Students who have previous knowledge of German (i.e., high school instruction, college courses, in-country exposure) and plan to continue learning German at Hopkins must take the departmental placement exam before registering for a German class. This exam is available online year-round. However, for the most accurate placement recommendation, take it just before the semester you plan to study the language.
The exam covers vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension, and knowledge of grammatical forms.
To take the German Placement Test users must self-enroll in the placement exam course:
- log into Canvas using your JHED credentials
- Once in Canvas, select the “Enroll” button, then the “Enroll in Course” button
- Then use the “Go to Course” link to access the placement exam
Upon completion, please send an email to the German Language Program Director Heiko ter Haseborg for confirmation and further guidance in course selection.
Typical enrollment based on previous exposure:
| Exposure | Course of Action |
|---|---|
| No previous experience | No placement test needed; sign up for German Elements I (210.161) |
| Up to one year of German in high school | Take placement exam; sign up for German Elements I (210.161) |
| Two years of German in high school | Take placement exam; sign up for German Elements II (210.162) (typically spring only) |
| Three to four years of German in high school | Take placement exam; sign up for Intermediate German (210.261) |
| Four to six years of German in high school or an AP score of 4 or 5 | Take placement exam; sign up for Advanced German I (210.361) |
Ethics Statement
Johns Hopkins University believes strongly that every member of its community should hold the highest standard of integrity for their work and avoid academic dishonesty. You are expected to behave in an ethical manner while taking the online language placement exam.
You must take this exam without assistance from anyone and without the help of any document (notes, book, dictionary, etc.). You are allowed to take this test only once. Reproduction of the material on this test is a violation of ethical standards. Therefore, you should not discuss the questions on these tests with others nor may you provide others with the questions on these tests.
By taking the online placement test, you accept the following statements:
- I will do my own work on this test. I will not receive assistance from another person nor from books or other documents.
- I will not discuss this test with others or reproduce test questions in any format.
- I will take this test online only once.