Incoming freshmen with prior knowledge of a foreign language,
who wish to build on that knowledge while at St. John's University
or to satisfy core language requirements, must take a language placement
test.
The purpose of the placement test is to evaluate incoming
students' proficiency in grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening
comprehension, so that they may be placed at the right level of
instruction.
Students with no prior knowledge of the language they wish to
take are naturally exempt from the placement test and may register
for level one. They will need to document this by producing
a copy of their High School transcript on the first day of
class.
Placement tests are administered for the following
languages:
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Modern Greek
- Italian
- Russian
- Spanish
Administration of Placement
Tests
Placement tests are administered at the Global Language and Culture
Center, located in St John Hall, Room 104, during office hours.
During the academic year placement tests are administered on a
walk-in basis. In the summer time — June, July and August —
appointments are necessary due to limited available staff.
Please call (718) 990-8352 for an appointment.
Come during office hours and be ready to show a photo ID. The
test should take approximately 45 minutes and requires no prior
preparation. Results are made available immediately, allowing
students to register without delay. Students who place at an
advanced level are asked to consult with the coordinator for that
language in the Dept. of Languages and Literatures for advice on
suitable courses (see Coordinators: under "Administration").
There are no placement tests at this time for Latin, Hindi,
Hebrew or Portuguese. Students interested in building on their
prior knowledge of these languages should contact Departmental
Administration at (718) 990-6314 in order to make an appointment
for evaluation by an appropriate instructor.
Students interested in Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese and
Korean) should contact the Institute of Asian Studies at St. John's
University.
Staten Island Students
Students at the Staten Island campus should consult the Dean's
office for placement guidelines.