Placement Scores: UVA Test

How to Interpret Your French Placement Score

Note: The computerized test offered at UVa is called F-CAPE.

Please rememember that your placement score is just one indicator of the course level appropriate for you. Consider your background in French (one year of high school French is about one semester of college French), the textbooks, and how well you generally perform on standardized tests.

TO SATISFY THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT, YOU NEED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

-SAT II SCORE OF 660 OR HIGHER

-ADVANCED PLACEMENT SCORE OF LANGUAGE 3 OR LITERATURE 4

-F-CAPE SCORE OF 477 OR HIGHER

-COMPLETION OF FREN 2020 OR FREN 2320

French Placement Score (F-CAPE)

296 or below ....................................FR 1010
297 - 377 ..........................................FR 1020
377 or below ....................................FR 1050 (for students with over 2 years of HS French)
378 - 394 ..........................................FR 2010
395 - 476 ..........................................FR 2020 or 2320
462 - 498 ..........................................FR 2320
477 and above .................................Requirement Fulfilled
499 - 556 ..........................................FR 3031
557 and above .................................See Advisor

Your French Placement Score (SAT II, AP, F-CAPE)

is reliable only when considered in conjunction with your experience in studying French.  After you get back into a French class, you may remember more than you realize.

If You Are Deciding Between Two Levels in the 1010-2320 Sequence

try the more advanced of the two.  Challenge yourself and complete the language requirement sooner.

Placement of Transfer Students

Placement  of students transferring to UVa from another post-secondary institution is made on the basis of the student’s previous coursework at the former institution. Placement is usually determined by the College and Registrar before the transfer student begins classes at UVa. on the basis of a student's record at his/her former institution. The Language Program Director will be happy to consult with transfer students to place them in an appropriate course.

Note: The College does not grant Transfer credits for the language requirement to matriculated students.

Pass-Fail Regulation

Students may not exercise the pass-fail option if they are taking a course to meet the B.A. Language Requirement.  They may exercise this option if they are taking any course in the Department as an elective.

Placement Guidelines for FREN 2933 and 3034

FREN 2933 is the appropriate conversation course and composition course choice for students who have not completed 3032.  Students who have completed 3032 may NOT take 2933 but may take 3034.  Students who have completed 3034 may NOT take 2933.

Possible Exceptions to the Course Sequence

Schedule conflicts do not permit exceptions to the course sequence. Possible exceptions may be judged on the merit of the individual situations. Permission of course coordinator and instructor are required for all exceptions, and exceptions are on a space-available basis.  Here are examples of possible exceptions:

1. Students who have spent time in France in a French-speaking program (i.e., not short-term tourists) might place out of 2933 without having completed 3032.  They would still NOT be allowed to enroll in 2933 subsequently.
2. Fourth-year students concurrently enrolled in 3032 might be allowed to take 3034.  Again, they would NOT be allowed to take 2933 in a subsequent semester.
3. Students having completed 2020 or 2320 and first-year students having placed out of the requirement and having a strong oral/aural background might consider 2933.  In these cases, strong language skills and success in previous courses is a necessity for success in 2933.  Students who have completed 2933, however, may not subsequently take 2320 for credit.

• one year of HS French is usually comparable to 1 semester of UVA French
• French 1010 may not be taken for credit by students who have completed more than 2 years of HS French
• If you have had more than two years of high school French but placed very low, take French 1050 or 1020.
• Once you have tested out or completed one course in the required courses sequence, you must complete all others in order beyond the starting level. For example, you may not take 1010 then 2010; you may not take 2020, then 2010; you may not take 3031 then 2320; etc.
• Students who have taken or tested into 3000-level courses may not take 1000- or 2000-level courses.
• You may not take two sequence courses simultaneously.
• You must proceed from 1050 to 2010. You may not go from 1050 to 2020 or 2320.
• You may not fulfill the language requirement with 1050 and 2320 only.
• French 1050 is designed as a refresher course for students who have had more than 2 years HS French.
• The college requires that all requirements (such as foreign language) be taken for a grade option.

Questions?

Contact Karen James, Language Program Director, at ksj7c@virginia.edu.

See course descriptions for French 1010-2320.