Placement

The following students must take a placement test before registering for Arabic classes:

• Students who wish to take first-semester Arabic but who have existing knowledge of the language 
• Students who wish to take Accelerated Beginning Arabic I
• Transfer students who have taken Arabic at other institutions and wish to continue their Arabic studies at the University of Minnesota
• Students who have not taken the prerequisite for an Arabic class beyond first semester but who wish to test in
• Students who completed their last U of M Arabic course more than three semesters ago
• Students returning from an Arabic study-abroad experience who wish to continue their Arabic studies at the U of M, or who wish to count their study-abroad Arabic course as an elective toward the minor

The placement test includes a reading, listening, writing, and grammar component, as well as an individual oral interview. The oral interview is taken prior to the other components of the exam.

Placement tests must be taken before the first day of the semester and are administered in person. Once you receive your results, you are not automatically registered for the course. You must go through the appropriate channels to register for the course you received placement in.

Proficiency Exams

Upon completion of the intermediate level, students may choose to take a language proficiency exam (LPE). Completion of the LPE is noted on students' transcripts. The LPE examines students in the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. The LPE is administered by the CLA Language Center located in Jones Hall; the oral component is taken within the Arabic program. It is administered by an oral proficiency tester certified by ACTFL, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Arabic LPEs are offered on fixed dates at the start and end of every semester. All four components of the LPE must be taken during the same testing session. To view the test dates and register for the Arabic LPE, please visit the LPE Test Registration and Dates page on the website of the CLA Language Center Testing Program. Please review the skills you need to demonstrate during the LPE prior to registering for the test.