Spanish Placement Diagnostic

Please visit this page for the Spanish Placement Diagnostic.

Placement FAQ

Which Spanish course have I placed into?

Please see the Spanish Placement Chart or the World Language Requirement FAQ.

I accidently dropped myself from the course roster. Can I be added back in? 

No, there is nothing the instructor can do to add you into a course. You will have to put your name on the wait list for several sections to see if a space becomes available.

I took the IB Exam in Spanish. Where does that place me and do I receive credit at UVA? 

For more information on the policies of the College of Arts & Sciences, please visit https://college.as.virginia.edu/iclec.

I took the A-Level Exam in Spanish. Where do I place? 

Please contact the Director of the Spanish Language Program to discuss placement and credit. Bring a copy of your A-Level exam score. For additional information about international college-level exam credit, please visit https://college.as.virginia.edu/iclec.

I took dual enrollment courses in Spanish. Do I receive credit?

You may NOT use dual enrollment credit to satisfy the World Language Requirement, though such dual enrollment courses will count as elective credits toward your degree.  Such credits will appear as 1000T or 2000T on your record.

If you have World Language dual enrollment credit, you must take the PLACE placement diagnostic before June 1. 

See: https://college.as.virginia.edu/dual-enrollment.

How do I present proof of placement?

If you have taken another Spanish course at UVA, you must print out a copy of your unofficial transcript and highlight the grade of your most recent Spanish class. The grade must be visible in order for your instructor to know that you passed the class, however you may black out all other grades if you so choose.

If this is your first Spanish course at UVA, print out or take a screenshot of your score on the PLACE Diagnostic, UVA Spanish placement diagnostic, AP Exam, SAT II Exam, or IB (HL) Exam to show your instructor.

If you never studied Spanish in high school or at another college/university, you do not need to present a placement score to your instructor. You should begin Spanish in SPAN 1010 (offered in Summer Session only).

I am a transfer student and I need to present proof of placement and I took Spanish courses at my previous college/university.  What do I do? Do I need to take the UVA Placement Diagnostic? 

If you are a transfer student, you can show your instructor your SIS Transfer Credit report or unofficial transcript listing those Spanish courses that transferred over to UVA. You are not required to take the UVA Placement Diagnostic; you can just continue on with the next level. If you did take the UVA Placement Diagnostic, and you placed into the level that you just completed at your prior institution, you can take that level at UVA, but you will forfeit the transfer credits. In other words, you cannot receive credit twice for the same course.

If I took the Placement Diagnostic a long time ago, can I retake it or take a lower level class? 

No. Even if you took the Placement Diagnostic a long time ago, you must still take the course into which you have placed. If you feel, after 4-5 days of attending the class, that the level is too difficult for you, then you may meet with the Director of the Spanish Language Program to discuss your situation.

Can I audit a Spanish course? 

If you are taking the course to fulfill the World Language Requirement, you must take it for a letter grade. Otherwise, students can audit a class ONLY IF the class is under-enrolled (if there are fewer than 18 students enrolled). If the class is fully enrolled, no one can audit the class.

Can I skip a course in the language sequence? 

No, all courses in the sequence must be completed to fulfill the language requirement. [See the Undergraduate Record]

Can I take a course toward the World Language Requirement at another institution? 

No, The College will NOT allow courses to transfer from other U.S. colleges/universities to fulfill the world language requirement. In other words, the World Language Requirement must be fulfilled only at UVA or at a UVA-approved study abroad program. Students can take SPAN 1010-2020 in study abroad programs approved by our department. UVA offers direct-credit programs in Valencia, Spain, and in Costa Rica. For all other study abroad programs, students must consult the Director of the Spanish Language Program for approval prior to going.

I am currently a high school student (or Community Scholar) and wish to enroll in a world language course. May I get permission? 

You can enroll in the course if it is under-enrolled (if there are fewer than 18 students enrolled). Our department cannot add students beyond the class limit. If the course is fully enrolled right now, you are welcome to wait and see what happens by the Drop Deadline to see if a space becomes available.

I am applying to the McIntire School of Commerce (Comm School) and I need to get into this class to fill my World Language requirement before they will accept me. 

You will need to wait on the wait list to see if a spot becomes available. We cannot add you into this course. Please keep in mind the following:

All prerequisites, including the world language prerequisite, must be completed by the time a student enters the School, not by the time the student applies. It is very common for students to be taking prerequisites during the spring of the second year when they apply. McIntire also allows students to complete the prerequisites over the summer before enrolling and once admitted to McIntire you can complete the requirements (including World Language) at another school and transfer the credit back to UVA. As long as you indicate on your application that you plan to complete the language requirement and show that you are progressing towards completion, it will in no way have a negative impact on your McIntire admission decision.

If you have additional questions, please contact the Commerce School.

I have placed somewhere into the upper level (3000 level) Spanish courses. Which class should I take? 

• Please see the Spanish Placement Chart for information on placement into the 3000-level.
• If you have questions about placement in SPAN 3010-3020, please contact the Course Coordinators for SPAN 3010-3020. If you have questions about placement in all other 3000-level courses, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Programs in Spanish.

Additional Resources and Documents

Placement Charts in Spanish

Credit Transfer Policies for International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) (College of Arts & Sciences)

Undergraduate Degree Requirements (College of Arts & Sciences)

Undergraduate Record (University Registrar)

Honor Committee (University)