Place Into a Course- a student has completed the self-placement process or the placement exam and their score satisfies the prerequisite for a course in that discipline
Place Out of a Requirement- a student has completed the language placement exam and earned a score that meets the prerequisite for a course at the 200-level or higher
Test Out of a Requirement- a student successfully completes a challenge exam, or its equivalent, which satisfies a general education or core course requirement
A student can place into a math, writing, or language course via the self-placement process or placement exams.
Incoming students will be placed into writing, language, and math courses based on their transcripts and test scores. The self-placement process is embedded in the onboarding process.
Returning students can use the following links to self-place:
Placement exams are one-hour standardized tests designed to measure a student’s level of proficiency in a subject area. Writing and language placement exams are available through the Academic Success Center (ASC).
Please contact Savannah Garcia (sgarcia5@laverne.edu) to schedule a placement exam.
The language placement exam is a one-hour multiple choice exam that assesses grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The exam is offered for French, German, and Spanish languages and is proctored online via Zoom. Students can place into a 100, 101, or 210-level course, and can place as high as 320/321. Placing into a 200-level course or higher meets a student’s general education modern language requirement (LVHU).
Language exam preparation material can be found on the ASC's Portal.
The writing placement exam is a one-hour type-written exam generally taken to “challenge” placement into the RCS 110 Studio course. Studio professors give an assignment at the beginning of the course to assess a student’s placement and will waive the studio requirement if beneficial to the student. We generally recommend students complete that assignment prior to taking the writing placement exam.
Writing placement exam study material can be found on the ASC’s portal.
Placement Recommendations
Placing into a 200-level or higher French, German, or Spanish course meets a student’s general education modern language requirement (LVHU).
Students proficient in languages other than French, German, or Spanish should consider taking an exam through Brigham Young University’s (BYU) Foreign Language Achievement Testing Services (FLATS). Non-BYU students must pay a test registration fee and should self-register through the FLATS website. Most recent exam offerings, updated test registration fee information, and the exam registration form can be found on the BYU website.
Students looking to challenge RCS 110 and RCS 111 course requirements can apply to take the 3-hour type-written writing challenge exam. Students will be required to:
The test proctor will connect with the students to schedule the exam.
Math courses including Math 104 and higher are generally challengeable. Requests to challenge a math course requirement should be directed to the Mathematics Department Chair, Dr. Gail Tang (gtang@laverne.edu).
Students seeking to challenge Management Theory and Practice must meet with their advisor, receive instruction, and arrange payment of the testing fee. After the advisor contacts the ASC, the test proctor will contact the student to arrange a 2-hour appointment for the challenge exam.
Is there a fee for placement exams?
Are students required to take the language placement exam?
Does a student need to take the language placement exam after they complete the self-placement process?
Can I access my advisee's placement results?
How do students receive self-placement results?
Does a student need to take the language placement exam after they complete the self-placement process?
Is there a fee for the challenge exam?
Challenge exam fees are set by the department and fee amounts vary.
Are challenge exams offered online or in-person?
Challenge exams are offered online, but arrangements can be made if a student needs to take the exam in person. (The student can inform the proctor they need to take the exam in-person when the proctor contacts them to confirm the appointment date and time.)
How does a student schedule an appointment to take the exam?
If you wish to challenge a writing or math course, visit the Writing Department's "Certification Options" page, or contact Dr. Gail Tang (gtang@laverne.edu) to challenge math placement.