Frequently Asked Questions
You can take the placement exam online anytime. The exam will give you your placement results immediately. If you have good reason to believe that the results are not a good reflection of your skills and level you may speak with the Language Program Director. You may not choose to place yourself below or above your placement level his permission.
The language requirement is 2 semesters of a foreign language at appropriate placement level, no exceptions.
The Spanish Language Program at Barnard requires all students to take the Placement Exam before registering for a Spanish course, regardless of previous level of instruction. You may take this exam online at myBarnard anytime. You can only take this exam once. The exam will determine which course you must attend at Barnard, irrespective of courses taken previously.
Students with AP, SAT, IB (Higher Level only) or DELE credentials must also take the placement exam and register in a course accordingly. In addition to regular credit for the course they placed in and complete at Elementary, Intermediate or bridge level, students with AP (5) or IB (Higher Level 6 or 7) scores will receive extra college credit points upon completion of SPAN UN3300: Advanced Spanish through Content, or other bridge/upper-level course (with Language Program Director approval) with a B+ or higher (in addition to credit for that course).
College credit points upon completion of bridge or upper-level course with a B+ or higher.
AP (5 score): 3 college credit points.
AP (4 score): 0 college credit points.
IB Higher Level (7 score): 6 college credit points.
IB Higher Level (6 score): 3 college credit points.
IB Higher Level (5 score): 0 college credit points.
IB Standard-Subsidiary Level: 0 college credit points.
For further information, please contact the Acting Language Program Director, María Eugenia Lozano, at mlozano@barnard.edu
C. In which course should I register if I'm a native or heritage speaker of Spanish who did not place out of the language requirement?
If your score is between 450 and 625 in the Placement Exam and you are a native or heritage speaker of Spanish, you should register in Spanish for Heritage Speakers (UN2108), a course specially designed to provide heritage students with the necessary tools to reinforce and consolidate their knowledge of the language in an academic environment. Enrollment must be approved by the Spanish Language Program Director.
If your score is between 450 and 625 in the Placement Exam and you are a native or heritage speaker of Spanish, you should register in Spanish for Heritage Speaker (UN2108), a course specially designed to provide heritage students with the necessary tools to reinforce and consolidate their knowledge of the language in an academic environment. The completion of this course leads to the fulfillment of the language requirement. Enrollment must be approved by the Spanish Language Program Director.