Placement Exams

As part of the Foundations of Learning component of the curriculum, and in view of the institutional commitment to diversity, all students at UNC Asheville are required to demonstrate competence in a foreign language through the first year level or above. The following policy and procedures will facilitate your successful placement in the correct lower-level French or Spanish course at UNC Asheville. For placement in German, Portuguese or other languages, please contact the Department of Foreign Languages.

Policy

• According to the UNC Asheville catalogue “students must fulfill a foreign language requirement by demonstrating competence through the first-year level or above. This can be done either through a placement exam or through completion of the appropriate level course work.”
• French and Spanish courses at UNC Asheville require students to register in the appropriate level course. Please use the table below as a guideline.  Note: If you have had one year or more of previous academic experience in the language that you intend to study at UNC Asheville or which you intend to use to satisfy the foreign language graduation requirement, you must take the Web Computer Adapted Placement Exam (WebCAPE) in order to assess your level in the language. You will not be able to register for French or Spanish courses or have your foreign language requirement waived until you have taken the exam.
• The WebCAPE must be taken during the preregistration period in which you expect to enroll in the corresponding language class. The online test will be offered several times during the academic year. Upon completing the 20-25 minute, proctored test, you will receive your score immediately.
• Should you receive a score of 326 or higher, your foreign language requirement will be automatically marked as fulfilled.
• Transfer students who have received UNC Asheville credit for foreign language courses taken at their institution of origin do not need to take the WebCAPE.

Register in the 110 level if...

• you have never studied the language before or have less than one year of previous academic experience in the language; or,
• you did not pass the 110 course; or
• your score on the WebCAPE is between 0-178.
• (in the case of French only), you have studied the language before, but  your WebCAPE score is under 260.

Register in the 120 level if...

• you successfully passed the 110 course; or,
• you obtained between 260-325 on the WebCAPE.

Register in the 210 level if...

• you successfully passed the 120 course; or,
• you obtained between 326-414 on the WebCAPE.

Register in the 220 level if...

• you successfully passed the 210 course; or,
• you obtained between 415-493 on the WebCAPE.

Register in a 300 level course if...

• you successfully passed the 220 course; or,
• you obtained between 494 or higher on the WebCAPE. (Students should make an appointment with the Chair of the Foreign Language Department for advice on the best course to take).

Note for Spanish students only:  If you obtained between 179 and 259 on the WebCAPE, you must take Span 130, which will fulfill your foreign language requirement.

Please check with the Foreign Languages Office, 828-251-6419 for dates and locations of the next session of  WebCAPE placement exams. You can expect the exam to be offered during summer orientation sessions and the week prior to pre-registration.  You can also make an appointment to take it individually if needed through the Foreign Languages office (see above phone number).