Placement Tests, Transfer Credit, AP
Placement Tests
Placement examinations are required of any student whose most recent language course was not completed at Boston University. Placement exams DO NOT by themselves fulfill the language requirement.
Please contact MLCL at 617-353-2642 or mlcl@bu.edu for information about placement tests or visit the Information Office at 718 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 103B.
When are placement tests offered? And how do I interpret the results?
Chinese
For advising on placement in Chinese, please meet with the instructor indicated below at his/her office during the following times:
| Monday 1/23/12 |
|
| 9am – 10am | Yin Chong |
| 10am – 11am | Weijia Huang |
| 11am – 12pm | Ee San Chen |
| 12pm – 1pm | Hsiao-chih Chang |
| 1pm – 2pm | Xiaoyang Zhou |
| Wednesday 1/25/12 | |
| 9am – 10am | Yin Chong |
| 10am – 11am | Weijia Huang |
| 11am – 12pm | Ee San Chen |
| 12pm – 1pm | Hsiao-chih Chang |
| 1pm – 2pm | Xiaoyang Zhou |
| Friday 1/27/12 |
|
| 9am – 10am | Yin Chong |
| 10am – 11am | Weijia Huang |
| 11am – 12pm | Ee San Chen |
| 12pm – 1pm | Hsiao-chih Chang |
| 1pm – 2pm | Xiaoyang Zhou |
Please contact Yin Chong if you have questions or for more information.
| If your score was… | these are the courses that would be appropriate (see Course Offerings link for more information about these): |
|---|---|
| 35 or below | LC 111 |
| 34-44 | LC 112 |
| 45-55 | LC 211 |
| above 55 | LC 212 or LC 216 |
German
German is now tested by means of an online examination. The password, once you access the page is ‘terriers1’. You will need your university ID number when taking this test. Full instructions are provided within the test webpage. You can take this test any time before the start of classes, from any location. Non-CAS colleges have their own specific requirements. Please do not use dictionaries or other assistance when taking the test. This may result in incorrect placement and you will have to change classes in the first week of the semester.
| If your score was… | these are the courses that would be appropriate (see Course Offerings link for more information about these): |
|---|---|
| Below 262 | LG 111 |
| 263-375 | LG 112 |
| 376-432 | LG 211 |
| 433-490 | LG 212 |
| 491-561 | LG 303 |
| Above 561 | LG 304 |
Consult Beate Alhadeff, alhadeff@bu.edu, 718 Commonwealth Ave., room 502A, if
• your score is at the extremes of an indicated range
• you feel you are placed too high or too low
• your score is above 490
In all of these cases you may be asked to provide a short essay (6-8 sentences) on either of the following topics: “ Meine Lieblingsjahreszeit” and “Eine interessante Reise”.
Please note that both the test scores and faculty advice are not definitive and that you will have the opportunity to shift to a higher or lower level during the drop/add period should this become necessary.
Hebrew
Take the Hebrew placement test online here! See Miriam Angrist if you have further questions.
Japanese
The Japanese placement exam is now available on Blackboard. Students can take the exam by contacting Etsuko Okita Snyder and providing their BU ID or a non-BU email address.
Other Languages
Please consult with any faculty member in the language if you have questions about placement.
Q I feel insecure about my background in a language. My placement test tells me that I’m at a certain level, but I’d feel more comfortable taking a lower level instead. Can I?
A This is almost always a really bad idea. Read why.
Transfer Credit
Students who have taken language courses at other colleges than Boston University should see the foreign language advisor, Paula Hennessey, in CAS 105, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, 353-2400, before selecting a BU course. This is in addition to the need to take the a placement test (credit and placement are two different things). If you enroll in a course that’s equivalent to one you’ve already taken elsewhere, you’ll forfeit credit, so be sure to ask Prof. Hennessey first!
AP Equivalencies
NB: These guidelines apply to students entering BU beginning September 2008; students who entered prior to this date remain subject to the requirements that were current at the time of their matriculation. Please speak with a faculty member in your language of interest if you have questions.
Chinese
If you scored a 5 on the Chinese AP, you have credit for CAS LC 212. If you plan to take more advanced courses in Chinese, you’ll need to take a placement exam. If you got a 5 on the Chinese AP but your placement score indicates that you should be in LC 212 or below, talk with a faculty member in Chinese to discuss your options.
German
If you scored a 4 on the German AP, you have credit for CAS LG 212. If you scored a 5, you have credit for LG 303. But if you plan to go on and take more German at BU (and why wouldn’t you, seeing how good you are at it?), you should still take the placement test. If the placement test tells you something different from your AP score, please contact a German faculty member right away to discuss the best course of action.
Japanese
If you scored a 5 on the Japanese AP, you have credit for CAS LJ 212. But if you plan to go on with your study of Japanese, as we hope you will, you must take the placement test as well. If the placement test places you in LJ 212 or below despite your AP score of 5, it’s essential that you contact a Japanese faculty member for advice.