Placement, Testing, and Transfer Credit

French Placement

Determining Level of Achievement
 

• If you are a native speaker who wants accreditation for your language abilities, you need to take the CASE exam (for details see below). Native speakers must also register in the Collt. As mentioned above, remember that if you are a student in the College of Arts & Sciences, the requirement can only be fulfilled by courses taken at Cornell.
• If you have prior foreign language study, please use the chart below. Before considering this chart, please note that after two years, high school  placement  scores  are  no longer reliable, and you will be required to  take the LPF for accurate placement. This applies to   SATII and AP scores.

Scenario 1: You have a SAT, or an AP, or an LPF (Cornell's language placement exam) score that is less than two years old

Scenario 2: You did not take any of these tests, or your score is more than two years old

Step 1: Register in COLLT

• All students wishing to take courses or be granted credit in French must register in COLLT (Cornell On-Line Language Tests) and fill out the information on their background.

Step 2: Take the LPF Test

• The LPF test (Language Placement test in French) is designed to place you in the level that is most suited for your needs. The LPF is offered online in the COLLT so that students can take it at their convenience.
• Use the chart above to determine your level. If you get a score above 65, take the CASE (step 3). However, students who get a 65 or higher on the LPF test at the end of 1220 are not eligible to take the CASE exam; instead, they should enroll directly into 2070/2090 (or the equivalent).

Step 3: (Only if your LPF score >65) Take the CASE exam

• The CASE (Cornell Advanced Standing Exam) is designed for students who have acquired the language outside of Cornell and need to determine placement into our courses. Students may earn up to 3 credits with the CASE.
• The CASE is not offered online, but given twice at the beginning of each semester.

• Once you receive your CASE score, use the chart below to determine the course you should place in.

Contacts for Language Placement

If you have any questions regarding the language placements tests, please contact:

• Thierry Toréa, Lecturer of French Language, Klarman K149
• Cal Hile, Undergraduate Coordinator, Klarman K165; 5-8222

Italian Placement

Determining Level of Achievement
 

• If you are a native speaker who wants accreditation for your language abilities, you need to take the CASE exam (for details see below). Native speakers must also register in the Collt. As mentioned above, remember that if you are a student in the College of Arts & Sciences, the requirement can only be fulfilled by courses taken at Cornell.
• If you have less than 2 years of foreign language study, you may enroll in the first semester course (The course number is 1201).
• If you have more than 2 years of foreign language study, please use the chart below. Before considering this chart, please note that after two years, high school placement scores are no longer reliable, and you will be required to take the LPF for accurate placement. This applies to SATII and AP scores.

Scenario 1: You have a SAT, or an AP, or an LPI (Cornell's language placement exam) score that is less than two years old

Please note that Cornell does not recognize IB tests or any equivalent scores; please take the LPI test.

Scenario 2: You did not take any of these test, or your score is more than two years old

Step 1: Register in COLLT

• All students wishing to take courses or be granted credit in Italian must register in COLLT (Cornell On-Line Language Tests) and fill out the information on their background.

Step 2: Take the LPI Test

• The LPI test (Language Placement test in Italian) is designed to place you in the level that is most suited for your needs. The LPI is offered online in the COLLT so that students can take it at their convenience.
• Use the chart above to determine your level. If you get a score above 65, take the CASE (step 3).

Step 3: (Only if your LPI score >65) Take the CASE exam

• The CASE (Cornell Advanced Standing Exam) is designed for students who have acquired the language outside of Cornell and need to determine placement into our courses. Students may earn up to 3 credits with the CASE.
• The CASE is not offered online, but given twice at the beginning of each semester.

• Once you receive your CASE score, use the chart below to determine the course you should place in.

Contacts for Language Placement

If you have any questions regarding the language placements tests, please contact:

• Kora von Wittelsbach, Senior Lecturer of Italian Language, Klarman K127
• Cal Hile, Undergraduate Coordinator, Klarman K165; 5-8222

Polish Placement

Determining Level of Achievement
 

• If you are a heritage speaker of Polish, which means that you speak or spoke Polish at home but did not go to any Polish school in the USA, please contact the instructor, Ewa Bachminska. Such students most often enroll in Elementary Polish I.
• If you are a heritage speaker and you went to a Polish school in the USA, please contact the Polish instructor to determine your language skills.
• If you are a native speaker who wants accrediation for his/her language abilities, please contact the Polish instructor.

