At Presbyterian College, students are required to complete three semesters (or demonstrate an equivalent level of proficiency) in a chosen language in order to meet the general education requirement in foreign languages.

To determine your current level of proficiency in French, German, or Spanish, we offer online placement tests in these three subjects.  If you have had two or more years of high school instruction in one of these languages but have not received Advanced Placement (AP) credit, you are required to take the appropriate placement test.  Your results will help determine the appropriate starting level for you at PC.  You should take the placement test even if you plan to study a new language at PC.

For example:  You took two years of French in high school.  At PC, you plan to study German.  You should take the French placement test now so that your score can be recorded.  When you register for fall classes, you may register for German 101.  In the future, you may decide to return to French instruction.  Your placement score may assist us in enrolling you in the right level of French.

If you have had less than two years of high school foreign language instruction, you do not have to take the placement tests.  In this case, you should register for the 101 class in French, German, or Spanish or the 151 course in Portuguese.  We also offer general education credit for Chinese and Greek.  However, enrollment in the introductory Chinese class for Fall 2007 incoming students is by application only, and we recommend that you wait until your sophomore or junior year to enroll in the higher-level Greek courses.

The foreign language placement tests in French, German, and Spanish are now available at http://blackboard.presby.edu.  They will be offered through August 1st.  They will not be offered during new student orientation as they have in the past. 

To access the placement tests, you will need your Blackboard user name and password.  This information was sent to you earlier from our Information Technology department along with your email address and PIN and your BannerWeb log-in information.  If you have misplaced your Blackboard (Bb) user name/password or have problems logging into Bb, please contact Dr. Bill Yarborough.

When you're ready to take the tests

Log onto http://blackboard.presby.edu.  Select the desired placement test and follow the instructions carefully.

Please note that each test has multiple sections and you may take each section only once.  Once you begin a section, you must complete and submit it in one session in order to receive credit for it.  If you exit a section without clicking the “submit” button at the end, you will not receive credit for it nor will you be able to return to it to finish it later.  You do not, however, have to complete the entire test in one sitting.  After submitting a section, you may leave the test page and return at a later time/date to begin the next section.

After you have completed the test in its entirety, you will be able to see your total score.  This score will give you a good idea of the best fit for your level of language proficiency and the courses offered at Presbyterian College.  However, you may sign up for any level class in which you feel the most comfortable.  For example:  your score may indicate that you can register for a second-semester or second-year course (such as Spanish 102 or 201); however, you prefer to start in the first-semester course (Spanish 101 or 151).

If your score indicates that you may be able to place completely out of the foreign language requirement and if you do not plan to continue studying that language, you will fulfill your general education requirement after successful completion of a brief interview conducted in your language by one of our foreign language faculty members.  These interviews will be held during student orientation on Thursday, August 23, 2007, from 8:00-10:00 a.m. in Neville Hall.  Signs will be posted on the outer doors to direct you to the right location for your language.

Regardless of which level is appropriate for you, we strongly recommend taking language courses as soon as possible.  The longer you wait, the more of the language you willforget! You should certainly start your language courses no later than the fall of your sophomore year in case you have to repeat any of the courses in the sequence in later semesters.

Problems? Questions?

If you have difficulty accessing the site once the tests are available, please contact Dr. Bill Yarborough. If you have questions about which test you should take, please contact the Office of the Provost.