Spanish & Portuguese | College of Liberal Arts
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Placement

Students can access the test registration system by visiting UT Testing and Evaluation Services and clicking "Test Schedules and Registration".

  • Results of the University of Texas Spanish Examination with Writing Exercise and the University of Texas Portuguese Examination with Writing Exercise are used to award credit by examination or to place students in UT Austin Spanish and Portuguese courses appropriate for their particular levels of proficiency.
  • Test results also serve as a basis for awarding credit in one to three Spanish courses (SPN 601D, 610D, 311 and 314) or one to three Portuguese courses (POR 601D, 610D, 311 and 314).
  • The Department of Spanish and Portuguese designs the tests, sets the levels of performance required for credit, and specifies who is eligible to earn credit by examination. UT Testing and Evaluation Services assists the department by communicating policies, administering the tests, and reporting the credit.

STUDENTS FOR WHOM THE PLACEMENT TEST IS APPROPRIATE

  • Students who have prior knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese (regardless of how it was acquired) and who do not have college credit in Spanish or Portuguese are strongly encouraged to take the placement exam before they enroll in their first UT Austin Spanish or Portuguese course.
  • Transfer students may also use the placement test to earn additional credit in Spanish or Portuguese or to earn credit for lower-division courses from which they were exempted without credit at another institution.
  • Spanish or Portuguese credit already earned is not affected by the results of the placement test. Students who do not intend to enroll in a Spanish or Portuguese course but who wish to attempt to earn credit by examination may also take the placement test.

ELIGIBILITY FOR CREDIT BY EXAMINATION IN SPANISH

  • You are eligible for credit only in those courses for which you do not have a passing or failing grade.
  • In addition, if you have been enrolled in SPN 601D, SPN 610D, SPN 311 or SPN 314, or POR 601, 610D, or 611D, or any equivalent course for as long as the date on which the official enrollment count is taken (twelfth class day for long semesters and fourth class day for summer school sessions), you cannot receive credit by examination for that class.
  • Each test may only be taken once on campus.

LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE REQUIRED FOR CREDIT

  • In addition to 65 multiple choice test items in Listening, Grammar and Reading, there will be a UT Austin writing exercise comprised of a short essay, approximately 200 words long, that tests the student's ability to communicate ideas clearly in Spanish or Portuguese.
  • The student will be expected to write in Spanish or Portuguese using a wide range of vocabulary, grammar structures, appropriate connecting words and organization of the topic. Students’ essays will be scored on content and accomplishment of task, range and use of vocabulary and grammar, textual organization, flow as well as use of connectors, and punctuation and spelling.
  • To receive credit, the student must receive satisfactory scores on the University of Texas Spanish or Portuguese examination and writing exercise.
  • For more information, please contact UT Testing and Evaluation Services Office at 512-232-2662 or ctl-testing@utlists.utexas.edu.

TEST ADMINISTRATION

  • The placement exam must be taken on the UT Austin campus.
  • The University of Texas Spanish Examination with Writing Exercise and the University of Texas Portuguese Examination with Writing Exercise are offered on the UT Austin campus during scheduled testing periods several days before each class registration period, once per month, and also during most summer orientation sessions.
  • Test Registration: You must register for a test online at http://testingservices.utexas.edu/credit by clicking on "Test Schedules and Registration."
  • Test Registration for Students with Disabilities: If you require academic accommodations or assistance due to a documented disability, you should contact these two offices at least five business days before the day of the test:
  • Services for Students with Disabilities, in the Office of the Dean of Students at ssd@austin.utexas.edu, http:/deanofstudents.utexas.edu/ssd/, or (512) 471-6259 to seek approval for authorized accommodations.
  • UT Testing and Evaluation Services at (512) 232-2662 to register and make arrangements to take the test.
  • The total of the fees for the test is $90. When you register for a test, you will immediately be billed for the non-refundable test registration fee of $25. After you take the test, you will be billed for the test fee of $65. Payments are due within 14 days of the billing date. All fees are subject to change.
  • Repeating the Test: You may take the placement exam only once.
  • Admission to the Test Room: When you register online you will be given the location of your test room. You must present, at the test room, a generally accepted form of identification that includes both your signature and photograph. Without such identification, you will be admitted only if you bring and relinquish a photograph of yourself.
  • Test Results: Results are available within a few days after the test date, at a time and place announced at the test administration. Once they are available, results may also be found online.
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