Language Placement
The following Wellesley language programs offer placement exams or questionnaires to students who have previous experience in a language and would like to place above the first course offered at Wellesley.
Online placement exams and questionnaires
The following five exams will be available online: French, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian, and there is also an optional Latin placement questionnaire. For these exams and the questionnaire, follow the links from the Entering Student Checklist in MyWellesley.
Placement exams during Orientation
Placement exams are offered on campus in Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Sign up to take these exams by following the link to the Placement Exam Signup List on the Entering Student Checklist on MyWellesley. Watch for deadline for signing up for placement exams.
Students interested in continuing the study of German can meet with members of the department during Orientation.
Students who are interested in taking a second language
Ordinarily, students take at most one language placement exam during Orientation, although it is possible to take a second with some careful planning. Students with experience in more than one language should consider which language they are likely to take during their first year, and be sure to take that placement exam during Orientation.
While it is possible to take two language courses during the first year, students should be aware that most first- and second-year language courses are offered in two semester blocks, so taking two languages in the first year means committing half of your academic experience that year to language. Since an important goal for most first-year students is to explore the curriculum, so much time devoted to language study in the first year may not be the best strategy for most students.
If you plan to begin study of a language that is new to you with the introductory course at Wellesley, there is no need to take the placement exam, nor should you take an exam in a language you do not plan to study.