Placement & proficiency exams

Important information for international students who wish to establish proficiency in their native language

Beginning April 16, 2012, undergraduate students whose native language is Chinese, Japanese, or Korean (C/J/K) and who graduated from a high school where their native language (C/J/K) is the language of instruction should fulfill the foreign language requirement by providing official high school transcripts or other documentation. Please download the "Application for Establishment of Foreign Language Proficiency for Non-Native Speakers of English" form from the College of Arts and Sciences websiteCollege Recorders Office.

If you completed the 6th grade or above but have not graduated from a high school where your native language is the language of instruction, submit to the EALC Department an official document that proves the completion of the 6th grade or above along with the Language Proficiency Certification Form (available at Department office, Global and International Studies Building 2050A).

If you did not complete the 6th grade or above in a country where C/J/K is the language of instruction, you still need to take a proficiency test to establish your proficiency in your native language. Students in this situation please see the testing information below.

Note that all Applications for Foreign Language Proficiency for Non-Native Speakers of English and the accompanying proof of foreign 6th grade or higher completion must be received by ealc@indiana.edu at least one month prior to semester end to allow the College Recorder’s Office time to update the student’s record. Documentation received by EALC with less than one month before the end of the semester cannot be guaranteed that a student’s record will be updated by the semester’s end.

Japanese - Testing for placement and proficiency

JAPANESE ONLINE PLACEMENT TEST

The online Japanese placement test is offered exclusively for the purpose of class placement, not for proving proficiency. All students enrolled in IU with prior knowledge of Japanese will need to take an online Japanese placement test before registering for their first Japanese class at IUB, to identify the appropriate class to take.

The Japanese placement test is available online at https://foreignlanguageplacement.indiana.edu/. Students can take the test any time on any computer that has access to IU network and has headphones. Students will log onto the site with their IU user name. It is a randomized, timed, test with a 90-minute limit. A $54 fee will be automatically assessed when logging onto the test. Students are only allowed to take the test one time; A second-time login has to be requested through the Department of EALC with a valid reason. Students are not allowed to use any aids during the test, including dictionaries, textbooks, notes, cell phone, etc. It is for the student’s best interest if the test reflects their current ability. Within two weeks after the semester starts, students may receive an interview from the course instructor to verify their placement.

Any inquiry regarding the placement test results should be addressed to the Recorder’s Office and your academic advisor.

The placement test results are only valid for a limited time. Please contact the language program coordinator for the expiration day of your results.

EALC language course credits, except for C333, C433, J333, J433, are not given to language courses taken outside of IU, including overseas. Students who need to prove their language proficiency for purposes of satisfying degree requirements must do so through EALC’s proficiency tests.