Advanced Placement & Credit

Who Must Take the Exam?

Most incoming students are required to take a short exam to determine their level in the language sequence. There are five exceptions to this requirement: 1) students who will study Chinese; 2) students who did not study a foreign language in high school at all; 3) students who studied a foreign language in high school that is not offered at Southwestern; 4) students who are certain they will study a language offered at Southwestern that is different from the one they studied in high school; 5) students who are transferring college-level foreign language credit from another institution.

If one of these exceptions applies to you, please email Bill Christensen at christew@southwestern.edu with "Language placement exception" in the subject line of the message. In the body of the message include your full name and which of the exceptions applies to you. Use your SU email address to send the message. Please do not write him under this subject heading if none of these exceptions applies to you.

Note that Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credit does not exempt you from the placement exam. Course credit from these exams is handled by the Registrar's office, and is independent of your placement.

Also note that even if you are certain you will study a language at Southwestern you did not study in high school, it is nevertheless highly advisable that you go ahead and take the placement test in the language you have studied. Taking the test is in no way binding, and many students revert back to studying their high school language when they realize how much time they will save in completing their degree plan.

Please be advised that perceived deficiencies in one's high school language program does not constitute an exception: if you intend to continue studying at Southwestern the language you studied in high school you must take the placement exam.