the course in which you enroll with a B or above, you receive back credit for the courses you test out of AT NO COST TO YOU. For out-of-state students, this represents a savings of $2575 per 3 semester-hour course. In-state students save $25751 per course. If you place into upper-level classes, you may receive up to 15 hours, or $12,874 in out-of-state tuition for one language course. Currently, we offer courses in French, German, Japanese, Latin, Italian, Russian, and Spanish in the Department of Foreign Languages. BE SURE to keep the records of your placement test for processing the back credit. Application forms can be downloaded here and are available in 205 Chitwood and should be filled out as soon as the course is completed.
1Based on 2005 out-of-state tuition at $12,874 and in-state $4,164, with 15-hr course load.

Upon the advice of the professor concerned, a student may enroll at a higher level than the placement test indicates, but a student MAY NOT enroll at a lower level than that indicated by the placement test without written permission. Our tests are set to place you only in a class where you have an excellent chance at success. Therefore, do the best you can on the test.

Students with extensive language experience — as a result of prior study, informal contact with the language, or for other reasons — that took place more than five years prior to admission may take the placement test, or they may start with the beginning course in that language without taking the placement test.

Students who already speak a language other than English, and who are literate (i.e., can read, write, and communicate orally) in their home language should discuss the foreign language requirement with their academic advisors.

Students who transfer credit for the language courses taken at another institution are not required to take the placement test, PROVIDED there is evidence that their work is comparable to that required at WVU. In those cases where course equivalency cannot be established, transfer students must take the placement test.