Liberal Arts

Foreign Languages

Placement Exams

Foreign language placement exams help you:

  • Start at the right level in Spanish or French and skip what you already know
  • Earn credit toward your Wake Tech degree
  • Save time and money by advancing faster

NOTE: Transfer credit policies vary by school. Talk to an academic advisor to understand how placement credits may affect your transfer plans, degree progress and financial aid.

Eligibility

Students who have already completed a curriculum-level foreign language course at Wake Tech are not eligible to take the exam. But others may qualify to take a placement exam if you meet one or more of the following:

  • Earned a B (87%) or higher in three or more high school courses in the same language
  • Lived or studied in a French- or Spanish-speaking country for at least six months
  • Use French or Spanish daily at work or in another formal setting

What to expect

Cost: Free for Wake Tech students

Format: Computerized adaptive test

Time: Five to 40 minutes

Results: Immediate

Limit: One attempt per student while enrolled at Wake Tech.

Placement exams are offered by appointment only – no walk-ins accepted – at these locations:

  • Southern Wake Campus – Building L, Room 226
  • Scott Northern Wake Campus – Building B, Room 209

Students taking a placement test should arrive on time with their Wake Tech ID. Any student placing out of FRE-111 or SPA-111/181 needs to drop the lower-level class and either register for the next-level course or choose another class that fits his or her degree plan.

NOTE: Students must apply to Wake Tech and receive a student ID number before scheduling a French or Spanish placement exam.

Schedule an exam

Visiting students

Wake Tech welcomes visiting students interested in enrolling in Spanish or French courses. Please review the following information before registering.

  • Placement exam information
    Wake Tech can review official Spanish or French placement exam results taken at a proctored site through an accredited college or university to verify that they meet statewide prerequisites for the course level you plan to take. We do not accept placement scores from high schools or third-party testing sites.
    To submit placement results:
    • Ask the office at your home institution that handles language placement exams to email an official notification of your placement results to the Department Head of Foreign Languages Melania Aguirre-Rabon at [email protected] and copy the Wake Tech Visiting Students Office [email protected] on the email.
    • The email must be sent from an official university email address, formatted as an official memo or letter and include your full name, the language and course level you placed into, the date you took the placement exam and a statement that the exam was proctored.
       
  • Course structure
    All Spanish and French courses at Wake Tech require both a lecture and a lab, taken during the same semester. This requirement applies even if your home institution requires only the lecture course.
    For online courses:
    • All language labs include a required weekly synchronous (live) session
    • Lab sessions are held via Microsoft Teams
    • Weekly attendance is required
       
  • Summer Term availability
    Spanish courses are offered only during the first eight-week summer session.

Questions?

Appointment questions: Email [email protected]
Score or placement questions: Email [email protected]
Course selection questions: Speak with an academic advisor