French Placement

Where you begin in our French program can depend upon . . .

Do you need a placement exam? Here is the Department's policy:

  • Students with 3 or more years of high school French must take the placement exam prior to enrolling in a French course.
  • Students with fewer than 3 years of high school French may enroll in French 101.
  • Students with fewer than 3 years of high school French who wish to begin above 101, may take the placement exam to help determine an appropriate starting point.

If you have questions about your specific situation, please contact Dr. Norval Bard, Professor of French.

When and where can you take the French placement exam?

  • New students are expected to take the placement exam during the summer orientation and advising sessions. Arrangements should be made via the orientation program or the Advising Center for these exams. Summer exams are administered in one of the computer labs on campus.
  • Current students can take a placement exam by scheduling a time with Dr. Norval Bard, Director of the Language Resource Center. These exams are usually conducted in the Language Resource Center.

What is the exam like? The North Central College French placement exam is a computerized exam that tests grammar, vocabulary and aural comprehension. It takes about 20 minutes or less to complete.

What if I would like to take a placement exam in more than one language? Great! We offer placement exams in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Latin. Please contact the Director of the Language Resource Center, Dr. Norval Bard, to schedule any of these exams.

Questions?

We invite you to contact the Director of the Language Resource Center, 
Dr. Norval Bard.