Language Placement

undergraduate Placement

If a student demonstrates language skills in a departmental placement exam that places him or her in a second year language course (2xx), the student must take the indicated language classes (*6) to fulfill the Language-other-than-English (LOE) requirement. If a student demonstrates language skills in a departmental placement exam that places him or her beyond a second year language course (2xx), the student must select from the offered courses in literature, culture, applied linguistics or translation at the 300- and 400-level (*6) taught in the target language to fulfill the LOE requirement. Alternately, students may choose to fulfill their LOE requirement by completing those credits in another language.

French Placement Test

Spanish Placement Test

Credit by Special Assessment (no longer available)

French Placement Test

Students with previous experience in French outside of MLCS are required to take the placement test. See below for access information.
Students who have never learned French before are not required to take the test and may register right away in FREN 111.
As well, students who have taken and passed a French course in MLCS should not take the placement test but register in the following course.
Students are strongly encouraged to take the test before their registration date to ensure themselves a seat in the appropriate class. Depending on the result of their placement test, they may be required to change course if they are not registered at the appropriate level, in which case their planned schedule may have to change significantly.
Note to students with FRENCH 30: university credits will only be granted for FREN 211 and above. Click here for more information.

For access to the placement test

and for any other inquiry, including advice on placement after taking the test, please email frentest@ualberta.ca provide your Campus Computing or CCID (the first portion of the "@ualberta.ca" email address).

Please read the procedures before taking the test.

Spanish Placement Test

Students who have taken and passed a Spanish language course in MLCS do not need to take a placement test, but may simply register in the following course.
Students with prior knowledge of Spanish, but who have never taken Spanish in MLCS before and who wish to register in a Spanish language course, are required to take a placement test.
Students with Spanish 30: university credits will only be granted for SPAN 211 and above. Please note that students with Spanish 30 are required to take the placement test.
Students with Spanish as their home language (i.e., native or heritage speakers of Spanish) should register in SPAN 306 Spanish for Heritage Speakers and are required to take a placement test.

For access to the Spanish placement test, click here (you can access the test using your University of Alberta CCID). Once you complete it, you will be contacted about the results of the test within a week. Note that, depending on those results, you may be required to participate in an oral interview to better determine your level of proficiency.

If you have any questions regarding Spanish language courses, please contact Dr. Xavier Gutierrez, Coordinator of the Spanish Language Program, at xavier.gutierrez@ualberta.ca

Credit by Special Assessment

Our Department no longer offers Credit by Special Assessment

MLCS Policy (passed at January 2013 MLCS Departmental Council - Section 42.5 (2) Limits UofA Calendar)

The Department of Modern Languages & Cultural Studies does not offer Credit by Special Assessment. If a student demonstrates language skills in a departmental placement exam that places him or her in a second year language course (2xx), the student must take the indicated language classes (*6) to fulfill the Language-other-than-English (LOE) requirement. If a student demonstrates language skills in a departmental placement exam that places him or her beyond a second year language course (2xx), the student must select from the offered courses in literature, culture, applied linguistics or translation at the 300- and 400-level (*6) taught in the target language to fulfill the LOE requirement. Alternately, students may choose to fulfill their LOE requirement by completing those credits in another language.

The interactive nature of MLCS language, literature, culture, applied linguistics and translation classes provides a unique environment in which students not only practice foreign language skills, but engage in inter- and intracultural discussions that encourage them to explore new perspectives about their own as well as the target cultures. Participation in these courses in the target language expands students’ interdisciplinary and intercultural education, an important positive contribution which cannot be achieved to an equivalent degree through credit by special assessment.