Placement Exam and Transfer Credit

Placement testing:

In order to enter the appropriate level of language study at Ohio State, students who have studied a Slavic language at the pre-college level are required to take a placement test. Also, students who have taken a significant break between classes may require reevaluation before placing directly into the next level of language.

For WINTER 2010, the Russian language EM/Placement test can be taken at ONE of the following times:

Monday, January 4, 2010 at 10-12 p.m. or 2-4 p.m.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 10-12 p.m. or 2-4 p.m.
Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10-12 p.m. or 2-4 p.m.

The test will be administered in Hagerty Hall 400.

Students must register to take the test at least 24 hours in advance by calling the Slavic department main office at 614-292-6733 or sending an e-mail to slavicdept@osu.edu. Students who have not registered in advance will not be able to take the placement test until the beginning of Spring 2010 quarter.

For all other languages, please contact the Foreign Language Coordinator of your particular language of study.

Examination Credits:

Students who have knowledge of a Slavic language may receive Examination Credit (EM credit) through testing in the Department. EM credit may be awarded in the Department only for language courses through the 104.01 or 104.51 level. For the Russian Language, a written 1-hour long placement test is administered (available Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Slavic Department office).

Requirements for the Russian major, Russian minor, and Slavic minor restricts the number of EM credits that may count toward your degree. Please consult the requirements for your major or minor. EM credit may not be assigned to any student who attended high school or its equivalent in a country in which the language of study was the primary language.

Students may initially receive EM credit upon arrival at OSU, but may be away from language study for a significant period of time, so that their language skills are lower than the level required to continue the series. In such cases, students are required to take the placement test and register for the level appropriate to their proficiency as an "auditor." It is important that the student and instructor maintain constant communication about the student's development to ensure that he or she will be able to move on successfully to the next level.

Transfer Credits:

If you have wish to transfer credits in one of the languages being offered in the department from another university or college, you should not take a placement test. Instead, you should contact the appropriate Foreign Language Coordinator to have those credits assessed and assigned to comparable courses in the Department. Once these credits have been assessed, students will enter the next appropriate level of study. Students whose last language course was prior to college, however, are required to take the language placement test. Although students may transfer credits from another school, they may have been away from language study for a significant period of time, so that their language skills are lower than the proficiency required by the next logical level. In such cases, students are required to take the placement test and register for the level appropriate to their proficiency as an "auditor." In such instances, it is important that the student and instructor maintain constant communication about the student's development to ensure that the student will be able to move on successfully to the next level.