Language Exams
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A Language Placement Exam Period is offered every October and March in preparation for the opening of the next term’s course registration. During these periods, you will have the opportunity to take a language placement exam in any language with which you have prior experience and intend to study at Harvard.
Fulfilling the Language Requirement through Examination
Students may complete a placement exam to determine if their knowledge is sufficient to fulfill the language requirement. They may do so only once for the purpose of fulfilling the language requirement.
Registering for Exams
After the opening of the exam periods in October and March you may register to take the French, German, Italian, or Spanish online exams using 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 then appear in a list of exams available to you. When you are ready to begin an exam, click the exam’s “Start” button.
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.
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.
Key Dates for 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 |
|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2024 | April 14, 2024 | Registration (Online Exams) |
| March 5, 2024 | April 14, 2024 | Placement Exams |
| March 12, 2024 | April 16, 2024 | Registration (Verification Exams) |
| March 26, 2024 | April 17, 2024 | Verification Exams |
| April 3, 2024 | April 17, 2024 | Course Registration |
*All open times are 12:00 AM (ET). All close times are 11:59 PM (ET).
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 language placement exam 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 (a minimum score of a 600 on the online exam), will need to take a brief, proctored follow-up Live Verification Exam (LVE) on campus. The verification exam must be taken within the same exam period as the placement exam (for the fall exam period by the November deadline and for the spring period by the April 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 use the subject line “Graduate student DPT results” to make sure that your message is distributed to the relevant person.