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Placement Tests, Language Requirements, and Language Proficiency Evaluations 

If you want to continue studying Spanish and/or Portuguese, you need to take an online placement test at least two weeks before you register for courses. Please make sure you follow each program procedures to complete the placement exam. 

If you want to waive the major language requirements, you can reach out to the Spanish or Portuguese Language Program Director to learn about the procedure for each language.  

If you need a language proficiency evaluation, you can also contact the Spanish or Portuguese Language Program Director to learn about the procedure for each language.  

Spanish language placement exam

All students who plan to take Spanish at Hopkins must take the Spanish Language Program placement exam before registering for a Spanish class. This exam is available online year-round. However, for the most accurate placement recommendation, it should be taken just prior to the semester in which you plan to study the language.

This multiple-choice exam is both individualized (self-adjusts to the student’s level) and non-timed. You should, however, plan to complete it in one sitting to avoid the disruption of being disconnected from the server. It covers grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills.

To register for a Spanish language class

  1. Read the ethics statement below and take the placement exam online. You may only take the exam once.
  2. After taking the exam, email Professor Loreto Sanchez requesting permission to sign up for the class that matches your score.
  3. Professor Sanchez will notify the Registrar’s Office to update your SIS record and permit you to register for a Spanish class at the approved level as soon as registration opens for your cohort.

This placement exam should take approximately 50 minutes to complete. Allow yourself sufficient time to complete the entire exam at once. The exam results are subject to review by the program director or the corresponding course coordinator, who might determine that you should be placed in a different level of Spanish. In the meantime, however, you should register for the level automatically determined through the exam results.

You must register with your JHU email. Questions regarding the exam or your score should be sent to Professor Loreto Sanchez.

Students who plan to waive language requirements for their majors must contact Dr. Sánchez to have this exam proctored. She will issue an official placement notation in their transcripts. Official placement notations will not be granted for any reasons other than language requirement waivers.

Portuguese placement exam

Students who have taken Portuguese before and plan to continue at Johns Hopkins must take the departmental placement exam before registering for a Portuguese class. This exam is available online year-round; for the most accurate placement recommendation, take it just before the semester you plan to study the language.

This placement exam should take approximately 60 minutes to complete. The placement test covers grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, listening skills, writing, and speaking. Be sure you allow yourself sufficient time to complete the entire exam at once. After you finish the test, remember to attach your audio file.

If you have successfully taken the pre-requisite courses for the class, you do not need to take the placement exam.

Native speakers of Portuguese who want an official foreign language waiver or a proof of language proficiency contact Dr. Azeredo-Cerqueira.

Obtain Placement Advice and Register for Classes

  1. Take the Portuguese placement test online. You may only take the exam once.
  2. For current students: To enroll in this placement test course, log into Canvas using your jhed credentials. Once in Canvas, select the “Enroll” button, then the “Enroll in Course” button, and then use the “Go to Course” link to access the placement exam.  For non-JHU students or those without a JHED id: If you have questions, please contact Professor Flavia Azeredo-Cerqueira  for instructions on how to take the placement test.
  3. Your exam will be automatically sent to Professor Azeredo-Cerqueira who will review it and will assign you a Portuguese language level that matches your background.
  4. After taking the exam, send an email to Professor Flavia Azeredo-Cerqueira, asking for permission to sign up for the class that matches your score. Professor Azeredo-Cerqueira will notify the Registrar’s Office to update your SIS record and permit you to register for a Portuguese class at the approved level as soon as registration opens for your cohort.
ExperienceRecommended action
No previous experienceNo placement test needed; sign up for Fast Portuguese for Spanish Speakers or Speaker of other Romance Languages (210.275)
Up to two years of Portuguese in high schoolTake placement exam; sign up for Intermediate Portuguese I (210.277) 
Three to four years of Portuguese in high schoolTake placement exam; sign up for Intermediate Portuguese II (210.278)
Four to six years of Portuguese in high school or a Celpe-Bras score of 3,51 or higherTake placement exam; sign up for Advanced Portuguese I (210.391)

Placement Exams Ethics Statement

Johns Hopkins University strongly believes that every member of its community should uphold the highest standard of integrity in their work and should 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 included in this test is a violation of ethical standards. Therefore, you should not discuss the questions on this test with others, nor should you provide others with the questions included on this test.

By accepting the following statements, you may begin the online placement exam

  • I will do my own work on this test. I will not receive assistance from another person or 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.