Placement Policy & Back Credit

Why do I need to take a placement test?

If you're an incoming student who plans on taking a language class and has had at least some exposure to the language (from coursework or self-study, or from your family or community), you need to take a placement test. Why? We need to make sure that you're taking a course at the right level: if you take a class that's too easy for you, you're slowing down your path to graduation, while if you take a class that's too hard for you, you run the risk of having to repeat it. In addition, starting at the appropriate level allows you to earn back credit, which rewards you for the skills you already have.

How do I take a placement test?

Depending on which language you want to study, you'll follow a different procedure for the placement test:

Students of French, German or Spanish should take this online placement test.
Students of Japanese should contact Yoko Hatakeyama (yhatakeyama@murraystate.edu) and Brent Menchinger (bmenchinger@murraystate.edu).
Students of Chinese should contact Dr. Jie Wu (jwu4@murraystate.edu).
Students of Portuguese should contact Dr. Robert (Moses) Fritz (rfritz1@murraystate.edu).
Students of another language should contact Brent Menchinger (bmenchinger@murraystate.edu) or Dr. Tanya Romero González (tromerogonzalez@murraystate.edu).

How do the French/German/Spanish tests work?

Go to the test website, create an account, select your language and take the test. When you've finished, the system will show you your score (and will also send us a copy). Here's how you'll interpret your score:

On the French test:

with a score of 0-249, enroll in FRE 101
with a score of 250-310, enroll in FRE 102
with a score of 311-364, enroll in FRE 201
with a score of 365-399, enroll in FRE 202
with a score of 400 or higher, enroll in FRE 301
if you have questions about your score, email Dr. Thérèse Saint Paul (tsaintpaul@murraystate.edu) for more information.

On the German test:

with a score of 0-249, enroll in GER 101
with a score of 250-310, enroll in GER 102
with a score of 311-364, enroll in GER 201
with a score of 365-399, enroll in GER 202
with a score of 400 or higher, enroll in GER 301
if you have questions about your score, email Dr. Roxane Riegler (rriegler@murraystate.edu) for more information.

On the Spanish test:

with a score of 0-249, enroll in SPA 101
with a score of 250-345, enroll in SPA 102
with a score of 346-390, enroll in SPA 201
with a score of 391-429, enroll in SPA 202
with a score of 430 or higher, enroll in SPA 301
if you have questions about your score, email Dr. Tanya Romero González (tromerogonzalez@murraystate.edu) for more information.

How do back credits work?

If you earn an A or a B in a class, you can purchase credit for all the classes below it. For example, a student who earns a B in SPA 301 can buy 12 additional credits (SPA 101, 102, 201, and 202). That's a whole semester of credit for just one class!

To purchase these back credits, here's the procedure:

Wait until you've earned an A or a B in one of your language classes. Earning that score counts as your "exam".
Go to the Registrar's Departmental Challenge Credit website.
Click Departmental Challenge Exams—Modern Languages.
Click the link for "Department of Modern Languages Exams".
Click the shopping cart icon.
Fill in the personal information that's required, and check the courses you want to buy. Make sure the prefix matches your language!
Once you submit this form, our department will confirm that you earned an A or a B in the right class, and will take care of the rest of the process. Your credit should appear on RACRaudit in a few business days.