Upper-level and Graduate Students
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Registering for Exams
You may register to take a language exam (French, German, Italian, or Spanish) or the Chemistry and Biology Placement Exam (College students only) at the Online Placement Exams Registration (OPER) application. To access an exam during an exam period, first click the “Register” button for an exam. You will then receive an email confirming your registration that includes helpful exam information, and a “Start” exam button will appear once the exam window has opened. The Summer 2025 placement exams open on June 18. When you are ready to begin an exam, click the exam’s “Start” button.
For incoming graduate students, access to the OPER system opens once the University updates your student status from Pending to Enrolled. For FAS students, this occurs approximately 48 hours after you’ve completed the check-in process, which becomes available to you in mid-August. Students from other Harvard schools should check with their Registrar’s Office for more information on when and how their status changes. FAS course registration opens for incoming students on August 12.
Students planning to take their first course in a language at Harvard who have previous experience studying that language must take the placement exam. You will need your course recommendation to register for the appropriate language course. Instructors will ask for the exam result and students will need to change course levels if not enrolled in the appropriate level course.
Students who wish to take a placement exam in a language other than French, German, Italian, or Spanish may consult the language contacts and placement exam information list below. If the language exam is “by request” or “by arrangement” simply email the contact provided to request the exam.
Key Dates for Sciences & French, German, Italian, and Spanish Exams
All undergraduate and graduate students must register for the exams. Verification exams are only for undergraduate students who have met the qualifying score and plan on taking the verification exam to fulfill the language requirement.
| Date Open* | Date Closed* | Description |
|---|---|---|
| June 18, 2025 | September 9, 2025** | Placement Exam Registration |
| June 18, 2025 | August 25, 2025** | Placement Exams |
| August 1, 2025 | September 16, 2025 | Registration (Language Verification Exams) |
| August 26, 2025 | September 16, 2025 | Language Verification Exams (subject to change) |
| August 25, 2025 | September 9, 2025 | ADD/Drop Period and Cross Registration |
*All open times are 12:00 AM (ET). All close times are 11:59 PM (ET).
** Students are strongly advised to complete the placement exam by the start of the Add/Drop period for the purpose of adding a course. The placement exams will remain open through September 9.
Exam Accommodations
The Disability Access Office (DAO) is the primary point of contact for undergraduate and GSAS students seeking reasonable accommodations for a disability. You are encouraged to work with the DAO to discuss any potential accommodations you may need for the exams. Please note that if you have already registered with the DAO to receive accommodations for your coursework, you will also need to request accommodations for placement exams. Do not begin the exam until your accommodations have been approved and are in place.
All Language Exams
Select a language to find departmental contacts and more information about each placement exam.
Accessing Exam Results
College Students
Results of your placement exams will appear on the Test and Score Report in my.harvard within 24 hours. Those students taking an exam to fulfill the foreign language requirement, and who demonstrate sufficient mastery (placement into French/Italian/Spanish 30 or above and German 60 or above), will need to take a proctored follow-up Language Verification Exam (LVE) when back on campus. The verification exam must be taken within the same exam period as the placement exam (for the Summer exam period this means by the September deadline). For further information about fulfilling the language requirement through examination, consult the website for the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE).
Students taking an exam in a language other than the ones listed above will receive the results from the language department directly by email and the LVE information is not applicable in those cases.
Graduate Students
Graduate students who have completed the French, German, Italian, or Spanish exam should contact the Registrar’s Office at placementexams@fas.harvard.edu no earlier than one day following the completion of the exam to receive their placement recommendations. Please make sure to include your HUID # and use the subject line “Graduate student DPT results” to make sure that your message is distributed to the relevant person.