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Division of Academic and Student Affairs 
New Student Programs

Foreign Language Test for Transfer Students

All students at NC State must demonstrate competency at the Elementary II level in a foreign language (FL* 102) as a requirement for graduation. Students who do not meet the proficiency requirement as determined by a review of the student’s transcripts by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions may need to take a placement test. Proficiency can be met by either of these options:

  • Two years of high school study of the same language or with a grade of ‘C’ or better in each of the two years
  • College credit from a previous institution

Students enrolling in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), the Poole College of Management (PCOM), or Design Studies in the College of Design are required to complete the Intermediate I level (FL* 201). If students in these colleges are not transferring in college credit or test scores (e.g., SAT II or AP) in a Foreign Language will be directed to take a placement test online. Students in all other colleges who did not meet the university FL* 102 proficiency requirement (as explained above), or who wish to take a foreign language, also need to take the placement test. If there are any questions regarding previous credit or proficiency, students should speak with their academic advisor.

If students are beginning a language they have never studied before, they should enroll in FL* 101.

All foreign language placement testing is currently being conducted online. Computerized placement tests in Chinese, French, German, Spanish, and Latin are available via an online test but are for course placement only. See full details and access the online test on the Foreign Language Placement webpage.
For all other languages, students should go Coordinator webpage and contact the appropriate language coordinator to schedule a virtual placement test.

For further details regarding the foreign language requirement and placement testing, visit the Foreign Language Placement website. If you have questions, contact the Associate Department Head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Dr. Scott Despain at despain@ncsu.edu.