French, German and Latin Placement Testing
You need an exam if:
- you took a language in high school and are considering taking this language at College of Charleston.
- you are planning to start a new language at the College of Charleston and have completed Latin, French, or German in high school. We suggest that you take a placement exam in the language you have already studied. This will give you a placement score in the event you change your mind about taking a new language.
It has been found that students who intentionally choose a lower-level language course to obtain an easy grade generally do not perform well in this case. The College’s language curriculum is designed to facilitate the transition from one course to the next. However, a student may choose to take a lower-level language course or start a new language. You may discuss language options with an advisor during orientation.
NOTE: Native Speakers of Languages Other Than
English: No native speaker of a language other than
English will be awarded foreign language placement
credit for proficiency in his or her first language.
However, a student whose native language is not English,
who has received formal instruction or can demonstrate
a high level of literacy in his or her first language, may
be exempted from further language study.
Such students
may exempt the general education requirement for
language study by successfully completing a minimum of
12 semester hours at the College. For waivers, contact the
School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs.
You should not take a placement exam if:
you have taken Spanish in high school. You do not take a placement test. Instead, you are placed according to the number of years of high school Spanish you have taken. You can find more information about placement testing at the Hispanic Studies website.
you are transferring language credit from another college or university.
you have scored a 3, 4 or 5 on an AP Modern Language Test*
you have scored a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Literature Test*
**Students who have not yet received their AP test results should take the College of Charleston placement test, but must adjust their placement if they score a 3 or higher on the AP test.
Spanish - You do not take a placement test. Instead, you are placed according to the number of years of high school Spanish you have taken. You can find more information about placement testing at the Hispanic Studies website.
German and French Placement Test Instructions (see below)
Latin Placement Test Instructions (see below)
The French and German placement tests are online tests. Each exam contains questions on grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The on-line test normally takes less than 25 minutes to complete. If you score above the fourth semester and do not enroll in a 300-level language course, you will be required to complete a supplemental language exam during the first week of classes in order to satisfy the General Education requirement in Foreign Languages.
There is no advantage to receiving help from others (including grammar books, native-speaking friends for help with writing, etc.), and we expect you to receive no such help. If you are placed into a class that is harder than you can handle, you may hurt your GPA and jeopardize scholarships by earning a low grade.
For students who place above the 101-level, the College of Charleston grants academic credit retroactively only after you take and pass with a "C" or better the class into which you place. It is to your advantage to do your own work and let us place you into an appropriate language class.
See the Foreign Language Placement Test FAQ and the College of Charleston Catalog for more information.
Remember your password before you click! It is:
cougars1 (all lower case, no spaces, the last digit is the number 1)
Now, point your browser to: http://webcape.byuhtrsc.org/?acct=cofc
VERY IMPORTANT TIPS
- ID Number - You will be asked for a ID Number after you enter your name. Use your College of Charleston ID Number (CWID). This is the number that you use to log into Cougar Trail.
- e-mail – please use your College e-mail.
- It is important to click the SUBMIT button at the end of the test for your results to be submitted. Scores are automatically submitted to the College of Charleston.
- You will be able to view your score at the end of the test. If it is a zero, please retake the test.
In order for your advisor to prepare for your first advising meeting, you must have completed all the necessary online placement tests before you attend Orientation--and you don't want to leave Orientation without your schedule in hand! It is suggested that you complete the test by June 1, 2009.
After you complete the test, your score will be submitted to the College of Charleston. You can discuss your score and placement in the foreign language with your advisor on the second day of orientation.
For many of these tests, you will need a computer with internet access. Choose one with the fastest possible internet connection (Ethernet or better). If one is not available to you at home, you may access a computer at your school or public library.
The Latin placement test is available online through WebCT. For Summer 2009, the test will be available on May 15. Students who studied Latin in high school and wish to continue their studies at the College of Charleston should complete the online placement test before attending Orientation. The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions testing your knowledge of Latin word forms and grammatical constructions as well as your ability to translate Latin sentences into English. The on-line test normally takes 30 to 45 minutes to complete. You may not use any supplemental resources to assist you with completing the Latin placement exam.
In order to access the test:
- Use a computer with a cable modem or Ethernet connection.
- Go to http://webct.cofc.edu/webct/public/home.pl
- Click on log in to my WebCT
- Enter your College of Charleston ID number for the WebCT ID
- Enter your Cougar Trail password
- Click on Latin Placement Test