Contacts for Language Placement

If you have any questions regarding the language placements tests, please contact:

• Ewa Bachminska, Senior Lecturer of Polish Language, Klarman K135
• Cal Hile, Undergraduate Coordinator, Klarman K165; 5-8222

Portuguese Placement

Determining Level of Achievement
 

• If you are a native speaker who wants accreditation for your language abilities, you need to take the CASE exam. To arrange this, please contact Jura Oliveira. Native speakers must also register in the COLLT (Cornell On-Line Language Testing). Note that if you are a student in the College of Arts & Sciences, the requirement can only be fulfilled by courses taken at Cornell.
• If you have less than two years of foreign language study, you may enroll in the first semester course (PORT 1210).
• If you are a native or near-native speaker, basically having good knowledge of Spanish, you should contact the instructor.

Contacts for Language Placement

If you have any questions regarding the language placements tests, please contact:

• Jura Oliveira, Senior Lecturer of Portuguese Language, Klarman K126
• Cal Hile, Undergraduate Coordinator, Klarman K165; 5-8222

Spanish Placement

Determining Level of Achievement

• If you are a native speaker who wants accreditation for your  language  abilities, you  need to get in contact with the NLAS examiner (Brisa Teutli [bt54]) in order to arrange a brief interview with her.
• If you have less than 2 years of foreign language study, you may enroll in the first semester course (the course number is 1210).
• If you have more than 2 years of foreign language study, you will be required to take the LPS for accurate placement.

Scenario 1: You have an LPS (Cornell's language placement test) score that is less than two years old

Please note that Cornell does not recognize IB tests or any equivalent scores; please take the LPS test.

* Students who get a 65 or higher on the LPS test at the end of SPAN 1120 or 1220 are not eligible to take the CASE exam; instead, they should enroll directly into 2070/2090/2000 (or the equivalent).

Scenario 2: You did not take the LPS or your score is more than two years old

Step 1: Register in COLLT

• All students wishing to take courses or be granted credit in Spanish must register in COLLT (Cornell On-Line Language Tests) and fill out the information on their background.

Step 2: Take the LPS Test

• The LPS test (Language Placement test in Spanish) is designed to place you in the level that is most suited for your needs. The LPS is offered online in the COLLT and takes about one hour, so that students can take it at their convenience.
• Use the chart above to determine your level. If you get a score above 65, take the CASE (step 3).

Step 3: (Only if your LPS score >65) Take the CASE exam

• The CASE (Cornell Advanced Standing Exam) is designed for students who have acquired the language outside of Cornell and need to determine placement into our courses. Students may earn up to 3 credits with the CASE.
• The CASE is not offered online, but given twice at the beginning of each semester.

• Once you receive your score, use the chart below to determine the course you should place in.

Contacts for Language Placement

If you have any questions regarding the language placements tests, please contact:

• Mary K. Redmond, Associate Chair and Senior Lecturer of Spanish, Klarman K168; 607-254-6502
• Cal Hile, Undergraduate Coordinator, Klarman K165; 255-8222
• NLAS Examiner: Brisa Teutli

Norwegian and Swedish Placement

For information about Norwegian and Swedish language testing, please contact Kora von Wittelsbach.

Foreign Language Requirements

College of Arts & Sciences Language Requirement

• Option 1: Passing a 2000 level (or above) course in a foreign language at Cornell or
• Option 2: Passing at least eleven credits of study in a single foreign language at Cornell (usually an introductory sequence)

Important: The Arts and Sciences language requirement can only be fulfilled by courses taken at Cornell. This is a College, not a department, policy. Please take this into account as you plan your work at Cornell and elsewhere. For more information about the Arts & Sciences requirement, please visit the College site.

For All Students:

• Exempt: native speakers or equivalent
• Definition of “native speaker” for purposes of language placement: one who has completed secondary education in an institution whose primary language of instruction was not English, but the target language. Native speakers fitting this description are exempt from the language requirement. To be granted exemption officially, if you fit this definition of native speaker in French or Italian, take the CASE exam. For Spanish, use the NLAS.

Transfer Credit

Procedure for approval of language courses:

1. Bring the following materials to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Cecelia Lawless, in K112 Klarman Hall:
   1. Course materials: If you took the course already bring detailed course materials for the purposes of comparing the proposed course with equivalent courses at Cornell. These materials could include: a course syllabus or plan or a list of skills taught in the course, along with the means of teaching those skills (How many written exercises will be/were assigned? Of what length? How much reading will be/were assigned? What materials will be/were used in the course?) If you are planning on taking a course during the summer, save all of the course materials. You will be asked to show the syllabus, tests, writing assignments, and other course materials for formal approval after the course is taken.
   2. Transcript: A sealed, official copy of the transcript from the institution where the course was/is going to be taken. The minimum grade required to receive transfer credit is a B.
   3. Pre-approval form: This form can be obtained from the Arts and Sciences Registrar’s office.
2. The Director of Undergraduate Studies gives final approval and notifies the student of the outcome.